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Cutting edge couples An ethnography of same‐sex marriage

Cutting edge couples An ethnography of same‐sex marriage Purpose – Following the landmark 2003 Ontario Court of Appeal decision legalizing same‐sex marriage, some same‐sex couples sought to formalize their unions through legal marriage. The purpose of this paper is to explore the personal and political reflections of recently married same‐sex couples on the meaning of their marriages for themselves, their partners, their community as well as the implications for progressive social change in the broader social world. Design/methodology/approach – An ethnographic approach was employed to semi‐structured in‐depth qualitative interviews with six lesbian and gay couples. Findings – An emerging thesis is that, while seeking access to a most conventional and conformist institution, same‐sex couples inadvertently become “cutting edge” couples as they make public their declarations of love and commitment and model new and challenging notions of marriage. Research limitations/implications – The paper provides a snapshot of a small number of interviews that took place approximately 11 months after the Ontario Court of Appeal decision. Practical implications – Law should take into account the importance of social and legal recognition of marriage for all. The heteronormativity of marriage is thus challenged from within, to make these types of marriages truly cutting edge. Originality/value – The paper provides evidence of the personal and political reflections of people who had the choice to get married and did, at a time when this was seen as really cutting edge. Few personal accounts exist which provide a picture of the continued importance of marriage to human beings. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Equal Opportunities International Emerald Publishing

Cutting edge couples An ethnography of same‐sex marriage

Equal Opportunities International , Volume 28 (3): 18 – Mar 27, 2009

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References (61)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
0261-0159
DOI
10.1108/02610150910947799
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – Following the landmark 2003 Ontario Court of Appeal decision legalizing same‐sex marriage, some same‐sex couples sought to formalize their unions through legal marriage. The purpose of this paper is to explore the personal and political reflections of recently married same‐sex couples on the meaning of their marriages for themselves, their partners, their community as well as the implications for progressive social change in the broader social world. Design/methodology/approach – An ethnographic approach was employed to semi‐structured in‐depth qualitative interviews with six lesbian and gay couples. Findings – An emerging thesis is that, while seeking access to a most conventional and conformist institution, same‐sex couples inadvertently become “cutting edge” couples as they make public their declarations of love and commitment and model new and challenging notions of marriage. Research limitations/implications – The paper provides a snapshot of a small number of interviews that took place approximately 11 months after the Ontario Court of Appeal decision. Practical implications – Law should take into account the importance of social and legal recognition of marriage for all. The heteronormativity of marriage is thus challenged from within, to make these types of marriages truly cutting edge. Originality/value – The paper provides evidence of the personal and political reflections of people who had the choice to get married and did, at a time when this was seen as really cutting edge. Few personal accounts exist which provide a picture of the continued importance of marriage to human beings.

Journal

Equal Opportunities InternationalEmerald Publishing

Published: Mar 27, 2009

Keywords: Sex and gender issues; Marriage; Ethnography; Social change; Canada

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