Cutting edge couples: An ethnography of same‐sex marriage

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.

Citation

Onishenko, D. and Caragata, L. (2009), "Cutting edge couples: An ethnography of same‐sex marriage", Equal Opportunities International, Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 249-266. https://doi.org/10.1108/02610150910947799