Queering marriage: An investigation of same-gender civil unions in contemporary American society

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: Lesbian and gay male couples have been more actively seeking legal marriage over the past two decades. This study examines the lived experiences of lesbian and gay men participating in a Vermont Civil Union as the only state-level legally sanctioned process for gay and lesbian couples in the United States between 2000 and 2004. Because civil union or marriage remains an uncommon option for lesbian and gay male couples, their experiences of this legal process are relatively unknown. Fifty-two individuals representing 27 couples were surveyed and interviewed about their Vermont Civil Union experience using multi-level quantitative and qualitative research methods. A demographic profile of these couples is provided and compared to the whole Vermont Civil Union population and to a first-year study profile of the participants by Solomon, Rothblum, and Balsam (2003). Utilizing a social constructionist framework, this study further explores how participating in a Vermont Civil Union has contributed to the respondents' understandings of their relationship, their construction of self, and their positionality in society at a time when the topic of gay marriage is contested in American society.

Findings and Conclusions: The data suggests that respondents were first interested in confirming the commitment they felt in their relationship with their partner through their Vermont Civil Union enactment, and secondly were interested in making a political stand in favor of legalized marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Eighty-five percent of Vermont Civil Union participants come from states outside Vermont, indicating great interest in a legal form of marriage. The respondents in this study have not gained significant direct spousal benefits as a result of their civil union however, overall they felt that the symbolic meaning of their participation in this legal process was beneficial to their relationship, provided a sense of self-pride, and acted as a form of political activism.