The Politics of Sexuality in Portugal: Confronting Tradition, Enacting Change

Abstract

Portugal is a Southern European, majority Catholic and post-dictatorship country that, somewhat surprisingly, has responded rapidly and radically to lesbian and gay movements’ demands, as well as to European Union (EU) policies on discrimination (Carneiro, 2009; Cascais, 2006; Santos, 2008). Despite the increasing recognition of same-sex rights, family law is still a place of contradiction, ambiguity and strong contestation.