Critical discourse analysis of controversial yet innovative laws: introducing queer families in policy and practice in Greece

This article aims to pursue a critical policy discourse analysis of the law 4356 that extended civil partnership legislation to include same-sex couples in Greece - the first and only law that recognises queer family life in the country until today. The discourse analysis highlights that notions of sexuality, family, gender, biological sex, and nation shape laws and public policy pronouncements and contribute to the lack of a corresponding policy framework. By examining the relevant plenary session transcripts of the Greek Parliament meetings, I aim to pursue an in-depth analysis of the discourse on the cohabitation agreement legislation of 2015 which extends civic partnerships to same-sex couples. The results of the research, showcase that heterosexism, hegemonic ideologies, and norms about gender and sexuality, as well as dominant views about religion, nation, and kinship are determining (even the queer) family typology within contemporary heteropatriarchal social rules. Those mentioned above contribute to the (legal and social) exclusion of non-heteronormative families, which “deviate” from the hegemonic societal rules. The goal of this article is to contribute through the lens of critical discourse analysis towards a novel sociological analysis of the variables that determine social acceptance and potentially influence the existing legislation on same-sex parenting. Socially predominant perceptions about heterosexism, gender and sexuality, religion, nation, and kinship, delineate family typology in heteropatriarchal rules and result in the legal exclusion of families who deviate from normative social rules. Socially constructed hegemonic patriarchal stereotypes set the so-called ‘normality’, and the standards of the heteronormative norms in policy and in practice, often exclude non-normative forms of kinship. By posing emerging calls to the political system for the protection of ‘family’ and ‘children’, who are considered to be the future citizens of the Greek nation, from the so-called ‘dangerous’ same-sex families, the supporters of those stereotypes acted collectively in view of voting the cohabitation agreement legislation and as result, they pursed the exclusion of any same-sex parenting rights.