Science, Medicine, and Social Science Findings Overwhelmingly Favor Marriage Equality
Every reputable professional organization in America that has taken a public position on marriage supports the freedom to marry. Within professional scientific, medical, and social science communities, the consensus is clear: ending the unfair exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage would promote healthy, stable, and committed relationships, thousands of which already exist outside of legal recognition. Numerous academic studies support the positions these organizations have taken.
"Our American Medical Association: (1) recognizes that denying civil marriage based on sexual orientation is discriminatory and imposes harmful stigma on gay and lesbian individuals and couples and their families; (2) recognizes that exclusion from civil marriage contributes to health care disparities affecting same-sex households; (3) will work to reduce health care disparities among members of same-sex households including minor children; and (4) will support measures providing same-sex households with the same rights and privileges to health care, health insurance, and survivor benefits, as afforded opposite-sex households."
- American Medical Association
"Prohibiting civil marriage for same-sex couples is discriminatory and unfairly denies such couples, their children and other members of their families the legal, financial and social advantages of civil marriage."
— American Psychological Association's (APA) Council of Representatives
"The American Psychiatric Association supports the legal recognition of same-sex civil marriage with all rights, benefits, and responsibilities conferred by civil marriage, and opposes restrictions to those same rights, benefits, and responsibilities."
— American Psychiatric Association
"The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes that a considerable body of professional literature provides evidence that children with parents who are homosexual can have the same advantages and the same expectations for health, adjustment, and development as can children whose parents are heterosexual. When 2 adults participate in parenting a child, they and the child deserve the serenity that comes with legal recognition."
— American Academy of Pediatrics
"The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX (California), representing more than 5,000 physicians, dedicated to the health care of California's women, is pleased to support AB 43...The bill would amend state law to end the tradition of exclusion of same-sex couples from civil marriage and the social support and legal protections that come with it...the reasons for our support are multiple and are grounded in science and medicine."
— American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX (California) in a letter to the California Assembly Judiciary Committee
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Barbara Bush, marriage equality & Obama
Jonathan Capehart makes the case for President Obama conducting a "series of under-the-radar meetings to help him in the 'evolution' of his stance and thinking on marriage for same-sex couples."
Two Iowa Senate democrats say loyalty to Gronstal trumps support for marriage amendment
A handful of Senate Democrats who would be the deciding votes on an amendment to ban marriage equality said Tuesday they won't join minority Republicans to force a vote this year.
Barring a change of heart, that means the effort to allow a public vote on a constitutional amendment to ban the freedom to marry is dead in the Iowa Legislature this session.
Resources Related to Science, Medicine, and Social Sciences
American Medical Association Makes Case for Ending Marriage Discrimination
With New York State now the sixth – and largest – state to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a policy position declaring that excluding same-sex couples from marriage is “discriminatory” and reaffirming existing AMA policy to support relationship recognition of gay and lesbian couples as a means of addressing health disparities faced by those couples and their families.
Testimony: Nancy F. Cott Defends Equal Marriage Rights
An article adapted from Harvard Professor Nancy F. Cott’s expert report submitted in the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Survey Finds Growing Acceptance of Gay Families
A new survey finds a majority of Americans have widened their view of what constitutes a family to include same-sex couples with children.
