Introduction : toward a brave new world -- 1. The evolving same-sex marriage debate in the United States -- 2. The same-sex marriage debate in Scandinavia and the rest of Europe -- 3. A new look for legal unions : sixteen years of Scandinavian partnerships and the changing conception of family -- 4. The benefits of same-sex marriage : lessons from Scandinavia -- 5. Modern Scandinavian families and the defense-of-marriage argument -- 6. Drawing lines : Scandinavian lessons for the American marriage debate -- Epilogue : I now pronounce you ... : an emerging menu of relationship options -- Appendices -- Notes -- Index.