Book Club: The Commitment

I was very excited to learn that we were reading The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family by Dan Savage this month. I first read it several years ago at the recommendation of Molls, and it quickly became one of my favorite books. Now, it should go without saying that I love Dan Savage. He’s frank, funny, smart, and not afraid to call it like he sees it. I think he’s fantastic, and I’m sure that plays a role in why I think this book is fantastic. Or, maybe, I tend to agree with his perspective on most things, which would lend myself to enjoying his perspective in this book.

People often say that personalizing people and their struggles, humanizing them, does a ton to open their minds. Studies have shown that those people with family members or close friends that are gay are more accepting of homosexuality. Savage’s book does just that: it humanizes and personalizes the gay marriage discussion. He looks at gay marriage not only from a political angle, examining whether or not it’s the right move for our country (it is), but from a personal angle, examining whether or not it’s the right move for him and his partner of 10 years (it is).

What Savage does brilliantly is combine is acerbic and scathing criticism of the far right, dismantling their arguments one by one, with personal and heartwarming stories about himself, his relationship with his partner, Terry, and the son that they adopted together. The book is moving and touching, yet no less hard-hitting than Savage’s other writings and opinions tend to be. He doesn’t lose the biting wit and scathing opinions that make Dan Savage “Dan Savage”, yet he humanizes the struggle for marriage equality by examining what marriage really means, and why  it’s important, not just for others, but for him and his partner.

I think Savage does a great job arguing for marriage equality in this book, yet it’s a much easier, funnier, relatable, and accessible read than something like E.J. Graff’s What is Marriage For?, which we had read a few months back.

To participate in the discussion, head over to Molls‘ blog, where it will be taking place. To read more reviews, HDW has one up, and there will be two up at Molls’ blog as well. To find out more about joining the book club, details are here.