Includes bibliographical references (p. 359-383) and index.

Introduction -- Changing institution of marriage and the exclusion of same-sex couples -- Registered partnerships in the Nordic countries -- Same-sex partnerships in the Netherlands -- Recognition of same-sex partnerships in other European countries -- Cohabitation model -- Same-sex partnerships in the United States -- Contrasts between the models of recognition and the status of same-sex partnerships in the United States and Northern Europe -- Domestic partnership, registered partnership, and marriage -- Alternatives to marriage and the doctrine of separate but equal -- Feasibility of opening up marriage to same-sex couples -- Conclusion.

During the past three decades, nations all over the world have been debating whether to allow same-sex couples to marry, or at least grant these couples various rights associated with marriage. In Equality for Same-Sex Couples, Yuval Merin presents the first comparative study of the legal regulation of same-sex partnerships worldwide, as well as a unique survey of the status of same-sex couples in Europe. Merin begins by providing a historical overview of the transformation of marriage from antiquity to the present. He then identifies and critically compares four principal models for the legal.

Description based on print version record.