Reimagining the White Wedding: Lesbian Weddings in Ontario, Canada

• In Event: 090 - Section on Sociology of Sexualities Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Sociology of Sexualities Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. LGB Marriage and Partnership

Abstract

Chrys Ingraham argues that the white wedding is such a powerful symbol of heteronomativity that it obscures other possibilities of understanding relationships—a dynamic she calls the "heterosexual imaginary." In Canada, same-sex marriage is legal, so we use in-depth interviews with Canadian women—26 in straight marriages, 22 in same-sex relationships—to test Ingraham's theory. We find that the white wedding is a powerful symbolic force for all participants, but that lesbians more often resist the heterosexual imaginary in their weddings and relationships. Working-class women and women of color may also criticize the white wedding more than white, middle-class women.

Authors

• Tina Fetner, McMaster University

• Melanie Heath, McMaster University