Violence in Queer Families: Symbolic Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships in Russian Law

Abstract

PurposeThis paper deals with criminal court cases of intimate partner violence in queer families (IPV) in Russia. It aims to uncover ways for these families to be recognized in law, even if only for the purposes of deciding cases of violence among LGBT + partners.MethodsThe study deploys methods of discourse analysis to uncover powers which produce the texts of court rulings. The article is based on close examination of nine cases of IPV occurred in various places across Russia. Eight cases concern bisexual and lesbian women; one case is about men in a same-sex partnership.ResultsThe analysis suggests that only the most severe cases of IPV reach criminal courts in Russia (murder, manslaughter, and serious injuries). As courts deal with violence among intimate same-sex partners, they have to discuss LGBT + identities, queer sexualities, and same-sex families more broadly, as well as such forms of violence which are not criminalized but build up to the ultimate violent act (psychological and financial violence, battery).ConclusionsRegardless of reluctance to recognize queer families in family law, same-sex relationships are already recognized in the legal discourse with the help of various categories for the purposes of processing criminal cases. However, this recognition casts queer families as subordinate and pathological, especially through the widespread invocation of traditional values rhetoric.