Strategizing for the Future through the Civil Partnership Act

Using Fraser's 'status model of recognition' as the conceptual lens through which to view the 'misrecognition' of gay and lesbian relationships, this paper assesses the value of the Civil Partnership Act in light of family law policy and gay and lesbian politics. The second section considers the context of Northern Ireland where the issue is complicated by prevailing moral conservatism and the historical reductionism in the politics of identity.