Explore all Articles

filter by–Region

filter by–Country

search by–Keyword

A Primer on Singapore’s Forthcoming Constitutional Amendment to “Protect” Marriage

09.15.22

While the government has announced that it will repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code, it has also sought to protect the definition of marriage from constitutional challenge. Lawyer and activist Daryl Yang explains what the resulting constitutional amendment may look like, as well as what it means to the LGBTQ+ community in Singapore.

Gender, Race and Identity

On Switzerland’s struggle with socio-political advance: the tedious path to the legalization of same-gender marriage

07.20.21

Introduction Switzerland is often viewed as a beacon of democracy and progress.[i] A half-direct democratic system allows the country’s citizens a high level of involvement in policy matters: as often as ten times a year, the Swiss population goes to the polls to vote about constitutional changes, initiatives and facultative referenda. In smaller cantons and local […]

How Weddings Condemn India’s Poorest to Bonded Labor

08.8.16

BY MALIKA NOOR MEHTA “Birth. Marriage. Death. In India, these three landmarks are celebrated with zeal,” says Rajneesh Yadav, the India Country Director at Free the Slaves, an international NGO working to eradicate sex trafficking and debt bondage. “When families refuse to perform the rituals associated with each of these events, they are considered social […]

Gender, Race and Identity

Where Are the Brothas? How the Continued Erasure of Black Men’s Voices on the Marriage Question Perpetuates the Black Male Deficit

04.25.16

In 2009, Linsey Davis, a Black female correspondent for the ABC News, wrote a feature article for Nightline. She had one question: “Why are successful Black women the least likely than any other race or gender to marry?” Her story went viral, sparking a national debate. Within the year, social media, newsrooms, self-help books, Black […]

Gender, Race and Identity

This Engagement Season, Let’s Make it Easier for Women to Keep their Last Names

12.30.15

BY CAROLINE GIMMILLARO It’s engagement season. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds around the United States are exploding with engagement announcements and offers of congratulations. A deluge of engagement pictures, engagement party invites, and Pinterest wedding boards are sure to follow. For most American women in heterosexual relationships, this excitement will be accompanied by the question […]

The “End of All Morals Legislation”: The Legacy of the Lawrence Dissent in Obergefell

07.14.15

The Obergefell decision is a case that defines a generation. Marriage equality and LGBTQ rights are poised for a victory untenable for generations past. Just twelve years ago, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Lawrence v. Texas and, as Justice Scalia argued in the dissent, doomed the “end of all morals legislation.” Lawrence […]

Fairness and Justice

Call for Submissions


Join the HKS Student Policy Review—

to research, write, and learn about policy in a new way. We offer Harvard students an opportunity to engage with the most important policy issues of our time, across a whole range of topics and regions.