Work

Resisting Heteroarchy in the United States: Queer Women’s Attitudes Toward Marriage

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Although same-sex couples have had access to legal marriage since 2015, the current literature does not ask young adults who identify as part of the LGBTQ community about their desire to be married. Using interviews with 36 women who self-identified as queer, I find that they are more likely to desire marriage. However, an important segment is also ambivalent about legal marriage. I also find that women who want to be married are more likely to highlight the benefits of marriage, including the opportunity to resist heteronormative beliefs and practices in their marital relationships. Women who reject or are ambivalent about marriage are more likely to highlight the drawbacks of the institution. I argue that both groups of women use their emphasis on the benefits or drawbacks of marriage to resist heteroarchy and other intersecting oppressions they still face despite the legalization of same-sex marriage, without compromising their identity as queer.

Source: Social Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/socsci14040228

Author: Sarah Adeyinka-Skold

Institution: Loyola Marymount University

Language: English

Topic: LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Gender equality, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172