'Latin America, the most Catholic of regions, has surprisingly surged to the forefront of the global wave of expanding sexual rights. What lies behind the breathtaking pace at which states in the region have recognized these rights? This timely and impressive volume shows that recent policy change is the result of decades-long struggles waged by activists, who succeeded only after they constructed networks that incorporated state allies and framed demands in a way that resonated with larger social debates. The Politics of Gay Marriage in Latin America will become an essential reference for students of social rights and democratic citizenship everywhere for years to come.' Frances Hagopian, Harvard University, Massachusetts 'Jordi Diez's book is a groundbreaking study of the successes and failures of the marriage equality movement in Latin America. He skilfully demonstrates the many ways in which a country's institutional structures and political environment shape the strategies and ultimately the success of activists. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the global struggle for full lesbian and gay equality.' Justin Phillips, Columbia University, New York 'Diez's book ... makes a valuable contribution to the existing literature on the advancement of same-sex marriage equality and will undoubtedly become a key text for those trying to understand the politics of LGBT activism in some countries in Latin America.' H-Net Reviews 'In this first book by a single author on the politics of gay marriage in Latin America, Jordi Diez ... offers his take on why gay marriage has met divergent receptions across the region. As such, the book is both path-breaking and a welcome addition to the growing scholarship on Latin American gay rights politics.' Omar G. Encarnacion, ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America