Marriage Equality Rhode Island

people / Coalition Groups

Behavioral Health Professionals Declaration

Declaration of BHP Support for Marriage Equality in the State of Rhode Island

We are behavioral health professionals from a number of disciplines who come together to urge the Rhode Island Legislature to adopt marriage equality in Rhode Island.  In doing so, we echo the policy statements in support of same-sex marriage made by prominent national behavioral health professional associations in the United States including the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and the National Association of Social Workers.  In forming their positions, these professional organizations rely upon behavioral science research.

In our view, clinical experience and existing scientific evidence are consistent with the following principles that guide our clinical practice. 

• That sexual orientation is a naturally occurring characteristic of the individual.
• That an individual’s sexual orientation poses no difference in the essential emotional qualities of a relationship, in the capacity for long-term commitment or in the capacity to parent or care for a child.¹
• That the children of same-sex parents, when compared with children of opposite-sex parental relationships, do as well across a range of areas of development such as friendship, emotional development, and that they show no differences in the occurrence of behavioral problems.^{2 3 4 5 6 7}
• That an individual’s sexual orientation can be associated with social stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and violence that adversely affect the psychological, physical, social and economic well being of lesbian and gay individuals. ⁸

We believe that the rights, legal protections and benefits associated with civil marriage promote healthy families.⁹ We also recognize the profound and lasting impact of discriminatory practices upon groups of individuals that are systematically denied legal and social privileges.  We believe that such practices of exclusion can exert a corrosive influence on society as a whole.  Rhode Island is founded upon a tradition of diversity and openness, and of this history we are proud.  We believe it is time to extend civil marriage to same-sex couples.  Same-sex couples should no longer be denied the public support, legal benefits and protections that are obtained through civil marriage in Rhode Island.

We feel the time has come to challenge existing law, based not only on our individual personal beliefs, but based upon our collective clinical experience and our training in behavioral science.  As mental health professionals, we urge the legislature to extend to same-sex couples, all of the rights, benefits, and responsibilities conferred by civil marriage.

References

Bradford J, Ryan C, & Rothblum ED (1994). National lesbian health care survey: Implications for mental health care.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 228-242.

Brewaeys, A., Ponjaert I, Van Hall EV, and Golombok S (1997).  Donor insemination: child development and family functioning in lesbian mother families.  Human Reproduction 12, no. 6, pp. 1349-1359.

Chan R, Raboy B, and Patterson CJ, (1998), Psychosocial adjustment among children conceived via honor insemination by lesbian and heterosexual mothers, Child Development 69, no. 2, pp.443-457.

Falkner A, & Garber J (2002).  2001 gay/lesbian consumer online census. Syracuse, NY:Syracuse University, OpusComm Group, and GSociety.

Golombok S, Perry, B, Burston, A, Murray C, Mooney J (2003), Children with lesbian parents: A community study, Developmental Psychology 39, no. 1, pp. 20-33.

Kurdek,, LA (2001) Differences between heterosexual non-parent couples and gay, lesbian and heterosexual parent couples.  Journal of Family Issues, 22, 727-754.

Meyer, IH (2003) Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence.  Psychological Bulletin, 129, 674-697.

Morris JF, Balsam KF, & Rothblum, ED (2002).  Lesbian and bi-sexual mothers and non-mothers: Demographics and the coming-out process.  Developmental Psychology, 16, 144-156.

Pawelski, JG, Perrin, EC, Foy, JM, Allen, CE, Crawford, JE, Del Monte, Kaufman, M, Klein, JD, Smith, K, Springer, S., Tanner, J Lane & Vickers, DL.  (2006). The effects of marriage, civil union, and domestic partnership laws on the health and well-being of children. Pediatrics 118, no. 1, pp. 349-364.

Perrin, E. C., and the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health (2002). Technical Report: Co-parent or second-parent adoption by same-sex parents. Pediatrics, 109, 341 - 344.

Resolution on Sexual Orientation and Marriage, Adopted by the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives, July 2004

Tasker F, (1999). Children in lesbian-led families: A review. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry 4, no. 2, pp. 153-156.

Wainright JL, Russel, ST, and Patterson, CJ (2004). Psychosocial adjustment, school outcomes, and romantic relationships of adolescents with same-sex parents.  Child Development 75, no. 6, pp. 1886-1998.

* All references (other than the census data) are from academic and peer-reviewed journals or professional organization policy statements drawing upon peer-reviewed studies and/or scholarly literature reviews .

• ¹   Resolution on Sexual Orientation and Marriage, Adopted by the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives, July 2004 (citing Bradford, Ryan, & Rothblum, 1994; Falkner & Garber, 2002; Morris, Balsam, & Rothblum, 2002 and Kurdek, 2001) (back)
• ²   Perrin and Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, 2002.(back)
• ³   Wainright, Russel and Patterson, 2004(back)
• ⁴   Golombok et. al., 2003(back)
• ⁵   Chan, Raboy, and Patterson, 1998(back)
• ⁶   Brewaeys et. al., 1997(back)
• ⁷   Tasker, 1999(back)
• ⁸   Resolution on Sexual Orientation and Marriage, Adopted by the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives, July 2004 (citing Meyer, 2003)(back)
• ⁹   Pawelski et.al. (2006)(back)