Before Lawrence v. Texas

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Before Lawrence v. Texas: The Making of a Queer Social Movement is a 2023 non-fiction book by Wesley G. Phelps that discusses the history of anti-sodomy laws in the United States and how queer activism and legal action led to the 2003 Lawrence v. Texas decision. Published by the University of Texas Press, the idea for the book came after Phelps began researching the Lawrence case for a panel discussion and found how Baker v. Wade and other legal conflicts created more depth in the history that led to the 2003 case. The book covers five chapters, with one or several legal cases being the focus of each, including Buchanan v. Batchelor, Baker v. Wade, Morales v. Texas, and England v. City of Dallas, and how the fight against Texas' Homosexual Conduct Law lasted multiple decades. This serves to show how LGBT groups tried to combat anti-sodomy laws throughout the 20th century, with many legal victories being waylaid by the United States Supreme Court refusing to contradict Texas legal code. Positively reviewed by academic journals and news media, Phelps' dive into Texas LGBT history has been noted for its level of historiography that has extensively contributed to greater understanding of how legal cases impacted each other over time. The timely release of the book with ongoing legal issues facing the LGBT community in the 2020s was also appreciated by multiple reviewers, though some wished the final conclusion of the book had spent more time outlining that important facet of the narrative.