It also appears to me that everyone is at least acquaintances with at least one homosexual person. That may be because I come from a liberal north eastern state, or because I go to a liberal arts college, but I don’t know one person that has never interacted with one homosexual person. You may not be best friends with this person, or ever see them again after the brief period of time that you have class or work with them, but in my experience I’ve found that everyone is, was, or will interact closely with at least one homosexual person. Every year an increasing amount of homosexual people “come out” and proudly proclaim their sexuality. Therefore, this research is helpful in having up to date, sophisticated, and cultured conversations about important issues in their lives. Nothing is worse that looking ignorant or like a bigot in conversation.

Most importantly, I believe that this topic can be applied in people’s everyday lives when it comes to advocacy. As this debate becomes more and more prevalent, people are going to become increasingly involved in fighting for what they believe in, regardless of which side of the argument they’re on. It’s crucial that everyone is educated on the issue of same-sex marriage so that they can take a stand. The world is changing and I believe that everyone needs to take an active role in holding our country to its promised constitutional freedoms and rights, and the only way to effectively do that is to be sure that everyone is well-aware and knowledgeable about everything around them.

image found from google images

Other countries including Spain, Argentina, Belgium, the U.K., Cambodia, and even our neighbor to the north, Canada have embraced homosexuality by legalizing same-sex civil marriages or recognizing same-sex partnerships. The Prime Minister of Spain, Jose Luiz Rodriquez Zapatero, once argued that “he does not understand ‘those who proclaim love as the foundation of life’ while excluding people ‘who experience their sexuality in a different way.’”.

America is supposed to be the land of freedom and equality. We are supposed to be leaders in embracing diversity and abolishing discrimination. So again, I ask, “why not?” Why do other countries, who are not known for the simple life liberties that America promises, allow same sex marriages while we do not?

I cannot find a single logical argument for why gay marriage shouldn’t be legalized, other than “biblical reasons” which are made irrelevant by the separation of church and state. I haven’t come across any research showing that allowing same-sex marriages has ever caused physical pain or suffering.   On the other hand, I can’t find any solid research on how allowing for same-sex marriages is benefiting these countries. Someone needs to be doing some investigating. I believe that the only way we’re going to see any real change in this country is to prove that it’s beneficial to the country as a whole. Therefore, this is where research needs to be moving. There should be empirical evidence done to show how allowing for gay marriage will affect the general public. That way people can form opinions and make their decisions based on proven facts, rather than speculation or interpretations of bible passages.

image found from google images

]]> http://psychmarissa.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/seriously-why-not/feed/ 0 psychmarissa cartoon http://psychmarissa.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/whats-love-got-to-do-with-it/ http://psychmarissa.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/whats-love-got-to-do-with-it/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:21:11 +0000 psychmarissa http://psychmarissa.wordpress.com/?p=24 ]]> A question that tends to come up on a regular basis in my psychology or family studies classes is whether or not gay marriage has negative effects on the children of these families. My immediate reaction is always to quickly and assertively raise my hand and then explain to the class that I was raised by my homosexual father and that I turned out just fine. I’m beginning to think that’s probably not the best way to convince people that gay parents should have every right to raise children.

In my curiosity I realized that there really isn’t much empirical research on the outcomes of gay marriage and parenting on children.  Everything I read seemed more like speculation than fact. In the past same-sex couples have been denied the rights to get married and raise children because it was argued that the best environments were in the homes of opposite-sex couples. Newer speculation is stating that the best environment for a child is in a two-parent home, regardless of the sex of the parents, but there is still no proof for these statements.  Trends in custody battles vary from state to state with little or no evidence as to whether or not sexual orientation actually makes a difference.

Adoption and foster care laws also vary between states. There are no states that blatantly forbid adoption by same-sex couples, but many states have found ways to prevent it. For example, some states forbid gay marriage and forbid unwed couples from adopting. Other states only allow open adoption. I cannot find any solid evidence as to why same-sex couples shouldn’t be allowed to adopt or provide foster care to a child.

The literature suggests that people against gay marriage and parenting are concerned with the development of the child’s gender identity, behaviors, and sexual orientation. Again, there is no evidence to support any of these concerns. Conversely, studies comparing children raised by heterosexual mothers and children raised by homosexual mothers showed no differences in gender identity or gender role behavior. The same study showed no differences between children adopted by heterosexual couples, homosexual men, or homosexual women. Furthermore, there is no evidence that children of homosexual parents will also identify as homosexual.

Lastly, there is concern that children of homosexual parents will have poor social relationships and will suffer from excessive teasing or harassment.  This was also my dad’s main concern. His solution to this problem was simple; if I was afraid of being ridiculed, I didn’t have to tell anyone. As I expected, there is no evidence supporting that children’s social relationships are negatively affected if they have same-sex parents. I proudly tell everyone that I was raised by my gay father and my social relationships never suffered.

With the extreme lack of evidence to prove any negative effects of gay marriage on children, I wonder why there also haven’t been any advances towards try to prove positive effects.

My dad and Me

Religion seems to hold the most power over a person’s opinion on gay marriage, as well as a person’s willingness publically discuss their opinion. It’s been shown that the more close friends that a person has within in their religious circle, the more willing they will be to speak out on the behalf of their religious standpoint. Specifically, non-Protestants are more likely to support same-sex marriages, while Protestants and Jews are more likely to speak out and support their beliefs. Therefore, research suggests that a change in the viewpoints of the American public is unlikely without strong support from religious leaders or organizations as a whole.

Other characteristics that tend to influence attitudes towards gay marriage include gender, race, age, and education. In general heterosexual women tend to be more open towards gay marriage than heterosexual men. Similarly, men and women appear to have similar attitudes towards homosexual women, while men appear to have a more negative attitude towards homosexual men than women do. Hispanics consistently appear to be the most accepting of gay marriage. Studies also show that although Blacks tend to be more homophobic than Whites, they show a much stronger support for gay marriage and equality. This seems to be a result of the Black population’s general ability to identify with the struggle towards equal rights. Furthermore, older people tend to disapprove of gay marriage more than younger people, seemingly because of past emphasis on negative views of homosexuality. Lastly, people who attend institutions of higher education tend to show more positive views on homosexuality and gay marriage, due to higher levels of sophistication and tolerance.

Surprisingly, personal experiences in marriage do not appear to have any effect on a person’s attitudes about same-sex marriages. Instead, attitudes are formed from a person’s beliefs about marriage as an institution, which seem to stem from the other attributes mentioned.

Further research still needs to be done to prove exactly how each of these attributes can be affected and how to use this knowledge in order to lead to a more open an accepting culture.

Apparently, what the Supreme Court referred to as the “basic civil rights of man,” some states took to mean the basic civil rights of heterosexual man.

In 2007 Mildred Jeter Loving publicly stated that “not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have the freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the “wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry.”

Although President Obama has expressed that he believes marriage to be solely between a man and a woman, he voted against a ban on same-sex marriage when he was a senator. He does support civil unions, domestic partnerships, and other marriage alternatives and believes that each state should have the power to decide individually. This follows the Defense of Marriage Act, which legally allows states to refuse recognition of marriages performed in other states.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and Maine all currently perform and recognize same-sex marriage. Gay marriage will become legal in New Hampshire on January 1, 2010. Alternatives such as civil unions and domestic partnerships are offered in Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington DC, California, Oregon, and Washington. Nevada and Hawaii also offer domestic partnerships, although they do not offer all of the same benefits as a heterosexual marriage. New York and Rhode Island do not offer marriage alternatives, but they do recognize out-of-state partnerships. [map]

In November 2008, barely 40 years after the Supreme Court banned denying marriage to an interracial couple, the California Marriage Protection Act (also known as Proposition 8 ) was passed, amending the state’s Constitution to read that “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” Although Proposition 8 was upheld as constitutional  in the California Supreme Court in May, it was also ruled that some of the 18,000 same sex marriages held prior to November’s election would remain recognized. Attorneys Theodore B. Olson and David Boies are currently attempting to overturn Proposition 8, arguing that it violates due process and equal protection guarantees, therefore making it unconstitutional.

The debate between gay marriage and constitutional rights seems to be going in circles, with no end in sight anytime soon.

My dad, Bill, and his fiance, Jim, who have recently announced that they will proudly be getting married on October 10th, 2010 (10/10/10) in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

]]> http://psychmarissa.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/hello-world/feed/ 0 psychmarissa My dad and his fiance, Jim.