The fight of the Religious Right in Europe: old whines in new bottles

Abstract

European Union values such as human dignity and non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation are enshrined in treaties and therefore not subject to discussion. However, because the European Union does not have the tools for defining or enforcing its values, the Religious Right can exploit this ambiguity through strategic framing and norm contestation. I show how this played out for European Citizens' Initiatives on sexual and reproductive health and rights ('One of Us') and marriage and the family ('Mum, Dad & Kids'). The petitioners pursued traditionally conservative goals, yet relied on technical, rather than moral or religious, arguments.