FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       

Contact:
Sid Eastman
Sid@GoodDoxie.com

 

LOVE: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality.

A Powerful Collection of Stories Named One of Oprah’s 25 Best Books of 2025

 

​LOVE: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality (Rizzoli, 368 pages) has been recognized by Oprah Daily as one of the 25 Best Books of 2025, celebrated as a “powerful collection of stories” that illuminates the journey of all who came out and gained acceptance. Academy Award–winner Jamie Lee Curtis calls it “a MUST HAVE for ALL!”

​

Documented over two decades by acclaimed photographer and director Frankie Frankeny and veteran journalist John Casey, with forewords by civil rights icons Jim Obergefell and Evan Wolfson, LOVE chronicles more than a hundred remarkable LGBTQ+ couples, activists, and allies whose bravery helped secure marriage equality in the United States and beyond.

​

From the invisibility of gay couples before the 1970s to the activism of the 1980s and 1990s, from the groundbreaking 2015 Supreme Court victory to the ongoing fight for equality today, LOVE reveals how ordinary people transformed private love into public change and, in doing so, defied prejudice, reshaped laws, and captured the compassion of a nation. 

​

These powerful personal accounts—paired with striking archival imagery—serve as both a tribute and a roadmap for future generations, revealing not just why but how these courageous individuals defied presidents, politicians, preachers, and public opinion to secure a civil right once thought unimaginable. ​ 

 

Among the featured profiles are couples at the heart of pivotal court cases, including Jim Obergefell & John Arthur and Edie Windsor & Thea Spyer, as well as well-known advocates whose visibility helped galvanize support for marriage equality, such as George & Brad Takei and PA. State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta and Dr. Matthew Jordan-Miller Kenyatta, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.

​

At a time when marriage rights face renewed challenges, LOVE stands as a powerful reminder: the fight for equality is ongoing. These stories reaffirm the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community and the transformative impact of love and perseverance- not just in securing rights, but in enriching lives with dignity.

 

About the Authors

• Frankie Frankeny is the founder of GoodDoxie Studios, a celebrated photographer, director, and producer who has documented the marriage equality movement since 2004.

• John Casey is a senior editor and writer at The Advocate.

• Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges, is a prominent civil rights activist.

• Evan Wolfson, author of Why Marriage Matters and recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal, played a pivotal role in securing marriage equality.

Contributions from Marc Solomon, Jennifer Finney Boylan, and other key figures further enrich this essential chronicle of progress. 

 

A Growing Multimedia Movement

LOVE anchors The JustMarried Project, supported by a dozen national organizations including Family Equality, Lambda Legal, Out Leadership, and SAGE. The project expands beyond the page into a multimedia celebration of visibility and legacy:

​

• Serialized Podcast: Launching soon, featuring the voices and stories that shaped our shared history.

• LOVE & PRIDE: A global streaming event debuting in February, celebrating the Month of LOVE.

• Docuseries in Development: Bringing these courageous stories to the screen, ensuring they continue to inspire future generations.

 

Jamie Lee Curtis: “ I am excited for others, through this book, to bear witness to this powerful, life-changing combining of love. A MUST HAVE for ALL!”

 

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California: “This book honors seven decades of courage, love, and determination by the LGBTQ+ community. These stories are a powerful and triumphant roadmap for future generations to protect marriage equality.”

 

Judith Kasen-Windsor: “Like the famous quote from my wife, Edie Windsor, ‘Don’t postpone joy,’ this ‘joyous’ book is filled with glorious LGBTQ+ love stories through the ages.”

 

Richard Hodges, respondent, Obergefell v. Hodges: “I’ve never been happier to lose something. This beautiful book celebrates the many heroes who shared their stories and, as a result, changed hearts, minds, and our nation.”

 

Todd Sears, Founder & CEO, Out Leadership: “The JustMarried Project reminds us that we deserve to love openly, have the families we dream of, and live fearlessly as our true selves.”

 

Sara Cunningham, Founder, Free Mom Hugs: “Belonging is sacred—and too often denied. LOVE captures the LGBTQ+ community’s bold journey to reclaim it.”

​

More Aclaim For LOVE

​

​

Review Materials:

• Book Promo Video

• E-Galley/PDF (For reference only – no images may be used for press purposes.)

​

For media inquiries and interviews please contact:

Sid Eastman at GoodDoxie Studios, Sid@GoodDoxie.com