How is gay marriage good for society

Bull, chief counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based Christian legal organization, is a strong proponent of the view that legalizing same-sex marriage would negatively affect society.

Jessica Greenwald, a year-old fundraising professional for a non-profit organization in Omaha, Neb. The September poll also asked Americans whether they feel that gay or lesbian couples should be given the same legal rights as married couples, or if it doesn't matter to them. This echoes other Gallup findings that show support for upholding the personal rights of gays tends to be higher than support for homosexuality more generally.

The only firm conclusion to be drawn from these survey results is that Americans are deeply divided -- and often deeply ambivalent -- on the subject of same-sex marriage. Regardless of the public's feelings about same-sex marriage, it appears the controversy is here to stay.

A flurry of gay marriage lawsuits are being filed across the country, and more are sure to come. In addition to the Massachusetts Supreme Court case, a gay marriage case is also being heard in Indiana, and a similar case was dismissed last week by a New Jersey Superior Court judge.

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As you may know, there has been considerable discussion in the news regarding the rights of homosexual men and women. They react with disdain to such unions as "a bit of nothing" and reject the dry accounting-like connotation of "registered partnership". This disdain for civil unions is reflected in take-up rates. In those US states that have allowed same-sex marriages, 30 per cent of same-sex couples marry in the first year.

In states with civil unions, only 18 per cent take up the option. In my research I have also looked at whether the dire predictions of the opponents of same-sex marriage have come to pass.

Take the fear that marriage as an institution will somehow be demeaned or degraded by same-sex marriages. What I have found is that in those places with marriage equality heterosexual couples continue to marry at the same rate as before. Indeed, overall marriage rates have actually increased in some places. Opponents of marriage equality also predict an increase in children born outside wedlock and divorce. But I found that where these trends can be seen, they existed long before same-sex couples could marry.

Finally, there is the economic impact of marriage equality, or what I call the icing on the wedding cake. Our research shows that same-sex weddings injected significant spending into local economies. All of these figures are conservative estimates so the final economic boost will probably be much higher. We also calculate that if an Australian state government were to move first on the issue, it would gain a large slice of this wedding spend. Overall, the experiences of marriage equality in the US and Europe suggest that when same-sex marriages are allowed same-sex couples and their families are strengthened, marriage is not weakened, and the economy benefits.

As parliament moves toward debating marriage equality in the next few months I urge Australian politicians to put rhetoric aside and look at what has actually happened overseas. View her full profile here. However, most studies have found that on these metrics there is no difference between children raised by same-sex or opposite-sex parents.

In , the American Psychological Association released a brief reviewing research on same-sex parenting. It unambiguously summed up its stance on the issue of whether or not same-sex parenting negatively impacts children:.

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. Portsmouth Climate Festival — Portsmouth, Portsmouth.