Moral panics and social control: reflections about gay marriage

Starting with a historical re-construction of the colective fears behind the social rejection of gays and lesbians and how these same fears shape the reaction of these groups this article discusses the relations between moral panics and forms of social control. The fight for gay marriage is a contemporary example of how our society renegotiates normative patterns and sexual practices. It does so always aiming a social control to keep and to reinforce conventional relational models.

Moral Panics; Social Control; Gay Marriage; Sexual Politics