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1. Adam Jowett, PhD
Arguments Against Same Sex
Marriage in the British Press

2. Same-sex marriage in a British context
- The introduction of ‘Civil Partnerships’ in 2005
- Symbolic difference (Kitzinger and Wilkinson, 2004), media
representation of CP as inferior (Jowett & Peel, 2010)
- In 2011 the UK Government announced a public consultation on a bill to
introduce same sex civil marriage in England and Wales
- A (largely Christian) campaign group
formed to oppose the bill

3. Psychological research on same sex marriage
– Often taken the form of attitudinal research and focused on
predictors of attitudes towards same-sex marriage (Herek, 2011;
Fingerhut, et al, 2011)
– US studies have identified a number of arguments used in public
debate
• Discourses of democracy and morality (Hull, 2001)
• Tradition and ‘moral’ arguments (Cole et al., 2012)
– The aim of the current study was to examine arguments used to
oppose equal marriage in a UK context

4. The study
- British press coverage (October 2011 – June 2012)
- Search terms – ‘gay’ OR ‘same sex’ AND ‘marriage’
- 11 National newspapers,105 editorial/opinion/comment pieces; 103
letters to editors
- Data analysis: Thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) informed
by rhetorical psychology (Billig, 1991)

5. Findings
Seven arguments were identified:
1. Marriage is by definition and tradition a union between a man and a
woman
2. Marriage is designed as a framework for raising children
3. If you allow gay marriage now, it will be polygamous and incestuous
marriage next
4. Same-sex marriage would threaten the right to religious freedom
5. Same-sex couples already have equal rights
6. Changing the law to allow same-sex marriage would be undemocratic
7. The Government should focus on bigger priorities

6. Same sex marriage would threaten the right to
religious freedom
His [David Cameron’s] flagship policy, he claims, will “change
what happens in a register office, not what happens in a church”.
I hope we’re not being governed by a prime minister who
sincerely believes any such nonsense […] The moment the first
registrar officiates a homosexual marriage, and the first vicar
refuses to do so, the vicar will be sued for discrimination faster
than you can say ‘European Court of Human Rights’
(The Daily Mail, 4 April)
The truth is that nothing the Government promises to put in a
new law is worth a light anymore, because Strasbourg can
simply overrule it (The Daily Mail, 12 June)

7. The Government should focus on bigger priorities
Given our present economic situation, why does Mr Cameron think
that so much parliamentary time and energy should be dedicated to a
change in the law which would obliterate vast amounts of our cultural
and legal heritage?
(The Daily Telegraph, 14 March)
Personally I do not find this objectionable, just highly marginal to the
real problems facing Britain’
(The Daily Express, 10 March)
We do not think the time is right, however. Nor do most British people.
Nearly 80 per cent of all voters do not think abolishing the legal
distinctions between gay relationships and marriage as traditionally
conceived should be a priority during this Parliament.
(The Sunday Telegraph, 11 March)

8. Discussion
– Many of these arguments are variations of those used
previously to oppose LGBT equality (Clarke, 2001; Ellis &
Kitzinger, 2002)
– A notable absence of arguments asserting the immorality
of homosexuality with ‘rights’ based arguments used by
religious leaders
– Arguments which construct same-sex marriage as a low
priority in the context of global economic instability are
more guarded against accusations of homophobia

9. References
• Fingerhut AW, Riggle EDB, and Rostosky SS (2011) Same-sex
Marriage: The social and psychological implications of policy and
debates. Journal of Social Issues 67(2): 225-241.
• Herek GM (2011) Anti-Equality Marriage Amendments and Sexual
Stigma. Journal of Social Issues 67(2): 413-426.
• Jowett A and Peel E (2010) ‘Seismic culture change?’ Media
representations of same-sex ‘marriage’. Women’s Studies International
Forum 33(3): 206–214.
• Jowett A (Under submission) ‘But if you legalise same-sex marriage...’:
Arguments against equal marriage in the British press.
Email: adam.jowett@coventry.ac.uk
Twitter: @DrAdamJowett
http://coventry.academia.edu/AdamJowett