British Social Policies promote the heterosexual and family way of life

The past two decades have seen fierce battles, still continuing over such issues as gender equality in the workplace; family policy; the crisis of marriage; divorce; abortion; contraceptive and reproductive rights; gay and lesbian sexuality; rape and sexual abuse; sex education, AIDS and issues of sexual health. Through it all, the state and its institutions, police, judiciary, education system, legislature, have all intervened actively seeking to define the limits of what David Evans (1993) calls ‘Sexual Citizenship’ (Dunphy; 2000:5).

It is in this context that the essay will first give a brief overview to the social construction of homosexuality by considering the work of Foucault. From this it can then explore some aspects of state regulation with regards to sexual behaviour, and examine how state policy has sought to encourage and promote certain forms of behaviour, and discourage, penalise and repress others. The essay will discuss how the heterosexist state has, in rec...