I remember one lesbian friend pointing out that she obviously couldn't be "against" gay marriage. But she wondered why activists weren't focusing on what she believed were more attainable goals — like making sure gay teens didn't get beaten up in school. Her unease wasn't unfounded. A huge backlash did come in , when 13 states amended their state Constitutions to officially ban same-sex marriage. That year, just 31 percent of Americans were in favor of gay marriage, according to the Pew Research Center for People and the Press.
America has changed dramatically since Dozens of people and organizations have filed friend-of-the-court briefs in the Supreme Court to support gay marriage — from prominent Republicans to two heterosexual NFL players to 70 major corporations to the Obama administration. It was just — in my lifetime — that the Supreme Court upheld a law in my home state of Georgia that criminalized consensual gay sex. So, what's changed? For one thing, it seems like more and more people feel comfortable coming out of the closet these days including likeable celebrities like Anderson Cooper , Ellen Degeneres, and Cynthia Nixon of "Sex and the City".
The other thing that's changed is the push for marriage equality itself. The New York Times ' Linda Greenhouse argues that the Proposition 8 case in particular has been "speeding and enhancing public understanding and support for marriage equality. That support for marriage equality, in turn, is a sign that anti-gay bias in America is finally starting to subside.
Openly gay New York Times columnist Frank Bruni once wrote that people who oppose gay marriage do so because they see gays as " lesser people. The study also found that disparities in private insurance coverage diminished for children of same-sex parents living in states with marriage equality or laws supporting gay and lesbian adoptions.
How All States Can Improve Family Protections Given political gridlock in Congress, states are more likely than the federal government to advance protections for members of gay, lesbian, and bisexual families. Public opinion is shifting rapidly in support of same-sex marriage, so more states will take this step. But not all states will legalize same-sex marriage in the immediate future, and in many of these lagging states, steps forward will take the form of measures that garner stronger public support than legal marriage.
Such steps beneficial to the lesbian, gay, and bisexual population include anti-discrimination laws in housing and employment; rights of legal adoption by gay and lesbian couples; anti-bullying laws to better protect gay youth from harassment; and inclusion of crimes against gays, lesbians, and bisexual people in anti-crime legislation. Each of these steps can reduce discrimination and lead to improvements in mental and physical health.
The path towards same-sex marriage may follow two steps in more conservative states or states controlled by Republican lawmakers and administrations. Initially, states may adopt civil unions or comprehensive domestic partnerships that include full spousal rights and protections for members of gay and lesbian partnerships — to be followed later by full marriage equality by legislation or court rulings.
This staged approach has happened in several states, most recently in New Jersey and Colorado. Regardless of which path states follow toward equality, the health benefits associated with same-sex marriage cannot be overlooked.
These benefits should always be highlighted as debates continue in legislative chambers, election contests, and federal and state courtrooms. SSN Key Findings. Share pdf twitter facebook.
Gilbert Gonzales. Not a single study has found children of lesbian or gay parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents. Further reading: Same-sex couples and their children: what does the evidence tell us? Same-sex marriage has already been legalised in 23 countries around the world , inhabited by more than million people.
Despite the above studies positively linking marriage with wellbeing, it may be premature to definitively assert causality. But overall, the evidence is fairly clear.
Same-sex marriage leads to a host of social and even public health benefits, including a range of advantages for mental health and wellbeing. The benefits accrue to society as a whole, whether you are in a same-sex relationship or not. As the body of research in support of same-sex marriage continues to grow, the case in favour of it becomes stronger. Festival of Social Science — Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire. Edition: Available editions United Kingdom. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in.
There are considerable mental health and wellbeing benefits conferred upon those in the fortunate position of being able to legally marry.
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