Gay Marriage in the Interests of Mental Health

[A_Wanderer]

Psychiatric Association Calls for Gay Marriage Recognition

By Doug Gross Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) - Representatives of the nation's top psychiatric group approved a statement Sunday urging legal recognition of gay marriage.
If approved by the association's directors in July, the measure would make the American Psychiatric Association the first major medical group to take such a stance.

The statement supports same-sex marriage "in the interest of maintaining and promoting mental health."

It follows a similar measure by the American Psychological Association last year, little more than three decades after that group removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.

The psychiatric association's statement, approved by voice vote on the first day of its weeklong annual meeting in Atlanta, cites the "positive influence of a stable, adult partnership on the health of all family members."

The resolution recognizes "that gay men and lesbians are full human beings who should be afforded the same human and civil rights," said Margery Sved, a Raleigh, N.C., psychiatrist and member of the assembly's committee on gay and lesbian issues.

The document clarifies that the association is addressing same-sex civil marriage, not religious marriages. It takes no position on any religion's views on marriage.

Massachusetts is the only state that allows same-sex marriage. Eighteen states have passed constitutional amendments outlawing same-sex marriage.

----

On The Net:

American Psychiatric Association: http://www.psych.org

link

 

[Irvine511]

also strikes me as good for bodily health -- viewing dating as a means to an end (marriage) rather than an extracurricular activity strikes me as a way to reign in promiscuity and reduce the transmission of all kinds of self-destructive behavior that plague the gay community, from drugs to drinking to STDs.

 

[verte76]

I think this is cool. It would do some gays who have problems a world of good to be married to the ones they love.

 

[LadyRhia]

The resolution recognizes "that gay men and lesbians are full human beings who should be afforded the same human and civil rights,"

Thats the bottom line to it all.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Makes complete sense to me

Though I'm not quite sure if marriage and mental health are always co-existent

 

[the soul waits]

Irony : gay marriage is legal here in Belgium, but hardly any gays use this new , hard-fought-over right..

 

[nbcrusader]

I wonder what other activities could maintain and promote mental health...

 

[Irvine511]

^ how is that relevant?

 

[nbcrusader]

Are we giving weight to the American Psychiatric Association's declaration of those activities which could maintain and promote mental health? If so, wouldn't we want to know what else would be good for us?

 

[LadyRhia]

Makes complete sense to me

Though I'm not quite sure if marriage and mental health are always co-existent

LMAO your so right,they dont at times do they

 

[bonoman]

Its logical, but some dont like logic, they like lies!

 

[U2democrat]

A. great article

 

[A_Wanderer]

Hey love, havent been online much, exams coming up and what not, but I will be free for a month or two after June.

 

[U2democrat]

wonderful you've been missed

 

[Angela Harlem]

I wonder what other activities could maintain and promote mental health...

Here's those loaded sentences again Your use of the '...' always makes me wonder what the hell kind of point you want to refrain from making. This one seems like you are pointing out there are other 'debatable' activities promoting mental well being. Why they would be relevant, is a side issue though

...

 

[nbcrusader]

Here's those loaded sentences again Your use of the '...' always makes me wonder what the hell kind of point you want to refrain from making. This one seems like you are pointing out there are other 'debatable' activities promoting mental well being. Why they would be relevant, is a side issue though

...

If a group says what we want them to say, then is everything ok?

 

[Angela Harlem]

1. What if it IS actually ok? And they are right or not, in your opinion?
2. I thought you had no personal problem with gay people getting married anyway
3. Is it possible that denial of such civil equality could cause emotional and mental problems?

 

[datatyme]

You may marry an opposite gendered prison inmate, but you can't marry the man you love if he likes men too.

A fairly small percentage of the population is born gay, or at the minimum their sexuality is set before school age. The only people who "choose to be gay" are the bisexuals who decide to explore that side of their sexuality (often in secret).

My boyfriend and I are open with our families about each other. My friends all know him well. My co-workers know him, and enjoy his baked goods. Maybe someday our relationship will lead to a lifelong commitment, and if it does it would be nice to have it legally recognized.

Still, a legally unrecognized union of love is greater than a loveless marriage legally recognized by church or government.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Still, a legally unrecognized union of love is greater than a loveless marriage legally recognized by church or government.

I agree w/ that wholeheartedly. I consider my parents' marriage to be pretty loveless, I'm sure at some point there must have been some love there back before I can remember..my Mother always talks about this old boyfriend she had who I think was the real person she was in love with. It's sort of wistful and sad, even for me.

Thanks for sharing your personal story, I enjoyed reading it

 

[Irvine511]

If a group says what we want them to say, then is everything ok?

yes, it must be politically motivated.

must be.

because the APA has such a huge political agenda and is really part of the long arm of jewish homosexual upper west side communists who want to make us all gay.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

As silly as this might sound, after seeing the whole Declaration Of Human Rights at the show last night-isn't it all just as simple as that? For me it is.

 

[nbcrusader]

yes, it must be politically motivated.

must be.

because the APA has such a huge political agenda and is really part of the long arm of jewish homosexual upper west side communists who want to make us all gay.

No conspiracy theory here - and nothing to suggest whether the substance of what the APA said is right or wrong.

Looking at the broader issue - should medical groups make statements on political issues? Same with the ABA or any other professional organization - should they be in the business of making statements on issues outside the area of their expertise?

 

[pax]

It seems to me that mental health would be very much within the range of the APA's expertise.

 

[melon]

No conspiracy theory here - and nothing to suggest whether the substance of what the APA said is right or wrong.

Looking at the broader issue - should medical groups make statements on political issues? Same with the ABA or any other professional organization - should they be in the business of making statements on issues outside the area of their expertise?

Only "Christians" see this as a political issue. Newsflash: homosexuals are people, and people worth defending. The fact that you declare this a "political issue"...

I'll stop myself now before I end up getting banned for saying something not so nice.

Melon

 

[LadyRhia]

My boyfriend and I are open with our families about each other. My friends all know him well. My co-workers know him, and enjoy his baked goods. Maybe someday our relationship will lead to a lifelong commitment, and if it does it would be nice to have it legally recognized.

Still, a legally unrecognized union of love is greater than a loveless marriage legally recognized by church or government. [/B]

You do deserve it,and I will help by keeping up the fight for it.

 

[verte76]

I think it's fine if medical associations want to make political statements if the political issue has something to do with the field they're in. The APA has been dealing with gay issues for a long time. In fact, ironically, they used to claim that homosexuality was a mental disorder. They changed this in 1973.

 

[Irvine511]

No conspiracy theory here - and nothing to suggest whether the substance of what the APA said is right or wrong.

Looking at the broader issue - should medical groups make statements on political issues? Same with the ABA or any other professional organization - should they be in the business of making statements on issues outside the area of their expertise?

marriage, in and of itself, it's not a political issue -- it has been politicized by the right wing as a means of stirring up it's grossly homophobic base in order to turn them out for elections.

how is this outside their field of expertise?

 

[Angela Harlem]

1. What if it IS actually ok? And they are right or not, in your opinion?
2. I thought you had no personal problem with gay people getting married anyway
3. Is it possible that denial of such civil equality could cause emotional and mental problems?

 

[Irvine511]

^ agreed -- the silence on your three very pertient questions speaks volumes about the quality of the argument being put forward.

 

[melon]

1. What if it IS actually ok? And they are right or not, in your opinion?
2. I thought you had no personal problem with gay people getting married anyway
3. Is it possible that denial of such civil equality could cause emotional and mental problems?

Well, considering how mentally ill religious folk are, the sector of their brain that contains things like "empathy" and "compassion" and "reason" are probably taken over by "absolutism" and "fear" and "hallucinations."

[I'm being coy. I'm tired of seeing "sexuality" being reduced to unattractive banalities, with outsiders taking pot-shots over something they don't understand and don't care to understand. Now let's see how religious folk--who seem to have the most misconceptions--like it when I reduce religion to unattractive banalities.]

Melon