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The meaning of love in the debate for legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2012

Renata Grossi
Renata Grossi*
Affiliation:
The Herbert & Valmae Freilich Foundation, Research School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian National University
*
[email protected]
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Abstract

Love is ever-present in the debate for the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Its importance, however, is often underestimated. I will show in this article that much can be gained by viewing this issue through the analytical lens of romantic love. This analysis will show that romantic love is a contested idea. On the one hand it claims to embody a radical and permissive ideology that is capable of penetrating established social and cultural divides. On the other hand, however, love has been accused of replicating patriarchy, and of being ideologically heteronormative. As such, love is not necessarily the answer needed to win the legal argument for same-sex marriage – not unless we begin a process of redefining love for our times.

They say that the world was built for two

Only worth living if somebody is loving you1

Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Law in Context , Volume 8 , Issue 4 , December 2012 , pp. 487 - 505
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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