The Social Science of Same-Sex Marriage
LGBT People and Their Relationships in the Era of Marriage Equality
Routledge Research in Gender and Society Series

Showcasing research from across the social sciences, this edited volume seeks to provide readers with an empirically grounded sense of how many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people marry in the US and Canada, what their marriages look like, and how LGBT people themselves are impacted by marriage and marriage equality.

Prior to marriage equality, lawmakers and activists across the political spectrum debated whether same-sex couples should have the legal right to marry, and likewise, academic research to date has focused mostly on the politics of same-sex marriage. However, this edited volume focuses on LGBT people themselves and their intimate relationships in the era of marriage equality.

Including both quantitative and qualitative social science research, it features 14 primary chapters that examine a diverse set of topics, including demographic patterns in same-sex marriage and cohabitation, marital aspirations and motivations among LGBT people, arrangements and dynamics within same-sex relationships, and the legal benefits and informal privileges associated with marriage. The edited volume will be of interest to scholars across a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, psychology, child and family studies, communications, social work, and economics, while also offering valuable information for laypeople generally interested in families and/or LGBT studies.

1. From the Political to the Personal: LGBT People and Their Relationships in the Era of Marriage Equality – An Introduction

Deciding to Marry: Who Marries and Why?

2. Population Perspectives on Marriage Among Same-Sex Couples in the US: Rates and Predictors of Same-Sex Unions

3. Same-Sex Marriage in Canada: An Update

4. Marital Status Among Transgender Individuals in the US

5. Doing It for the Kids? Motivations to Marry and Perceived Effects of Marriage Among Lesbian and Gay Parents

6. LGB People’s Personal Ambitions and Political Attitudes Toward Marriage

Being Married: How Do LGBT People Approach and Experience Marital Relationships?

7. Support for Same-Sex Marriage: Families, Friends, Communities, and the Wedding Industry

8. Gender Transition and Same-Sex Marriage: A Qualitative Consideration

9. "It Feels Like We’re Together as a Team": Communal Orientations Among Married Gay Men and Lesbians

10. The Influence of Marriage and (Non)Monogamy Agreements on Relationship Quality in LGBT Relationships

11. Married Lesbians and Gay Men: How They Get Along with Their In-Laws

The Effects of Marriage and Marriage Equality: What Difference Does Marriage Make for LGBT People?

12. Changes in Legal Knowledge Across the Transition to Marriage Equality

13. Marriage and Political Engagement Across Sexual Identities

14. Exploring the Social Security Benefit Implications of Same-Sex Marriage

15. Language Use and the Social Affordances of Marriage: An Exploration of the Experiences of Cisgender Gay Men

Aaron Hoy, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where his research and teaching focus on families, sexualities, sex/gender, and aging and the life course.