Abstract

The debate on same-sex marriage is a valuable opportunity to rethink the marriage institution, after the changes and reforms that have deeply reshaped its meaning. With an eye to the European and North American landscape, the article highlights the most critical aspects of the marriage institution and discusses the possibility of same-sex marriage. In this regard, the text points out that the problematic core of contemporary debates about marriage lies in the symbolic value of the homosexual relationship, and not in the many functions it can perform.