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U of M researcher studies what the fight for same-sex marriage is really about
March 24, 2006

The debate over legal same-sex marriage is heating up at the Minnesota Capitol as proponents and opponents lobby lawmakers. University of Minnesota researcher Kathleen Hull examines what the fight for same-sex marriage is really about in a way that no one else has.
The debate is largely a struggle about the power of law to make people legal and social equals, according to a new study by Hull. Hull’s new book, “Same-Sex Marriage: The Cultural Politics of Love and Law,” explores what marriage means to gays and lesbians in the United States. Through in-depth interviews with more than 70 people and years of media research, Hull found gay and lesbian couples use a variety of marriage-related cultural practices to establish the reality and importance of their commitments.
In addition to the obvious financial and legal benefits of marriage—tax breaks, access to health insurance and next of kin designation—Hull found the main reasons gays and lesbians are pushing for marriage are to claim their equal rights as citizens and increase their social legitimacy. “Despite the huge gains gay and lesbians have made in the past decades, and despite all the ceremonial attempts to legitimize relationships, many people believe that ultimately the law has the most powerful effect on what is considered equal and legitimate,” she says.

Hull is an assistant professor of sociology at the U of M.

To interview Hull, please contact Patty Mattern, University News Service, (612) 624-2801.