‘The Ties that Bind Us’: The Hidden Knots of Gay Marriage

Abstract

Gay marriage has become a major transnational gay rights issue: a key marker of gay citizenship, to the extent that it is considered self-evident that its legalisation represents progress. Yet it is becoming apparent that this ‘progress’ is concurrent with other forms of exclusion. In this article, I argue that gay marriage is a convenient liberal smokescreen, leaving other exclusions unaddressed or even enabling their reinforcement. The discussion involves examination of three case studies: Argentina, the first Latin American country to legalise gay marriage in 2010; France, which legalised gay marriage in May, 2013; and Australia, which has not legalised gay marriage at the time of this writing.