The Right to a Privilege? Homonormativity and the Recognition of Same-Sex Couples in Europe

The Council of Europe (CoE) and its judicial body, the European Court of Human Rights, are at the forefront of the debate for the redefinition of the notion of ‘family’ in relation to the inclusion of same-sex couples. The recent jurisprudence has demonstrated a change in the Court’s approach to the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social & legal studies 2014-06, Vol.23 (2), p.175-194
Main Author: Ammaturo, Francesca Romana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Congresses and Conventions
Couples
Courts
Europe
European Court of Human Rights
European Union
Families & family life
Family
Family life
Gays & lesbians
Homosexuality
Human Rights
International Court
Jurisprudence
Kinship
Legal aspects
Marriage
Narratives
Partners
Same Sex Marriage
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Summary:The Council of Europe (CoE) and its judicial body, the European Court of Human Rights, are at the forefront of the debate for the redefinition of the notion of ‘family’ in relation to the inclusion of same-sex couples. The recent jurisprudence has demonstrated a change in the Court’s approach to the question of what counts as a family, by terms of Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This much-anticipated development, nonetheless, begs the question of how the ‘right to marry and found a family’ might prove to be a privilege rather than a right. This article tries to shed light on the contradictions underpinning the expansion of the concept of family in the context of the CoE, suggesting the existence of a conflation of both heteronormative and homonormative narratives of kinship in the construction of a notion of the ‘family’ that encompasses same-sex couples.
ISSN:0964-6639
1461-7390
DOI:10.1177/0964663914521651