Sexual Politics and Religious Beliefs: The Debate About Same-Sex Marriage (Argentina, 2010)

The article analyzes the intersections between religion and politics by observing the debate about same-sex marriage in Argentina in 2010. It begins by critically examining some principles of the secularization theory about the role of religious beliefs, particularly how these beliefs are articulated in contemporary sexual policy. The article focuses on three main phenomena to show how religion was mobilized in favor of the expansion of rights: the activist LGBT strategy of allying itself with religious actors; the support of evangelical churches and Catholic priests in favor of recognition of egalitarian marriage; and the use of religious discourse by legislators to justify their support for the legal reform.