SCANDINAVIAMANIA: Darren Spedale

Since 1989, gay marriage has been a reality in Scandinavia. And in Scandinavia, just as is happening now in the U.S., many members of the religious right predicted 'terrible consequences' for the institution of marriage, and for society in general, as a result.

Yet now, 15 years after the first of these countries (Denmark) legalized gay marriage in the form of registered partnerships, the results are in: not only has gay marriage worked flawlessly in Scandinavia, the institution of marriage may have benefited as a result. Indeed, we now see that the main “consequences” of allowing gays and lesbians to marry have been to create safety and security for same-sex couples who have chosen to live their lives together. ...

It borders on the ironic that Kurtz should choose to attack the social culture of the Scandinavian countries, which have the lowest poverty rates in the world, the highest education rates, and a greater level of equality for women than any other set of countries. ...

During my two years conducting research in Scandinavia, while on a Fulbright Fellowship, for the specific purpose of analyzing the impact that passage of gay marriage has had on these countries, it became clear to me that this legislation has had many positive effects, and no negative ones. Mr. Kurtz’s study, conducted through reports and research he read, as compared to empirical research, is severely flawed. Nevertheless, it is worth analyzing the points he has attempted to make, in order to demonstrate how he has failed to understand the positive impact that gay marriage has had in Scandinavia. ...

Why might this continuous growth be the case in Scandinavia? Research suggests that many Nordic couples don't feel that they need the approval of the state to certify the validity of their permanent relationships. For many Scandinavians, once they have chosen their life partner, moved in together, and made plans for a family, it isn't clear what positive impact a marriage certificate from the government would have on their relationship. ...

In Scandinavia, on the other hand, legislative respect for diverse family structures means that this reward and punishment system is not attached to a marriage certificate. Individuals are entitled to most benefits regardless of their possession of such a certificate, as almost all government benefits accrue to the individual rather than to couples based on their marriage status. Even when long-term unmarried domestic partnerships break up, the state has provisions in place to protect the needs of the weaker (i.e., financially dependent) party in such a relationship. Thus, many couples have decided that a state sanction in the form of a marriage certificate is not necessary for them to live their lives together. ...

...There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that gay marriage is somehow a cause of increasing rates of permanent heterosexual relationships without a marriage certificate. Rather, the acceptance of gay marriage is an effect of the increasing respect for diverse family structures that has taken place in Scandinavia.

In Iceland, for example, gay marriage was introduced in 1996. However, even before the registered partnership law was introduced, approximately 50% of heterosexual couples in Iceland with children were already living together as permanent partners without a marriage certificate. It can hardly be said that the extension of marriage rights to gay couples played a 'causative' role. ...

Nevertheless, in discussing family life in Scandinavia, Kurtz is using this term in an inappropriate context. Couples in Scandinavia who have chosen to spend their lives together without a marriage certificate often plan for an otherwise traditional family structure, including children. Thus, the 'out-of-wedlock births' that Kurtz refers to in Scandinavia are children who are wanted by their parents. These children have the same rights and privileges as any child in society born to a married couple, and there is no social stigma for children attached to a parent’s marriage status in the Scandinavian countries. ...

It is interesting to note that, in Scandinavia, just as in the U.S., those on the right predicted that passage of gay marriage legislation would lead to the downfall of the institution of marriage. However, in looking at statistics from the 1990s, we see that in the years after the passage of gay marriage legislation in Denmark, the rates of heterosexual marriage went up, and the rates of heterosexual divorce went down, completely contrary to the predictions of conservatives. ...

Most illuminating is the respect, and appreciation, that gay couples in Scandinavia who have chosen to marry have for the institution of marriage. As discussed before, developing social trends in Scandinavia have allowed couples to live together without a marriage certificate and still receive most of the benefits that accrue to married couples. Thus, there is no social pressure to acquire government approval of one’s relationship in order to start a family.

Gay couples who have entered into marriage in Scandinavia (or officially, 'registered partnerships'), therefore, take the institution of marriage very seriously. In interview after interview with gay couples, partners told of how much getting married meant to them, both in terms of demonstrating to others how important their relationship with their partner was to them, as well as to demonstrate to their life partner how important their commitment was to each other.
posted by Eve at 4:44 PM | link

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