Sacred Spaces, Sacred Words: Religion and Same-Sex Marriage in England and Wales

This article provides an analysis of the ways in which the spatial and illocutionary requirements of English marriage law – which regulate the spaces in which marriages may be solemnized and the words the parties being married must speak – have been used to maintain distinctions between same-sex and opposite-sex couples. It shows how religious opponents of same-sex partnership recognition have relied upon historically entrenched differences between the spatial and illocutionary aspects of ‘civil marriage’ and ‘religious marriage’ to argue in favour of the enactment of law that enables organized religions to exclude same-sex couples from religious premises and ceremonies that are open to opposite-sex couples for the purpose of solemnizing marriage. It extends recent international debates about how faith-based discrimination against same-sex couples is accommodated by legislators and legitimized by law. The article concludes with a consideration of how English law could be amended to end discrimination based on sexual orientation

Homosexuality, religion and the contested legal framework governing sex education in England

This article examines how religion has influenced, and continues to influence, the legal framework that regulates the circulation of knowledge about homosexuality and same-sex relationships within state-funded schools in England. This legal framework has become the subject of considerable recent public and legislative contestation. We argue that religious considerations and interests have contributed to the production and maintenance of an uneven educational landscape in which young people face disparities in their access to instruction regarding issues related to homosexuality and same-sex relationships. Key themes explored in the article include the exclusion of discussion of homosexuality from the requirements of the National Curriculum; the right of parents to withdraw children from sex education; attempts to make some discussion of same-sex relationships a statutory requirement for all state-funded schools, including faith schools; and the uncertain implications of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 for the teaching of sex education

Sexual Orientation Equality and Religious Exceptionalism in the Law of the United Kingdom: The Role of the Church of England

There is a growing literature that addresses the appropriateness and merits of including exceptions in law to accommodate faith-based objections to homosexuality. However, what has rarely been considered and, as a consequence, what is generally not understood, is how such religious exceptions come to exist in law. This article provides a detailed analysis of the contribution of the Church of England to ensuring the inclusion of religious exceptions in United Kingdom legislation designed to promote equality on the grounds of sexual orientation. Drawing on a case study that traces the life of one piece of anti-discrimination legislation, the article documents the multi-faceted approach of the Church of England to seeking, securing and shaping religious exceptions in law. The analysis contributes to broader debates about the role of the Church of England in Parliament and the extent to which the United Kingdom, as a liberal democracy, should continue to accommodate the Church’s doctrine on homosexuality in statute law

Gay monuments in queer times: Amsterdam’s Homomonument and the politics of inclusive social practice

Despite growing debate about the role of monuments in diverse societies, there has been insufficient attention to contestations that have emerged involving ‘gay’ or ‘queer’ monuments. This article examines the politics of inclusion and exclusion that can stem from the social practices that evolve around these monuments, particularly as the imperatives and priorities of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) activism evolve while monuments, created in a particular historical and geographical context, are in some sense ‘set in stone’. Drawing on an intensive, mixed-methods case study of the Homomonument in Amsterdam, the article develops a grounded critique of processes of inclusion and exclusion specifically in relation to Black, bisexual and transgender people. With a focus on dance parties organised at the Homomonument, the article calls for more research that analyses monuments as sites of practice

‘Girls have powers’: using research-led arts to connect policymaking with girls’ lived experiences in Uganda

This article offers new methodological directions for generating difficult-to-capture evidence on the hidden dimensions of young people’s lives in challenging circumstances. We explore how research-led applied arts can advance participatory methodologies to bridge the gap that often exists between participatory research engaging girls meaningfully within the research process, and knowledge exchange processes that connect policy-making with their lived experiences. We demonstrate how this innovative approach, embedded within a girlhood studies framework, amplifies the voices of those marginalised by gender and age in urban settings. It co-creates the (safe) spaces, resources and tools to recognise, explore and intervene against systemic inequalities and injustices. Research-led applied arts provide mechanisms for messaging girls’ concerns and perspectives in a non-threatening manner directly to those with the power to address them. Such situated knowledge exchange is crucial if we are to sustainably challenge inequitable gender regimes in ways that respond directly to the everyday challenges faced by girls in developing contexts

'If a charge was brought against a saintly religious leader whose intention was to save souls ⋯': An analysis of UK parliamentary debates over incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation

This article considers contemporary Parliamentary approaches to law-making in respect of homosexuality and religious belief through an analysis of debates regarding the creation of the offence of incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation (Section 74 and Schedule 16 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008). By far the most contentious issue in debates about the legislation concerned the types of speech that would be captured by the offence, with skeptics and opponents arguing that the legislation risked criminalising religious believers who voiced objections to homosexuality. The analysis specifically examines how legislators shaped the construction of the law by drawing on representations of ‘traditional’ Christians and other religious believers as a minority group needing protection from unwarranted complaints and investigations, and by placing them within an equalities hierarchy where religion and sexual orientation are seen to be in competition. Parliamentarians repeatedly weighed religion and sexual orientation in relation to one another as categories worthy of protection and, in doing so, often represented religiously based opposition to homosexuality as a legitimate rationale for limiting the scope of the protections available to gays and lesbians by law. The analysis identifies a number of shifts and tendencies in Parliamentary rhetoric about homosexuality that require ongoing attention, especially within the context of the new coalition government

The Promotion of British Values: Sexual Orientation Equality, Religion, and England’s Schools

Schools in England have recently become subject to new requirements regarding the active promotion of ‘fundamental British values’. This concept has controversially been defined to encompass sexual orientation equality. In this article, we argue that the inclusion of sexual orientation equality within the scope of British values has given new impetus to debates about the appropriate balance between children’s rights, the right of parents to provide religious direction to children, the prerogatives of faith schools, and the state’s legitimate interest in protecting sexual minorities. We trace the evolution of the current legal and policy framework related to British values, including its alignment to the Prevent counter-extremism strategy, and then draw on recent Ofsted reports to critically examine claims that the new requirements undermine the ability of faith schools to teach about sexuality from the perspective of a particular religious ethos. Using the example of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, we also highlight ambiguities that exist in relation to the British values requirements as applied to faith schools. We conclude that current controversies over British values and schooling show important continuities with debates from the Section 28 era (1988–2003), during which local authorities were prohibited from intentionally promoting homosexuality. Specifically, a key source of contestation remains the still indeterminate border between the promotion of a particular sexual orientation and the promotion of tolerance for individuals and groups. Overall, the article contributes to a broader understanding of the ways in which schools in diverse international contexts have become involved in the governance of sexual and religious difference

Fixity and Flux: A Critique of Competing Approaches to Researching Contemporary Jewish Identities

Jewish identities are becoming increasingly pluralised due to internal dynamics within Judaism and wider social processes such as secularisation, globalisation and individualisation. However, empirical research on contemporary Jewish identities often continues to adopt restrictive methodological and conceptual approaches that reify Jewish identity and portray it as a ‘product’ for educational providers and others to pass to younger generations. Moreover, these approaches typically impose identities upon individuals, often as a form of collective affiliation, without addressing their personal significance. In response, this article argues for increased recognition of the multiple and fluid nature of personal identities in order to investigate the diverse ways in which Jews live and perform their Jewishness. Paying greater attention to personal identities facilitates recognition of the intersections between different forms of identity, enabling more complex understandings of the ways in which individuals both define their own identities and contribute to redefining the boundaries of Jewishness

A Chinese route to sustainability: Postsocialist transitions and the construction of ecological civilization

This article explores the concept of sustainability in a postsocialist context through an analysis of official discourses relating to sustainability in more than 700 articles published in the Chinese‐language newspaper People's Daily in 2015. The Chinese conception of sustainability, which emerges as a top‐down model built upon traditional ideologies and Chinese socialist legacies, inclusive of economic growth, environmental sustainability, social justice and quality of life. This Chinese official discourse of sustainability places less emphasis on individuals' rights and more on the state's interests, and is encompassed in the Chinese concept of the “ecological civilization.” This article argues that if we are to build a full picture of the internationalized idea of sustainability we need to adopt a more international approach to thinking about the issue, drawing upon the sustainability‐related discourses constructed from different national contexts using local languages and rhetoric