The rapid shift in attitudes toward same-sex marriage in the United States has been one of the most dramatic cultural transformations in recent memory. But with these changes have come many questions and tensions. Is the focus on the politics of marriage limiting to broader rights movement? How have popular representations like those in Modern Family, crime procedurals, or even Levi’s jeans commercials changed the public’s perceptions, and has it always been for the better? How has the study and teaching of gay and lesbian history changed? What is the relationship between sexuality and neighborhood transformation (often termed “gentrification”)? In this month’s episode of History Talk there’s something for everyone as hosts Patrick Potyondy and Leticia Wiggins discuss the historical background behind the news headlines with three experts: Daniel Rivers and Clayton Howard are two Ohio State history professors, and J. Brendan Shaw is a doctoral candidate in the Ohio State University English department.

Posted: July 2014

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A transcript of this podcast is available at https://origins.osu.edu/historytalk/debate-over-same-sex-marriage-and-lgbtq-rights