GAY, CATHOLIC, AND AMERICAN My Legal Battle for Marriage Equality and Inclusion by Greg Bourke

 GAY, CATHOLIC, AND AMERICAN

My Legal Battle for Marriage Equality and Inclusion by Greg Bourke is a new enchanting book proposed by Notre Dame Press.

I was attracted by this book because as I said to the publicist I have many friends in Kentucky and so it's like to return in a place I know pretty well. I know their words, their mind, and I am affectionated to all of them.

The story sounded pretty captivating and in fact, I wasn't wrong, this book is a quick and enjoyable reading. Mr. Bourke is simply a wonderful human being! that you can just admire, respect, love because of a life well-spent where he added some contributions for bettering the existence of everyone. 

I waited for a strong witness at first, of someone who had fought most of the time for seeing recognized his right to be who he wanted to be, but the story is pretty different in this case and much much more relaxing.

Greg grew up in a democratic family of Kentucky and so his being gay hasn't never been a drama for his parents. Not only:  he has always been a fanatic of church because he has grown up in a Catholic family where every sunday mass was a ritual.

And Greg also when attended the university preserved these traditions.

It is during these years that he meets, an evening, the companion of his existence, Michael.

Love at first sight, the two of them will stay forever together.

They have been very lucky because in the churches where they attended masses there were many gay priests, so they haven't met any kind of problem, and their life has proceeded with great success. When Greg afforded to the North of the USA for a work, Michael didn't hesitate and followed him. Later the couple afforded in Massachussets. Many great meetings and encounters, a church with many gays and lesbians, the couple lived happy and joyous moments because of the relaxed atmosphere that they breathed.

Anyway, there is to add that also in Kentucky, sometimes a more conservative State, they haven't never experienced problems. 

They returned home in Kentucky for staying more close to their parents and for buying a house. Plus, the idea of adopting a baby became an urgent desire: laws in Kentucky permitted at that time just the adoption for a single parent, so substantially Greg didn't have any rights on the baby if Mike would have experienced a tragic departure or a big problem. The mother who donated the life to their baby is constantly involved in the existence of their son: good relationships matured during the pregnancy of their future son. 

Greg and Michael will adopt a second kid; this time more grown-up. Someone suggested them a little baby, because these kids put in adoption in particular when older can be pretty conflictuals, but Greg and Mike believed, strongly believed in this kid and they became proud parent of a successful boy.

Back to the story: they, at the end, became a married couple in Ontario, Canada; the old parents of Greg could not attend the ceremony, but the one of Michael yes, exactly like closest relatives.

One day one of their children asked the permission of entering in the boy scouts: and here, maybe for the first time in his existence, Greg meets some problems.

If fact, if in the church where they went regularly they had and have great reputation and never encountered a problem, when Greg is involved in the association as scout leader, later will be removed....It's a long story, you will see and at the end he will fight for obtain justice.

Another problem was the sentence Windsor. This man had married another man in Canada but Kentucky had "deleted" that union. You can just imagine the panic in the existence of this couple who had decided for the marriage for giving more security to their children and to themselves.

So, this couple fought for the legalization of same-sex marriage obtained in 2015 thanks to the sentence Obergefell vs. Hodges. 

The couple has chosen where to stay once dead, and Greg is more than sure that they will rest together till the end of their existence.What can I add apart that this one, a memoir, is a beautiful, refreshing human and love-story spent without excessive dramas and lived very well?

It's a tender, wonderful book, this one, written with love; it will enter in the hearts of people with great simplicity, for staying there and remembering us that God is a good guidance.

Highly recommended to everyone!

I thank Notre Dame Press for the copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori