Same-Sex Couples and the Impact of Legislative Changes, 2007-2009

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br>This qualitative study used 47 Semi-structured interviews to explore the impact of legislative changes, including the Civil Partnership Act (2004), the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (2003) and the Adoption and Children Act (2002) on the lives of same-sex couples. Key objectives were to explore (a) how effective the legislation was perceived to have been in terms of increasing the sense of social inclusion amongst same-sex couples and reducing discrimination; (b) the views of same-sex couples about the involvement of the state in defining their relationship since the implementation of the legislation. Participants were purposively selected in order to create a diverse sample according to partnership status or intentions in relation to civil partnership; gender; age; parental status; ethnicity; socio-economic status; and geographical location. All those included had at least two years’ experience of being a couple in order to ensure that discussion of circumstances and commitment could facilitate consideration of the legal recognition of the relationship or other family commitments. Fieldwork was conducted between June 2007 and January 2008. Verbatim interview data was comprehensively and systematically analysed using the computer-aided qualitative package FrameWork which uses a matrix based format to allow for the thematic and case based interpretation of data. The research showed that the legislation had a number of positive impacts around improving a sense of social inclusion and reducing discrimination but that the legislation also posed a threat to some participants’ sense of social inclusion. Views of couples towards state involvement in their lives differed according to whether they viewed themselves as different and distinctive from traditional heterosexual couples. Views varied between civil partnership as: an imposition and regulation; ambivalence and trying to make the legislation work personally within a broad legal framework; welcome of Civil Partnership for its equation with traditional marriage.<br>