APA Confirms Support for the Freedom to Marry

Last night, on the eve of the American Psychological Association (APA) annual convention, the policymaking body of the APA voted unanimously to pass a resolution reaffirming its support for the freedom to marry for same-sex couples and calling for an end to marriage discrimination.

The APA has been in support of the freedom to marry since 2004. Since then, the APA has been part of 11 amicus briefs filed in cases in support of couples seeking the freedom to marry. This renewed support for the freedom to marry is based on a mounting body of un-refuted evidence that shows the psychological harms same-sex couples face when denied marriage. This evidence comes not only from the APA, but also from other leading professional health organizations that have declared their support for the freedom to marry, such as the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry had this to say about the APA’s renewed support for the freedom to marry:

“The American Psychological Association represents over 100000 medical professional who see day in and day out the real harms gay and lesbian people and their families experience when denied the freedom to marry... Based on the evidence, the APA, like every other professional medical, scientific, child-welfare, and social science organization, is calling for an end to the unfair exclusion of same-sex couples and their families from marriage and its crucial meanings to families, including the safety-net it brings to couples and their kids.”

Wolfson also cited this mountain of un-refuted evidence that shows the harms exclusion from marriage causes same-sex couples and their families in his testimony at the first-ever hearing on repealing the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) two weeks ago. Now is the time to end marriage discrimination in our nation.

To ask your member of Congress to repeal DOMA, click here.