Every June 12th, the United States celebrates National Loving Day, the anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia (1967), which ruled that laws against interracial marriage were illegal and a violation of equal rights. Since then, it has become a day to celebrate marriage equality, especially for multiracial partners and families. To pay tribute to the Lovings and how their case paved the way for greater marriage equality in the U.S., we’ve gathered five books that talk about the importance of having the right to marry the person you love.
The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko, Illustrated by Sean Qualls
Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving grew up in a small town and fell very much in love as adults. It never mattered to either of them that Richard was white and Mildred was Black and Indigenous. Unfortunately, it mattered to the state of Virginia: at the time, it was illegal there and in 17 other states for people of different races to get married. Richard and Mildred married out of state, but were still arrested when they returned to their home state.
The Lovings decided to fight for their right to be together, and in the midst of working and raising three children, two quiet, humble people won their Supreme Court case. This account of the Lovings’ story is simplified well for young readers, yet treated with honesty and respect; it takes the time to explain the anti-miscegenation laws and systemic racism that infringed on the couple’s right to be a family, and gives easily-understood context for the prejudice they suffered.
Edie for Equality: Edie Windsor Stands Up for Love by Michael Genhart, Illustrated by Cheryl Thuesday
As a child, Edie Windsor was a math-loving rule-follower who took little interest in being bold. She observed injustices, including anti-Semitism against her and her family, but never saw herself as a revolutionary, even when she grew up and discovered that she had romantic feelings for women. Yet when she met her future spouse, Thea Spyer, the two became activists for equal rights and anti-discrimination, remaining together for forty years before Thea’s passing.
However, when U.S. laws refused to recognize their marriage — the pair had wed in Canada — Edie decided to do something very bold, and sue the government. The late icon who helped to bring down the Defense of Marriage Act is given a worthy tribute here, particularly in her devoted relationship with Spyer and how their dedication to one another inspired her legal battle.
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, Illustrated by EG Keller
Marlon’s day starts like any other, until he suddenly sees the most beautiful bunny: Wesley. Wesley and Marlon spend the day hopping together, and as the sun sets, Marlon and Wesley realize that they don’t ever want to hop without the other again. They decide to marry, and happily announce this to their animal friends — only to have The Stinkbug (a bug who has declared himself in charge by virtue of his stinkiness) decree that “Boy Bunnies Can’t Marry Boy Bunnies!”
The animals question this, then realizing that they outnumber the Stinkbug, they quickly take a vote to oust him from power. Marlon and Wesley marry with all their friends attending, proving that “Stinkbugs are only temporary. Love is forever.” While this book gained notoriety as a statement joke by Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, it has held up as a timeless story of marriage equality and voting as a means to effect change
Two Grooms on a Cake: The Story of America’s First Gay Wedding by Rob Sanders, Illustrated by Robbie Cathro
Would it surprise you to know that the first legally recognized gay marriage in the United States occurred back in 1971? As the two wedding cake toppers who narrate this tale will tell you, Jack Baker and Michael McConnell didn’t have an easy go of fighting for their right to be legally married. After having their petition to marry denied, the two men had to resort to mild subterfuge in order to obtain a marriage license and wed one another, but their fight was far from over.
They would go on to defend their marriage in the Minnesota and United States Supreme Courts, but both cases were dismissed before any state had even formally banned same-sex marriage. Deftly using the metaphor of baking a cake and an extremely thorough timeline of same-sex marriage legality in the U.S., this title tells a story of the long fight for marriage equality that is filled with cleverness, charm, and love.
Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian, Illustrated by Mike Curato
Worm loves Worm, and vice versa, so they decide to be married. Their insect friends help them organize their wedding, volunteering to be “bridesbees” and a “best beetle,” providing a cake and tuxedo and wedding dress. Worm and Worm are grateful, and make adjustments where necessary; for instance, worms cannot wear wedding rings on their fingers — they don’t have fingers — so they decide to wear them as belts instead.
When their friends ask which will be the bride and which will be the groom, Worm and Worm decide to be both. And though their friend Cricket expresses concern that this is not the way weddings have always been done, the worms don’t mind. After all, all that matters is that Worm loves Worm. A brilliant and impossibly sweet marriage story boils down the absurdity of “traditional” marriage — be it customs, expectations, or long-held beliefs — and explains a simple concept in the simplest of terms: Love is love.
All adult partners who wish to be married deserve to have that right recognized and protected. We hope that you and your young reader enjoy these stories and that they inspire you to look into the history of the fight for marriage equality. Happy reading!
Looking for more children’s books on the effects of systemic racism and how to fight it? Check out our article on How to Confront the Insidious Truth of Systemic Racism in 10 Picture Books.
For all of our recommendations for young bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
