The Same-Sex Couple and the State: A Historical and Transnational Perspective - Public Lecture
When:
—
Venue:
Birkbeck Main Building, Malet Street
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The Same-Sex Couple and the State: A Historical and Transnational Perspective - Public Lecture
Speaker: Professor Robert Aldrich (University of Sydney)
The same-sex couple - whether composing a casual union or a lasting'¨partnership - has always formed an awkward ménage à trois with the state. Often under the influence of religious precepts, the state has usually seen'¨as one of its duties the regulation of sexual behaviour and conjugal'¨arrangements, whether heterosexual or homosexual. In the case of same-sex'¨encounters, this has meant not only the criminalisation of homosexual acts'¨(especially for men) but also the withholding of legal approbation, and the'¨entitlements that follow, for continuing relationships.
Taking '¨a transnational and historical perspective, however, the situation appears very '¨complex. Varying norms apply in different societies concerning sexuality,'¨marriage and other sorts of unions. Colonialism imposed Western notions (and laws) over many non-Western countries, and newer Western views of sex,'¨ love and marriage now exercise great influence globally. Sanctions against'¨homosexuals have not curbed the development of gay and lesbian cultures, or '¨the establishment of long-lived partnerships. Despite the legitimate '¨campaign for human rights for homosexuals around the globe, the notion of'¨'same-sex marriage' does not fit easily into the social frameworks of many societies. The notion of such marriages, however justified, is itself a'¨ construct of a particular time and particular places in the long sweep of world history. To what extent is it possible to develop a typology of the'¨ different and changing relationships between the state and the gay couple,'¨and what insight would it give into the history of sexuality, gender and'¨ romantic emotions?
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Julia Eisner