Odd Couples: A History of Gay Marriage in Scandinavia

Summary, in English

The concept of marriage as a union of a man and a woman was fundamentally challenged by the introduction of registered partnership in Denmark in 1989. Odd Couples is the first comprehensive history of registered partnership and gay marriage in Scandinavia. It traces the origins of laws which initially were extremely controversial—inside and outside the gay community—but have now gained broad popular and political support. Through a comparison of how these laws have been received and practiced in all of the Scandinavian countries, the author presents a nuanced study of a fascinating political process that began in the 1960s and continues through the present day.