Love is an important part of human life and has always been present throughout history. It can take many forms and shapes, from platonic to romantic, parental to filial. Love is expressed through affectionate behavior and emotions like hugging, kissing, holding hands, caressing, cuddling, touching, stroking, laughing together, playing together, helping each other, giving gifts, sharing secrets, trusting each other, etc. In modern times, love has become more open, allowing people to experience it without prejudice based on gender identity, orientation, race, religion, age, appearance, social class, culture, economic status, or family background. The visibility or invisibility of same-sex partnerships influences the social legitimacy of love because it challenges traditional views about heterosexuality as the normative form of love. Invisible relationships may be tolerated but are often seen as abnormal or unnatural. Visible ones are accepted if they match the societal norms. When love is visible, society recognizes its importance and provides support for couples. By contrast, invisible ones face discrimination, exclusion, violence, and legal obstacles. This situation disadvantages those who seek equal opportunities and recognition for their relationship and makes them feel stigmatized and discriminated against. Moreover, invisibility undermines the value and meaning of intimate connections between individuals regardless of their sexual preferences. Therefore, the social legitimacy of love depends on how much it is displayed in public spaces.
The social legitimacy of love should not depend on whether it is visible or not, as long as it's mutually consensual and fulfilling for both partners.
Invisibility hinders couples from accessing essential services like healthcare, education, childcare, employment, housing, inheritance, adoption, visitation rights, medical decision making, and parental responsibility. As a result, it causes emotional distress, psychological trauma, financial difficulties, physical harm, and even death. It also reinforces negative stereotypes about LGBTQ+ people and promotes prejudice and homophobia that fuel hate crimes and discrimination. Therefore, governments must enact legislation to protect same-sex partnerships so that all couples can enjoy full legal protection and social acceptance.
How does the visibility or invisibility of same-sex partnerships influence the social legitimacy of love?
According to researchers (Smith et al. , 2019), same-sex partnerships are often perceived as less legitimate than heterosexual ones due to societal norms that consider them as deviant from traditional gender roles. Therefore, the visibility of such relationships can help to normalize them and increase their social acceptance. In contrast, invisibility may perpetuate prejudice against same-sex couples and contribute to discrimination based on sexual orientation.