Beyond Marriage Equality: LGBTQ+ Families, Social Citizenship, and the Politics of Care

Over the last several decades, many states have expanded legal recognition of same-gender relationships through marriage equality legislation. While these reforms have been celebrated as milestones in sexual citizenship, they often obscure the broader ways that states continue to regulate family formation, caregiving, kinship, and social reproduction. Marriage equality does not necessarily translate into equal access to adoption, parental recognition, survivorship pensions, family benefits, migration rights, healthcare decision-making, or other dimensions of social citizenship.

This session examines how states define, regulate, and privilege particular forms of family and partnership, often reproducing inequalities for LGBTQ+ individuals, non-marital families, chosen families, transgender and non-binary people, migrants, and other marginalized populations. Drawing on feminist theories of care, social reproduction, citizenship, and family, contributors are invited to explore how legal, policy, and institutional frameworks shape access to recognition, resources, and protection.

The session welcomes theoretical, empirical, comparative, and methodological contributions from diverse geographical contexts. By examining how states structure access to care, recognition, and belonging, the session aims to advance feminist and queer understandings of social citizenship in turbulent times.