Friday, September 25, 2009
News Anti-Gay Amendments Cause Stress, Build Leadership Skills
Posted by Bianca Phillips on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 1:37 PM
In November 2006, over 80 percent of Tennesseans voted for an amendment to the state constitution banning gay marriage. The final outcome of that election, paired with the massive amounts of campaigning by gay rights activists against the amendment, led to overwhelming stress and anxiety, according to two studies by University of Memphis professors Sharon Horne and Heidi Levitt.
With the passage of that amendment, LGBT people who may have gotten married in Tennessee were denied 1,138 benefits that come along with legal matrimony. Among those were benefits linked to Social Security, immigration, taxes, medical care, military and veteran benefits, and employee benefits.
Levitt's study, which looked at 13 LGBT people living in Memphis, found that participants viewed the amendment as stamp of approval for discrimination, leading to fears of being harassed or hurt by others who didn't favor equality for gays and lesbians. Some felt their sense of security was threatened.
Levitt also found that some participants felt guilty that they weren't doing enough to fight against the amendment. Others felt that fighting wouldn't amount to change. Some fought so hard against the amendment that they experienced activist burnout. Some even expressed that fighting against the amendment gave them a sense of personal empowerment and helped to build leadership skills.
Horne's study, which looked at 1,152 people living in nine states with anti-marriage amendments on the ballot in 2006, found that gay people in those areas experienced greater levels of stress and depression.
Horne's study also found that straight family members of LGBT people living in states with anti-marriage amendments were just as stressed, even though they weren't directly targeted. The family members expressed worry for their loved ones' safety and felt frustration from trying to convince other straight family and friends to vote against the amendments.
Comments (7)
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Gay acceptance causes stress on many that God's curse may descend upon the nation due to such permissiveness. It is a perversion of the natural order. The natural order involves succession and homosexuals cannot consummate their union physically without intervention of artificial means. This 'stress' syndrome can work both ways it seems. When the opposition's ideology is violated, stress ensues.
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Just an added point before anyone points it out....some say that in the 'natural-order' that animals are homosexual. Animals also eat one another, so this parallel is not sufficient for humans in our present social order.
just because you say something is so or not so does not make it so or not so. So yes, that parallel IS sufficient for humans in our present social order. and so what if gay acceptance causes stress on many? many things cause stress on many people. Civil rights for black people (a historical issue which you dodge constantly) caused tremendous stress on a lot of white people who didn't like that movement. Doesn't matter, chg, your great-grandchildren (if you have any progeny, which I doubt) will think your views on gays quaint at best, and evil at worst. our side, the side of freedom and justice, is winning this societal battle, slowly but surely, and there ain't one damn thing you can do to stop our inexorable victory.
@Packrat
Interesting how CHG always seems to have pretzels to go with his KoolAid, isn't it?
The issue of gay marriage is about liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness for all people. These are the very principles expressed in our national creed, the Declaration of Independence, and upon which our nation was built. The issue is NOT about God and NOT about the "natural world".
If you believe gay marriage, homosexuality, etc., to be against God's word, so be it. You are perfectly entitled and protected by Constitutional law to believe as you see fit. You also have a responsibility to live your life according to the tenets you claim to believe in. Allowing gay marriage would not alter those beliefs or your right to live your life according to your beliefs. At the same time, others should be allowed the exact same rights to live their lives according to their beliefs.
Not only is the anti-gay marriage movement based on ideas and sentiments that run contrary to the very principles upon which our nation is founded, it is also a movement that runs contrary to the very teachings of Jesus Christ. I bring this up as so many in the anti-gay marriage crowd always want to bring up their belief that homosexuality is a sin. While I disagree with that belief, it is, nonetheless, one of the arguments put forward to stop gay marriage. If the conservative Christian element within the anti-gay marriage crowd are really committed to following their "lord and saviour", perhaps this would be a good time for all to consider that quaint little question, "What would Jesus do?" Based on scripture, he would NOT be involved in efforts to deny people the love of their family, financial security, and peace of heart and mind. Indeed, the anti-gay marriage agenda of so many conservative Christians seems to be based on a mindset and heart that is more similar to those who crucified Christ rather than the life of Christ. Christ was viewed as a threat to established law, custom, and tradition. He was crucified because of it. Modern day "Christians" view gay people in the same way and are bent on "crucifying" people who don't share their views. Reminds me a short little piece of scripture that reads, "Jesus wept."
Animals do not eat each other you fool. Only when they are faced with a life and death situation does an animal kill its own species. Generally speaking I cannot say the same about us, Humans. We kill out of greed, passion, jealousy and even religious beliefs. Who is more crazy humans or the untamed beast? Religion has kept humans uncivilized and in the dark far more than it has enlightened us. Remember when the Catholic church had Philosophers and Scientists killed for their so called blaspheme? Or when the Puritans burned women at the stake because they viewed them as evil?
Please religion has no place in this Marriage Equality issue, if you want a theocracy go move to Iran or the Vatican. Gay marriage will soon be here after DOMA is repealed in the Supreme Court and all you crazy Christians will move on to another cause of the day. You have simply lost this silly argument, no one is buying your bigotry anymore.
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