Two Grooms on a Cake: The Story of America’s First Gay Wedding

Employing the perspective of the two groom cake toppers of the first legal same-sex American wedding in 1971, Sanders profiles Jack Baker and Michael McConnell, two white men who met in 1966 and strove for years to secure a marriage license. As the tiny cake toppers follow a recipe to bake the cake, they also narrate Baker and McConnell’s journey in simple prose, from the couple’s rejected first license, to law student Jack’s legal name change to gender-neutral “Pat,” and eventually to Michael’s solo—and successful—second journey to the courthouse for the license. An author’s note reveals that Baker and McConnell were “the only legally married gay couple in... Minnesota for nearly forty-two years.” Cathro depicts the parallel stories in a vintage-inflected style, complete with ’70s pastels and CorningWare-esque cookware, in a whimsical examination of a little-taught entry in queer history. Back matter includes an author’s note, a timeline of marriage equality, and a bibliography. Ages 6–9. [em](May) [/em]