It appears to be an everyday occurrence when another federal judge overturns a ban on “same-sex marriage” in his home state. This ruling is not surprising given last summer’s Supreme Court ruling invalidating the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In fact, this decision only upholds state law, which no longer limits the marriage rights of heterosexual couples. I’m happy every time a new state falls; I was surprised that the DOMA overturning ripple was so fast and widespread. And I have never taken either of these decisions for granted.
On August 24, 2009, when I married my husband Bobby, we had to travel from New York City to Greenwich, Connecticut. At the time, only 3 states recognized two-man marriages, and in the five years we were married, that number had grown rapidly to 19 states. Initially, our marriage was also only recognized in a few states. The federal government doesn’t recognize our marriage under DOMA and is denied thousands of rights. Due to DOMA, my wages are taxed on Bobby’s share of our medical insurance plan as this is taken into account additional income (while the same benefits aren’t taxed for opposite sex partners). Yes, DOMA is narrow-minded and unjust and as the Supreme Court has ruled, it’s unconstitutional.
Of course, our trip to Greenwich was a little bit of a hassle and a bit annoying considering we could not get married in our home state of New York. Even more problematic was the denial of our rights as husband and wife under DOMA. But this experience must be weighed in light of the struggles of gay men and girls over the last four decades. More than four decades ago, Bobby and that I would get arrested for being in a gay bar. The right to marry is an elusive reality for a generation, which has only fought for the right to love openly.
The Stonewall riots of 1969 put us on the way to gaining our civil rights. (Every June, millions of individuals all over the world celebrate Gay Pride in recognition of the hot, steamy nights in Greenwich Village, when bar-goers resisted arrest by police.) Despite the proven fact that the AIDS epidemic is derailing us and providing plenty of fodder for the haters to strengthen their beliefs, much has changed in the last 4 decades. But just like the Stonewall Generation, who overcame societal prejudice and fought for their place in the world, my generation, the AIDS Generation, is fighting the virus and societal prejudice that comes with the epidemic, with dignity and courage. I have documented the life experiences of 15 men who lived to tell these stories in my latest book, A Generational AIDS Survival and Resilience Story.
So we find ourselves at this historic moment while the fight for our civil rights continues. It would be easy to enumerate the numerous rights that marriage equality gives us, and marriage equality provides gay and lesbian men with benefits that aren’t instantly apparent.
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine published a seminal report highlighting the disparities in health experienced by the LGBT population. The report shows that social inequality contributes to this health problem. I, in my own writing, have proposed that discrimination and homophobia continue to fuel the AIDS epidemic in gay men, 33 years after the initial diagnosis. This is all to say that gay men and girls continue to experience negative health consequences because of the discrimination we experience and our rights are denied. How did it occur?
We know from research that in US states with protections and laws for the LGBT population, gay men and lesbians experience better mental health which in turn affects their overall well-being. Physical health is driven by a complex interaction of biological factors, combined with psychological and social components. It is more than simply the transmission of pathogens that cause disease. Within the gay population, discrimination and denial of rights lead to increased distress, greater emotional burden, an inability to communicate openly with health care providers, and the struggle for the identity of health care providers experienced in providing care to sexual minorities. All of these conditions reduce health and well-being. Therefore, marriage equality and other laws that protect our rights finally have a protective effect on our health.
As marriage equality becomes a land norm, there’s also increasing protection for sexual minorities in the areas of employment, housing and health care.
Generations to come—millennials and beyond—will grow up in a society that recognizes all kinds of marriage and will have the same rights as the heterosexual community. The effect will be stronger and more profound. And perhaps in a generation’s time, we will find ourselves as a nation wondering why there’s opposition to denying two people who love one another the right to marry.
Perry N. Halkitis, Ph.D., MS, MPH is Professor of Applied Psychology, Public Health and Global Medicine at New York University. He also directs the Center for Health, Identity, and Behavioral & Prevention Studies. Dr. Halkitis is a highly funded scientist with expertise in biobehavioral, psychological, and public health research. dr. HIV/AIDS, drug use, and mental health. His newest book The AIDS Generation: A Story of Survival and Resiliencepublished in the fall of 2013, was nominated for the Lambda Literary award and received The Distinguished Book Award in LGBT psychology from the American Psychological Association. www.perrnyhalkitis.com @DrPNHalkiti
by; Perry N Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH
