eaking up, how could gay marriages possibly threaten heterosexual marriage? Surely, it is threatened from within rather than from without.
The policy of the American Psychological Association (APA) is that gay couples should be able to marry in civil unions and, if they are parents, they deserve the all the legal rights of straight parents (Elias, 2004). "We're going out on a limb," said Diane Halpern, president of the APA, which is the nation's largest group of psychologists, "But we're doing what we should be doing." The APA has a policy which opposes discrimination against gays, and Halpern says many of APA's members are concerned about political action aimed at preventing gay marriages. She believes that preventing gays from marrying, "puts a particular stress on them because of their sexual orientation. It's a health issue and a mental health issue."
If President Bush had his way, there would be a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage (Elias, 2004). He would leave it up to states to decide whether to allow civil unions, which give gay couples many of the legal protections of marriage but fall short of a religious ceremony and full marriage benefits. The idea of a federal amendment never made it through the Senate, but this didn't stop seven states from putting a ban on same-sex marriage on the ballot, and four more states from trying.
However, civil unions are not the same as marriages. They do not include the blessing of the church, for those who wish to have that aspect of marriage. A Baptists leader has called for social justice, an Episcopalian has insisted that all couples, gay or straight, get equal treatment, and a Lutheran has exhorted other religious leaders across the state of Washington to stand up in support of same-sex marriages, citing Washington's long history as a leader in matters of civil rights (Rowe, 2004). A gathering of 100 representatives of all faiths, including Buddhists...