The Politics of Gay Marriage in Latin America

Jordi Díez is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph. The author of four previous books, he has also published numerous journal articles on social movements and public policy. A recipient of several research awards from organizations including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the International Development Research Council (IDRC), he has taught at several universities in the Americas and Europe and was recently named a Peggy Rockefeller Visiting Scholar at Harvard University, Massachusetts.

• 1. Introduction; Part I. Setting the Stage: 2. Citizenship, sexuality, and gay marriage; 3. State-society relations in the twentieth century; 4. Early mobilization: the long road to gay marriage; Part II. Explaining Policy Stasis and Change in Gay Marriage: 5. Argentina: the precursor in policy reform; 6. Mexico: a case of fragmented reform; 7. Chile: a case of policy stasis; 8. Conclusion.

'Latin America, the most Catholic of regions, has surprisingly surged to the forefront of the global wave of expanding sexual rights. What lies behind the breathtaking pace at which states in the region have recognized these rights? This timely and impressive volume shows that recent policy change is the result of decades-long struggles waged by activists, who succeeded only after they constructed networks that incorporated state allies and framed demands in a way that resonated with larger social debates. The Politics of Gay Marriage in Latin America will become an essential reference for students of social rights and democratic citizenship everywhere for years to come.' Frances Hagopian, Harvard University, Massachusetts