Best for society? Transnational opposition to sexual and gender equalities in Canada and Great Britain

Abstract

While much has been written about the limitations of new legislative equalities, there is a silence in geographies of sexualities regarding the backlash to these changes and the reiteration of particular heteronormativity. In working across Great Britain and Canada, we argue that these resistances are trans-scalar, operating transnationally as well as evoking nation, classroom, home and body. Arguments at the local level are embedded in and draw on the broader ‘natural family’ arguments circulating at local/regional, national and transnational levels. Drawing on the literature on transnationalism that understands these processes as (re)forming values and practices, this article explores the discourses that reiterate the naturalness and centrality of particular forms of heterosexuality as key for a healthy society and the protection of children. The latter works on three levels. First, the child cannot be ‘naturally’ produced outside of heterosexual sexual relations. Second, the raising of these children appropriately and healthily redefines ‘family’ within heteronormative structures. Third, comments that might be termed ‘homophobic’ are reframed as merely free speech as a way to counter LGBT recognition. We finish the article by arguing for explorations of heterosexuality within transnational networks to resistances to LGBT equalities.

¿Lo mejor para la sociedad? La oposición transnacional a la igualdad sexual y de género en Canadá y Gran Bretaña

Aunque se ha escrito mucho sobre las limitaciones de las nuevas igualdades legislativas, existe un silencio en las geografías de las sexualidades con respecto a la reacción negativa a estos cambios y la reiteración de heteronormatividad particular. Al trabajar en Gran Bretaña y Canadá, argumentamos que estas resistencias son transescalares, operando transnacionalmente y evocando también a la nación, el aula, el hogar y el cuerpo. Los argumentos a nivel local están incorporados en los argumentos de la “familia natural” que circulan a nivel local/regional, nacional y transnacional y a la vez están basados en estos. Apoyado en literatura sobre transnacionalismo que entiende estos procesos como la (re)formación de valores y prácticas, este artículo explora los discursos que reiteran la naturalidad y centralidad de formas particulares de la heterosexualidad como clave para una sociedad saludable y la protección de los niños. Este último funciona a tres niveles: en primer lugar, los niños y niñas no pueden ser producidos “naturalmente” fuera de las relaciones sexuales heterosexuales. En segundo lugar, la crianza de manera apropiada y saludable de estos niños y estas niñas redefine la “familia” dentro de las estructuras heteronormativas. Tercero, los comentarios que se pueden denominar “homofóbicos” se reformulan como mera libertad de expresión como forma de enfrentar el reconocimiento LGBT. Finalizamos el artículo abogando por la exploración de la heterosexualidad dentro de las redes transnacionales a las resistencias a las igualdades LGBT.

对社会最好？：加拿大与英国对于性别平等的跨国对

当新的法律平等之限制已被大量书写之际，性欲地理学却对反对这些改变的势力，以及对特定异性恋常规的重申保持沉默。我们在横跨英国与加拿大的研究中，主张这些反对是跨尺度的，透过跨国的方式操作之，并召唤了国族、教室、家户与身体。在地方层级的主张，深植并运用在地方／区域、国家及跨国层级传播的广义“自然家庭”论点。本文运用将上述过程理解为（再）形塑价值和实践的跨国主义文献，探讨重申特定异性恋形式的自然性与核心性为健康社会与保护儿童之关键的论述。保护儿童的论述，在三个层次进行之：首先，孩童不能在异性恋性关系之外“自然地”生产。再者，合宜并健康地抚养儿童，在异性恋常规结构中重新定义了“家庭”。第三，可能会被视为“恐同症”的评论，被重新表达成仅只是言论自由，藉此反对承认男女同性恋、双性恋与跨性别（LGBT）。我们在文末主张应在反对LGBT平等的跨国网络中探讨异性恋性。

Keywords::

• heterosexuality
• heteronormativity
• homonormativity
• queer
• Christian right
• transnationalism

Palabras claves::

• heterosexualidad
• heteronormatividad
• homonormatividad
• queer
• Derecha Cristiana
• transnacionalismo

关键词::

• 异性恋
• 异性恋常规
• 同性恋
• 酷儿
• 基督教右派
• 跨国主义

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the editors of Gender, Place and Culture for their care and attention and the three anonymous reviewers for the thoughtful critique and suggestions. Many thanks to our research assistants, Monica Carroll in the UK and Heather Maguire in Canada.

Notes

^1. Northern Ireland was included in the Civil Partnership Act and so this legislation applies to the whole of the UK.

^2. The primary methodology was an online search to identify key organisations in Canada and the UK, involved specifically in opposition to same-sex marriage and LGBT equalities. More than 100 websites were examined together with news sites, blogs and organisational newsletters. Once the core (and active) organisations were identified (49 in Canada and 41 in the UK), each site was analysed to map out, thematically, their key aims, arguments and foci, as well as to identify any links or connections amongst groups (e.g. conference attendance). Analysis identified key themes, four of which were explored in-depth for this paper (for discussions of Internet-based research and discourse analysis, see Tonkiss 2012; Hines 2013).

^3. Organisations are at times single issue (such as reparative therapies), but more often operate across multiple issues and seek to connect with each other through organisations such as the Coalition for Marriage.

^4. Schooling in Ontario is divided between public schools and separate or Catholic schools. For the purposes of this article, we do not delve into the distinctive arguments developed specifically in opposition for those participating in the Catholic education system.

^5. We do not refer to Northern Ireland as Northern Ireland was not included in the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill and this context differs significantly (see Richardson and Monro 2012).

^6. This references a legal case whereby hotel owners were found to be in breach of equalities legislation because they refused a gay male couple accommodation in a double room, because they were not married.

^7. It is important to note that, in the GB context, civil partnerships are ‘supported’ in order to counter accusations of homophobia (and eight organisations argued that they do not contest civil partnerships and that these should be sufficient). This is possible in GB because of the existence of civil partnerships.

^8. We thank one of the reviewers for this very helpful observation.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Catherine J. Nash

Dr. Nash is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Brock University, Canada. Her main areas of interest are geographies of sexualities and queer geographies with a focus on shifting LGBT and queer identities, behaviours and practices and their linkages to contemporary urban transformations.

Kath Browne

Dr. Kath Browne is a Reader at the University of Brighton, UK. She works on geographies of sexualities and genders and has a particular interest in lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans equalities, as well as gender transgressions and trans identities. She has over 60 publications in a range of formats. She co-edited the books Geographies of Sexualities with Gavin Brown and Jason Lim, and Queer Methods and Methodologies with Catherine Nash and has recently co-authored the book, Ordinary in Brighton?: LGBT, Cities and Activisms with Leela Bakshi.