DOCSLIB.ORG

The Marrying Times: Progressive Marriage

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Marrying Times: Progressive Marriage © COPYRIGHT by Michelle A. Marzullo 2013 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Dedicated to the people of the Village of New Paltz, New York for their constant engagement in what matters most now, their New York candor and most importantly their attempt at living as intentionally as possible in order to remind us of our connections to one another and to the earth. THE MARRYING TIMES: PROGRESSIVE MARRIAGE UNDER NEOLIBERALIZATION BY Michelle A. Marzullo ABSTRACT This study shows how progressive-identifying people living in the Village of New Paltz, New York USA come to decisions about marriage in the current neoliberalized economy through different renderings of time (temporality). It examines how national discourses on marriage in light of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer movement integrate with the ways that villagers come to understand their life’s trajectory through various understandings of work opportunities (i.e. shift work versus salaried work, time spent on higher education) and marriage (i.e., proper age to marry, marriage timing and marriage length). My fieldwork was conducted from June 2007 through December 2008 when the “Great Recession” began to be felt in the U.S. On-going village support of “same-sex” marriage combined with this historic circumstance created a fitting environment for examining the tensions between intimate marriage decisions, the marriage movement and the political-economy. Even the most progressive villagers decided to marry only when a calculus of economic or social capital achievement for themselves or their partner seemed imminent. I define this calculation as marital arbitrage. Many villagers reported perpetually deferring marriage as they attempt this timing, choosing cohabitation until they feel “ready” and thus further contributing to the deinstitutionalization of the rite even among those who desire marriage. Through such timings, marriage has become a rarified social category marked by plummeting marriage rates except among the most educated and affluent in the U.S. This finding clarifies why many activists for economically marginalized groups, including welfare and LGBTQ advocates, find the push toward marriage promotion to be limited and ii discriminatory. Regardless of sexuality, marital arbitrage accounts for marriage being entered into later and later in life as a way to vest a partner with inheritance and decision-making powers upon disability or death imbuing the phrase “until death do us part” with critical new meaning. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are so many people that touched me during the decade plus of my life that it took to complete this work—it is impossible to name each one. Those who intellectually challenged me, nurtured me through a long sickness and many struggles, moved me to tears and laughter, loved me for my faults and follies, picked me up and pushed me on when I needed it—there is no way to thank you but I try here. In formal and informal ways, many, many people helped me to interrogate the ideas that flow through these pages toward a deeper and more accurate reflection of the lived experiences of this thing called marriage. To my dissertation committee: William L. Leap for believing in me, teaching me how to be stalwart in my approach and seeing me through the maze called a doctoral program; Ellen Lewin for her intellectual acuity, candor and for sharpening my writing; Rachel Watkins for inspiring me to follow the idea of time through to this end and for her infectious moral support; and, M.V. Lee Badgett for our rewarding conversations, always over some yummy food, that helped me to approach the data in ways I had not considered. To my other intellectual interlocutors Jacqualine Reed, Lavinia Nicolae, John Cho, Christa Craven, Dana-Ain Davis, Gilbert Herdt, Katherine Kingfisher, Ernest Disney- Britton and Evan Wolfson. To my Point Foundation family for supporting me financially and mentoring me in so many ways. To the American University Anthropology Department and the American University College of Arts and Sciences Dissertation Research Fellowship for securing a place for public anthropology. Most of all to my intimate support system: Cheri and Rachel Curry, Harjant Gill, Elyse Miller & Randy Green, my father Richard Marzullo and mother Lorraine Colacicco, Christine Nollen & Douglas Davis, Joy Agcaoili & family, Becca Frischkorn & the Namaste House, Kathy Richter, Thomas Thorne-Thomsen and to my dear friends from the Village of New Paltz. A heartfelt thank you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ........................................................................................................ vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 3 VILLAGE OF NEW PALTZ: GUARDIANS OF THE LAND AND REVOLUTIONS ..................................................................................................... 94 CHAPTER 4 DEFENSE, EQUALITY AND CHOICE: U.S. MARRIAGE TEMPORALITIES ......................................................................................................... 128 CHAPTER 5 THE MARRYING TIMES ...................................................................... 170 CHAPTER 6 “ONLY WHEN WE’RE READY”: MARITAL ARBITRAGE IN THE VILLAGE OF NEW PALTZ ................................................................................. 230 CHAPTER 7 MARRIAGE AS SEMAPHORE ............................................................. 288 APPENDIX A STUDY MATERIALS ....................................................................................... 323 APPENDIX B INTERVIEWEE INFORMATION AND PSEUDONYMS .............................. 351 APPENDIX C SURVEY RESULT TABLES AND DATA DICTIONARY ............................ 360 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 386 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Demographics Data ............................................................................................................ 361 2. Class, Income and Mobility Data ....................................................................................... 363 3. Political Engagement .......................................................................................................... 364 4. Familiarity with Political Concepts .................................................................................... 367 5. Data Dictionary .................................................................................................................. 368 vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Percentage of Job Activity in New York State 2006-2011 Compared to Village of New Paltz by Sector .......................................................................................................... 50 2. Liv’s (pseudonym) Circle of Relatedness ........................................................................... 63 3. Evan’s Circle of Relatedness .............................................................................................. 64 4. One of Many Placards Along Huguenot Street, a National Historic Site in the Village of New Paltz. ........................................................................................................ 97 5. Climbing the Shawangunk Mountains ................................................................................ 98 6. Social Movements of concern to Village of New Paltz Interviewees and Survey Respondents .................................................................................................................... 101 7. Main Street in the Village of New Paltz ........................................................................... 103 8. A Popular Lunch Spot in the Neighboring Town of Rosendale Features Bumper Stickers at the Front Counter that Capture the Moral Geography of the Area ............... 108 9. Mayor Jason West (left) Married Jeffrey McGowan (middle) and Billiam van Roestenberg (right), February 27, 2004 .......................................................................... 131 10. Robert’s Circle of Relatedness........................................................................................ 213 11. Janel’s Circle of Relatedness .......................................................................................... 214 12. Comparison of Data on Median Age at First Marriage: 1963-2003 ............................... 258 13. New Paltz Pride March and Festival Revelers, Main Street, Village of New Paltz, June 1, 2008 .................................................................................................................... 316 vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION I will say one thing that I didn't quite touch on...I am terrified about finances in regards to the future. But I also I've seen a lot now at this point, that I don't think we will ever be ideally where I want to be with marriage and finances. I don't think I’ll be able to afford the house that, I don’t want to say I’ve dreamed of but
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Songs by Title Karaoke Night with the Patman
    Songs By Title Karaoke Night with the Patman Title Versions Title Versions 10 Years 3 Libras Wasteland SC Perfect Circle SI 10,000 Maniacs 3 Of Hearts Because The Night SC Love Is Enough SC Candy Everybody Wants DK 30 Seconds To Mars More Than This SC Kill SC These Are The Days SC 311 Trouble Me SC All Mixed Up SC 100 Proof Aged In Soul Don't Tread On Me SC Somebody's Been Sleeping SC Down SC 10CC Love Song SC I'm Not In Love DK You Wouldn't Believe SC Things We Do For Love SC 38 Special 112 Back Where You Belong SI Come See Me SC Caught Up In You SC Dance With Me SC Hold On Loosely AH It's Over Now SC If I'd Been The One SC Only You SC Rockin' Onto The Night SC Peaches And Cream SC Second Chance SC U Already Know SC Teacher, Teacher SC 12 Gauge Wild Eyed Southern Boys SC Dunkie Butt SC 3LW 1910 Fruitgum Co. No More (Baby I'm A Do Right) SC 1, 2, 3 Redlight SC 3T Simon Says DK Anything SC 1975 Tease Me SC The Sound SI 4 Non Blondes 2 Live Crew What's Up DK Doo Wah Diddy SC 4 P.M. Me So Horny SC Lay Down Your Love SC We Want Some Pussy SC Sukiyaki DK 2 Pac 4 Runner California Love (Original Version) SC Ripples SC Changes SC That Was Him SC Thugz Mansion SC 42nd Street 20 Fingers 42nd Street Song SC Short Dick Man SC We're In The Money SC 3 Doors Down 5 Seconds Of Summer Away From The Sun SC Amnesia SI Be Like That SC She Looks So Perfect SI Behind Those Eyes SC 5 Stairsteps Duck & Run SC Ooh Child SC Here By Me CB 50 Cent Here Without You CB Disco Inferno SC Kryptonite SC If I Can't SC Let Me Go SC In Da Club HT Live For Today SC P.I.M.P.
    [Show full text]
  • Soul City Records Discography
    Soul City Records Discography 91000 series SCM 91000/SCS 92000 - Up, Up And Away - The 5TH DIMENSION [1967] Up-Up And Away/Another Day, Another Heartache/Which Way To Nowhere/California My Way/Misty Roses//Go Where You Wanna Go/Never Gonna Be The Same/Pattern People/Rosecrans Boulevard/Learn How To Fly/Poor Side Of Town SCM 91001/SCS 92001 - The Magic Garden - The 5TH DIMENSION [1968] (reissued as The Worst That Could Happen) Prologue/The Magic Garden/Summer’s Daughter/Dreams-Pax-Nepenthe/Carpet Man/Ticket To Tide//Requiem: 820 Latham/The Girls’ Song/The Worst That Could Happen/Orange Air/Paper Cup/Epilogue SCS 92002 - Stoned Soul Picnic - The 5TH DIMENSION [1968] Sweet Blindness/I’ll Never Be The Same Again/The Sailboat Song/It’s A Great Life/Stoned Soul Picnic//California Soul/Lovin’ Stew/Broken Wing Bird/Good News/Bobbie’s Blues (Who Do You Think Of?)/The Eleventh Song (What A Groovy Day!) SCS 92003 - The Songs Of James Hendricks - JAMES HENDRICKS [1968] Big Wheels/City Ways/Colorado Rocky Mountains/Good Goodbye/I Think Of You/Lily Of The Valley/Look To Your Soul/Shady Green Pastures/Summer Rain/Sunshine Showers/You Don’t Know My Mind [*] SCS 92005 - The Age Of Aquarius - The 5TH DIMENSION [1969] Medley: Aquarius-Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)/Blowing Away/Skinny Man/Wedding Bell Blues/Don’ Tcha Hear Me Callin’ To Ya/The Hideaway//Workin’ On A Groovy Thing/Let It Be Me/Sunshine Of Your Love/The Winds Of Heaven/Those Were The Days/Let The Sunshine In (Reprise) SCS 92006 - Searching For The Dolphins - AL WILSON [1969] The Dolphins/By
    [Show full text]
  • PROMOTING MARRIAGE AS WELFARE POLICY: LOOKING at a PUBLIC ROLE in PRIVATE LIVES Jane Koppelman, Consultant
    NHPF Issue Brief No.770 / February 15, 2002 PROMOTING MARRIAGE AS WELFARE POLICY: LOOKING AT A PUBLIC ROLE IN PRIVATE LIVES Jane Koppelman, Consultant OVERVIEW—This paper discusses the interest in and politics surrounding government’s using welfare reform legislation to carve out a stronger role in promoting marriage. It examines trends in family formation, their impact on society, and the effect of single parenting, divorce, and stepparenting on child well-being. The paper also looks at the treatment of marriage in current gov- ernment programs, new state activities to promote marriage, proposals for a stronger government role, and marriage experts’ expectations for the success of marriage education programs. NHPF Issue Brief No.770 / February 15, 2002 PROMOTING MARRIAGE AS WELFARE POLICY: LOOKING AT A PUBLIC ROLE IN PRIVATE LIVES American society is struggling with the fallout from decades of change in traditional family structure. In 1970, the divorce rate was less than one-third, 13 percent of children lived in single-parent families, and 11 percent of all births were nonmarital. Today, about 50 percent of mar- riages are expected to dissolve, half of all children can expect to live some time with a single parent, and 33 percent of all births are to un- married women. Marriage as a permanent arrangement is no longer widely presumed, nor is it the only culturally accepted arrangement in which to raise children. The public consequences of this shift go far beyond societal upheaval. Nearly 40 percent of single-parent families live below the poverty line, and the economic resources devoted to improving their situation are substantial.
    [Show full text]
  • Applying Vulnerability Theory to Polygamy and Same-Sex Marriage
    Emory Law Journal Volume 64 Issue 6 Paper Symposium — Polygamous Unions? Charting the Contours of Marriage Law's Frontier 2015 The Evolution of Plural Parentage: Applying Vulnerability Theory to Polygamy and Same-Sex Marriage Stu Marvel Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.emory.edu/elj Recommended Citation Stu Marvel, The Evolution of Plural Parentage: Applying Vulnerability Theory to Polygamy and Same-Sex Marriage, 64 Emory L. J. 2047 (2015). Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.emory.edu/elj/vol64/iss6/9 This Articles & Essays is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Emory Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Emory Law Journal by an authorized editor of Emory Law Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MARVEL GALLEYSPROOFS2 5/27/2015 2:14 PM THE EVOLUTION OF PLURAL PARENTAGE: APPLYING VULNERABILITY THEORY TO POLYGAMY AND SAME-SEX MARRIAGE Stu Marvel∗ ABSTRACT Much of the legal debate surrounding the challenge to “traditional” heterosexual marriage has involved questions of liberty, discrimination, and equal treatment. Similar moves have now been made by advocates for polygamous marriage, indicating that polygamous families may be on track to follow in the rainbow contrails of same-sex marriage. This Article argues that such an evolution is indeed likely, but for different reasons than commonly held. Instead, it applies the emerging paradigm of vulnerability theory to a recent suite of polygamy and same-sex marriage rulings, with particular focus on the figure of the “vulnerable” child. At the same time, this Article will also consider the legal and social consequences of the mechanics of reproduction within both same-sex and polygamous families.
    [Show full text]
  • Marriage Promotion Part I Final
    Pushed to the Altar The Right Wing Roots of Marriage Promotion Jean Hardisty Marriage Promotion Series, Part I A copublication of Political Research Associates and the Women of Color Resource Center © 2008, Jean V. Hardisty, Political Research Associates, and Women of Color Resource Center ISBN: 0-915987-20-1 Design by Hird Graphic Design Printing by Red Sun Press This Report was made possible by the generous support of the Ford Foundation. Appendices for Pushed to the Altar can be found online at: www.publiceye.org. Minor revisions and corrections have been made since the first printing of this document. Preface nfortunately, neither PRA nor the Women of Color Resource Center is likely to be out of work any time Usoon. “Exposing movements, institutions, and ideologies that undermine human rights” and “promot- ing the political, economic, social, and cultural well-being of women and girls of color in the United States” show no signs of becoming superfluous. A case in point—Pushed to the Altar: The Right Wing Roots of Marriage Promotion, a report jointly sponsored by Political Research Associates and the Women of Color Resource Center, documents one more assault on human rights and dignity: government programs designed to pressure women into marriage as the purported solution to myriad social ills. The good news is that, in the struggle, we find ourselves in such extraordinary company. PRA is very for- tunate still to have access to the fine work of our “retired” founding director, Jean Hardisty. We’re also delighted to work with such accomplished colleagues as Linda Burnham, Executive Director, and all the staff of the WCRC.
    [Show full text]
  • Stein CV2018
    ARLENE J. STEIN Department of Sociology, Rutgers University 045 Davison Hall, Douglass Campus, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 [email protected] EDUCATION 1993 Ph.D., 1985 M.A., Sociology, University of California, Berkeley 1980 B.A. History, Amherst College APPOINTMENTS Professor, Sociology, Rutgers University, 2011- Associate Professor, Sociology, Rutgers University, 2001-11 Graduate Faculty, Women’s and Gender Studies, Rutgers University, 2001- Associate Professor, Sociology, University of Oregon, September 2000-June 2001 Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of Oregon, September 1994-June 2000 Lecturer, Sociology, University of Essex (UK), January 1993-July 1994 RESEARCH INTERESTS Gender, sexuality, intimacy, LGBT studies, political culture, subjectivities, social movements, collective memory, public sociology, ethnography, narrative analysis. PUBLICATIONS Books Unbound: Transgender Men and the Remaking of Identity, Pantheon, 2018. Gender, Sexuality, and Intimacy: A Contexts Reader (Jodi O’Brien, co-editor), Sage, 2017. Going Public: A Guide for Social Scientists (with Jessie Daniels), University of Chicago Press, 2017. Reluctant Witnesses: Survivors, Their Children, and the Rise of Holocaust Consciousness, Oxford University Press, 2014. PROSE Award in Sociology and Social Work, Honorable Mention. Shameless: Sexual Dissidence in American Culture, New York University Press, 2006. A. Stein - 2 January 19, 2018 Sexuality and Gender (Christine Williams, co-editor), Blackwell, 2002. The Stranger Next Door: The Story of a Small Community’s Battle Over Sex, Faith, and Civil Rights, Beacon Press, 2001. Ruth Benedict Award, American Anthropological Association. Honor Award, American Library Association. Gustavus Myers Human Rights Book Award, Honorable Mention. Sex and Sensibility: Stories of a Lesbian Generation, University of California Press, 1997. Excerpted in 10 volumes in US, UK, Germany.
    [Show full text]
  • Nf28 10Reviews 0
    THE TROUBLE WITH NORMAL Michael Wyeld Andrew Sullivan, Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality, Picador. London 1995, £14.99 hardback. The press have begun to use Andrew Sullivan as a touchstone and soundbite whenever the need to discuss 'the homosexual question' arises. He has become so recognisable as a celebrity, particularly in the United States, that he has joined the likes of Miles Davis, John Wayne, Sonic Youth and Leonard Bernstein in posing for advertisements for clothing giant The Gap. The press release for his book, written by Sullivan's press agent at Hobsbawm l\1acaula) Communications Limited, introduces the themes evident in press reviews. which creates a series of questions in its own way. For example, do the pres� actually read the books they review? The implication in press release is that Sullivan, the editor of the New Republic, is now a welcome spokesmodel for homosexuals in Europe and America. Andrew Sullivan . has written the most important book about homosexuality ever to be published: Virtually Normal, a crystal-clear exploration of the arguments about homosexuality from the Catholil Church to today's liberal and conservative politics. In this era of controversy about homosexuality, from gay marriage to gay, in the military, Andrew Sullivan's Virtually Normal will set off an unprecedented debate. In the corporate publicity business anything can be made to seem credible and interesting, so it is no surprise that after actually reading Sullivan's book, it i� nothing like 'the most important book about homosexuality ever to be published.' Nor does the book discuss 'the controversy about homosexuality.
    [Show full text]
  • Marriage, Cohabitation, and the Welfare of Children
    File: Document1 Created on: 11/14/2012 2:49:00 PM Last Printed: 3/14/2013 5:23:00 PM MARRIAGE, COHABITATION, AND THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN ∗ Mark Strasser I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 101 II. WHAT DOES THE DATA SHOW AND WHAT IMPLICATIONS MIGHT THEY HAVE .................................................................. 102 A. Economic Factors ........................................................ 105 B. Biological Connection? ................................................. 106 C. Marriage in the Blended Family ....................................... 109 D. The Indirect Benefits of Marriage? ................................... 115 E. The Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Unions ......................... 118 III. CONCLUSION ................................................................. 121 I. INTRODUCTION The divorce rate is high in the United States,1 and the rate of non- marital cohabitation continues to grow.2 More and more children are growing up in nontraditional homes,3 and there is a growing debate about whether children are harmed when raised in a non-marital setting. A re- lated debate involves what steps, if any, can and should be taken to en- hance the welfare of those children living in a non-marital home if, in- deed, they are suffering opportunity costs by virtue of being raised in such a setting. ∗ Trustees Professor of Law, Capital University Law School, Columbus, Ohio. I would like to thank Professor Margaret Cordray for her helpful discussions of these and related issues. 1. See Valarie King, Stepfamily Formation: Implications for Adolescent Ties to Mothers, Nonre- sident Fathers, and Stepfathers, 71 J. MAR. & FAM. 954, 954 (2009) (“[A]lmost half of marriages [are] likely to end in divorce . .”). 2. Julie E. Artis, Maternal Cohabitation and Child Well-Being Among Kindergarten Children, 69 J. MARRIAGE & FAM. 222, 222 (2007) (“One of the most notable changes in family life over the last several decades is the rapid rise of cohabitation.”).
    [Show full text]
  • "Gay Community, Gay Identity and the Translated Text"
    Article "Gay Community, Gay Identity and the Translated Text" Keith Harvey TTR : traduction, terminologie, rédaction, vol. 13, n° 1, 2000, p. 137-165. Pour citer cet article, utiliser l'information suivante : URI: http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/037397ar DOI: 10.7202/037397ar Note : les règles d'écriture des références bibliographiques peuvent varier selon les différents domaines du savoir. Ce document est protégé par la loi sur le droit d'auteur. L'utilisation des services d'Érudit (y compris la reproduction) est assujettie à sa politique d'utilisation que vous pouvez consulter à l'URI https://apropos.erudit.org/fr/usagers/politique-dutilisation/ Érudit est un consortium interuniversitaire sans but lucratif composé de l'Université de Montréal, l'Université Laval et l'Université du Québec à Montréal. Il a pour mission la promotion et la valorisation de la recherche. Érudit offre des services d'édition numérique de documents scientifiques depuis 1998. Pour communiquer avec les responsables d'Érudit : [email protected] Document téléchargé le 12 février 2017 03:07 Gay Community, Gay Identity and the Translated Text Keith Harvey [...] until we organise ourselves block by neighbourhood by city by state into a united visible community that fights back, we're doomed. (Larry Kramer (1985) The Normal Heart: Act Two, Scene Thirteen, London, Methuen, p. 77) [...] le traducteur est cet individu qui représente, dans sa pulsion de traduire, toute une communauté dans son rapport avec une autre communauté et ses œuvres. (Antoine Berman (1984) L'Épreuve de Vétranger: culture et traduction dans l'Allemagne romantique, Paris, Gallimard, p. 283) In this article1, I wish to argue that the translation of texts whose subject matter is homosexual experience and struggle raises complex issues with regard to the notions of "gay community" and "gay identity".
    [Show full text]
  • To Have and to Hold: Congressional Vows on Marriage and Sex1
    CLASP To Have and To Hold: Congressional Vows on Marriage and sex1 By Jodie Levin-Epstein March 2005 Despite some history together, Marriage First and Then Sex were divorced in 1960, the year the Pill went to market. Traditional marriage has not been the same since. In some measure this is because the effective use of contraceptive technology put women on a more level playing field with me-that is, they could participate in sex without the risk of getting pregnant. The technology trumped, but did not dump, the marriage tradition. Along with other cultural changes, the new contraceptive technology helped transform the institution. Marriage now occurs later (the average age of first mamage has risen significantly), is shorter (divorce is commonplace), and frequently does not happen (cohabiting couples, including those with children, have increased dramatically). Recently, marriage has moved into the political arena. In 1996, Congress passed a law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which created welfare block grants for states. PRWORA promotes traditional marriage in two ways. The block grants allow states to choose to spend welfare funds on marriage-related programs for welfare and nonwelfare recipients alike. PRWORA also includes separate funding for states for abstinence-unless-married programs that teach marriagefirst and then sex. The 1996 law was scheduled to be reauthorized in 2002, but reauthorization has not yet occurred. Since 2002, the program has been repeatedly extended through a series of stop-gap measures called continuing resolutions. In the first months of 2005, Congress has begun to take up reauthorizatioq so it has a chance to debate these marriage and abstinence education provisions.
    [Show full text]
  • Perceived Homosexuals: Looking Gay Enough for Title VII Brian Soucek
    American University Law Review Volume 63 | Issue 3 Article 2 2014 Perceived Homosexuals: Looking Gay Enough for Title VII Brian Soucek Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/aulr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Soucek, Brian. "Perceived Homosexuals: Looking Gay Enough for Title VII." American University Law Review 63, no.3 (2014): 715-788. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington College of Law Journals & Law Reviews at Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in American University Law Review by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Perceived Homosexuals: Looking Gay Enough for Title VII Keywords Appearance discrimination, Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII, Discrimination -- Law & legislation, Assimilation (Sociology) -- Social aspects, LGBT people -- United States -- Legal status, laws, etc., Gender stereotypes -- Psychological aspects, Human sexuality & law This article is available in American University Law Review: http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/aulr/vol63/iss3/2 SOUCEK.OFF.TO.WEBSITE (DO NOT DELETE) 4/2/2014 2:43 PM PERCEIVED HOMOSEXUALS: LOOKING GAY ENOUGH FOR TITLE VII BRIAN SOUCEK* Under the conventional view of Title VII, gay and lesbian workers can bring discrimination claims based on gender stereotyping but not sexual orientation. This Article analyzes 117 court cases on gender stereotyping in the workplace in order to show that the conventional view is wrong. In cases brought by “perceived homosexuals,” courts distinguish not between gender stereotyping and sexual orientation claims, but between two ways that violations of gender norms can be perceived: either as something literally seen or as something cognitively understood.
    [Show full text]
  • Is Covenant Marriage a Policy That Preaches to the Choir? a Comparison of Covenant and Standard Married Newlywed Couples in Louisiana
    http://www.bgsu.edu/organizations/cfdr/main.html Phone: (419) 372-7279 [email protected] Bowling Green State University Working Paper Series 02-06 Laura Sanchez Steven L. Nock Julia L. Wilson James D. Wright Word count: 9211 Is Covenant Marriage a Policy that Preaches to the Choir? A Comparison of Covenant and Standard Married Newlywed Couples in Louisiana Laura Sanchez Department of Sociology & Center for Family and Demographic Research Bowling Green State University Steven L. Nock Department of Sociology University of Virginia Julia L. Wilson Department of Sociology University of Virginia James D. Wright Department of Sociology and Anthropology University of Central Florida Address correspondence to Laura Sanchez, 226 Williams Hall, Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, 43403. Phone: 419-354-7951. Email: [email protected]. This research was supported by National Science Foundation grant #9819156. Is Covenant Marriage a Policy that Preaches to the Choir? A Comparison of Covenant and Standard Married Newlywed Couples in Louisiana Recently, concern about relatively high non-marriage and divorce rates encouraged policymakers to focus marriage and welfare law reforms on marriage promotion initiatives. The creation of the 1997 covenant marriage law in Louisiana grows out of this context and is an historically unprecedented innovation. The provisions of covenant marriage make entering and exiting marriage marginally more difficult, and are a firm step toward a return to fault-based divorce. The law provides a social experiment by creating a two-tier marriage regime. Never before have citizens had the option between two sets of laws to govern their marriages.
    [Show full text]