'Marriage' in a modern age

Today marks the 25th anniversary of my parents' marriage. In 1987 a church ceremony and a marquee reception with all the trimmings was considered fairly commonplace, indeed, it would have been frowned upon had my parents not been married in a church regardless of their far from devout Christian beliefs. Yet my parents are still happy after 25 years together - they still love each other, and would no doubt feel the same had they been married in a civil ceremony, or indeed never been married at all; the fact that their legal union was religious makes no difference to the way they feel about one another. Thus, it fills me with sadness when I see marriage privileged as an institution to protect the 'traditional family', whatever that may be. This view was heralded yesterday by the Church of England in its denunciation of government proposals to extend the word 'marriage' to same sex couples who choose to legally commit to one another. Such a move arguably strips marriage of its privilege over civil partnerships by recognising that 'marriage' is about much more than consummation, procreation and raising a family, as has been traditionally held in both public opinion and in the law (Wilkinson v. Kitzinger). Indeed, it makes an important statement about the nature of marriage as a commitment between two people regardless of their sex or motive for legal union, and so begins to consider the diverse relationships of intimacy that should be protected by law.

However, I wonder whether such proposals go far enough to generate equality and truly combat homophobia in modern society. While the Civil Partnership Act 2004 gave the same legal rights to same sex couples as it already gave to heterosexual couples, simply changing the law cannot dissolve people's social prejudices. Only education can do this, and even then achieving a complete abandonment of heteronormative views of marriage cannot be guaranteed. What is required is therefore not to simply assimilate civil partnerships into the concept of marriage by transferring the word 'marriage' to them, but to change the view of what marriage represents from the inside; what legal protection should be awarded for. Indeed, many same sex couples may not want to be 'married', but just wish to have their relationship recognised and accepted as being real and equal to any heterosexual relationship. The government has tried to reflect this by retaining civil partnerships for those who do not want same sex marriages, but again, this does little to address the problem that the roots of prejudice are not grounded in the labels we attach to things - the labels are merely a formal expression of that prejudice, and so simply adding more and more labels into the mix will achieve very little, and perhaps even increase discrimination.

Therefore, it is only by changing our definitions of 'marriage' and 'family' from the inside, where prejudice is born, that we may see prejudice and discrimination against same sex couples diminish, and hopefully disappear altogether.

The last three years:

I have spent the last three years in London studying for my law degree from the LSE. Having come to the end of that chapter of my life I find myself reflecting on what I have learned and gained from my experience at university more now than I ever did when I was studying. News items have become relevant to me where they probably would not have held my attention before coming to the LSE, for instance, yestreday's comments by the Church of England on the 'threat' posed by gay marriage. Such comments fill me with anger at their narrow-mindedness in this modern age, and yet it seems they are far from uncommon. But what can we expect from a society where good education is so scarce and unduly restricted?

Nestled away in central London amidst the glamour of the West End, the LSE might appear unassuming or too small to be of any great influence. But in reality it is a hub of educated thought, a coming-together of minds from all backgrounds, cultures and social strata which culminates in a web of rich and diverse opinion. It is an arena for debate on some of the most topical and controversial issues, but encourages co-operation and recognition of differing attitudes and opinions rather than spiteful rejection and conflict. It is thus an incredible place to learn, and I can honestly say that I am proud to have been part of such a remarkable institution full of truly inspirational people. I will hold my memories of the LSE and the people I have met there forever close to my heart.

Baby Steps...

The inquisitive amongst you might be wondering why I chose to call this blog 'Thumbelina's Journal'. Well, it's not particularly inventive, but it reflects a nickname given to me by a friend regarding my distinct lack of feet and inches! However, despite my small stature, I have big thoughts and dreams, and it is through this blog that I hope to share them with you all. Thanks for reading as I take my first steps into the world of blogging. Hannah. x