‘The Civil Partnership Act 2004 and the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 are important legal, social and historical landmarks. For beyond their practical implications, same-sex relationship recognition, throughout the western world, has become a key site of political contestation rich in symbolic, material and cultural meanings. While fiercely opposed by many, within mainstream narratives they are often represented as a victory in a legal reform process that commenced with the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Yet, at the same time, for others they represent a problematic and ambivalent political engagement with the institution of marriage. Consequently, understood and labelled as ‘revolutionary’, ‘progressive’ and ‘conservative’ these reforms provide a space for thinking about issues that arguably affect everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or relationship status.’
Date: 17th-18th January 2014
Location: 43 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PD
Charge: Free, registration required
More information can be found here.
