The individual papers in this compilation are based on the results of the Exploratory Study of the Impact of Legalization of Marriage on Same-Sex Couples that were presented at the American Psychological Association convention in August 2005 in Washington, D.C. The Introduction describes the study group process that resulted in this collaborative project, the study methodology and its limitations. 'Tying the Knot' describes the history of same-sex marriage and presents some of the qualitative findings related to the experiences of lesbian and gay couples in response to legalization of same-sex marriage. 'Doing Marriage' discusses whether and how legalization of same-sex marriage influenced same-sex partners' commitment to one another, presentation to others as a couple, and treatment as a couple by others. 'Goin' to the Chapel?' describes the role of religion and spirituality in the context of the decision to marry or not. 'These Are My Parents' presents both the children's and parents' views of the impact of legalization of same-sex marriage on the experiences of children growing up in same-sex families. The 'Co-chair's Comments' follows the papers. The compilation is concluded by a 'List of the Study Group Members' and a 'Glossary of Terms.'

Project: Exploratory Study of Same-Sex Marriage