History matters. Sober and sophisticated historical research can make a difference in the world. I am proud to live in a nation that now, per the Obergefell v. Hodges decision, recognizes the rights of gay and lesbian Americans to marry their chosen partners. And I am proud to be a member of the historical profession, which provided key evidence and interpretive analysis to the Court.
As a historian, I naturally love documents. When I saw news of the decision on the front pages of the New York Times, I immediately clicked through to the text of the decision, and began reading…