The Social Justice Lecture Series Presents: The Fight for Marriage Equality

Thursday, March 30, 2023
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
CSU 245 or Via Zoom

Following Justice Clarence Thomas’ recent statement that the Supreme Court “should reconsider” its 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, the issue of marriage equality for LGBQ+ people has emerged once again in social and political discourse. In this context, this talk will explore the history of the movement for marriage equality in the United States, focusing on how LGBQ+ thinkers and activists have fought for, and resisted, equal marriage rights for over half a century now, and the wins and losses along the way. Drawing on a bourgeoning body of social science research, including much of his own, Dr. Hoy will also discuss how public attitudes toward marriage equality have shifted over time, and the numerous ways that marriage has positively impacted LGBQ+ people’s intimate relationships and individual well-being. Overall, to shed light on renewed debate and concern about marriage equality, Dr. Hoy’s talk will outline a social science perspective on the current state of same-sex marriages in the United States. 

Presenter: Dr. Aaron Hoy, Minnesota State University, Mankato                                Dr. Aaron Hoy is an assistant professor of sociology at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where his teaching and research focus on families, sexualities, sex and gender, and qualitative methods. He is the author of numerous peerreviewed studies on same-sex marriage and divorce, and most recently edited The Social Science of Same-Sex Marriage: LGBT People and Their Relationships in the Era of Marriage Equality (Routledge, 2022). 

Join Online Presentation