Fight for Marriage Equality Wages On 

In a 6-1 decision, the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, the state law that bans same-sex marriage. By 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, when the decision was announced, hundreds of marriage equality supporters had gathered in front of the state courthouse in San Francisco, some chanting, "Marriage is a civil right."

Marriage is a civil right. And it should be guaranteed for all couples under the equal protection clause of the California Constitution. The work of the National Sexuality Resource Center—as well as that of our friends and allies—clearly shows that California is on the wrong side of this issue.

Message from NSRC Director Gilbert Herdt

Tragedy compounded. That is what this ignoble decision of the court means for me. The people have been heard and the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8 in a decision that will long remind me of scholar Laurence Whitehead’s criticism: There is nothing worse than a pseudo-democracy presented to outsiders as the real thing . . . Click to read.

Message from NCLR's Kate Kendall

Today, the California Supreme Court diminished its legacy as a champion of equality. By upholding Prop 8, an initiative that stripped the right to marry from same-sex couples in California, the Court’s decision has undermined the central principle that all people are entitled to equal rights and has jeopardized every minority group in California . . . Click to read.

Separate is not Equal

Denial of marriage hurts gay men and lesbians, and not just those seeking marriage, according to studies published in Sexuality Research and Social Policy: Journal of NSRC. Without the legal recognition of same-sex relationships, many feel a sense of second-class citizenship, leading to stress and depression.

Watch: Researchers Speak

Sharon Rostosky, Ellen Riggle, Brian de Vries, and Gary Gates—all of whom contributed to Sexuality Research and Social Policy's issue on marriage equality—discuss their findings. Erik Martinez and Marvin Burrows (and Ellen) share their personal stories.

I Do, But I Can't

A study by Gilbert Herdt and Robert Kertzner examines the negative mental health impact of marriage denial and argues for immediate legalization of same-sex marriage. This cutting-edge research provides the first analysis of historical and cultural factors that serve to maintain the denial of marriage as an act of discrimination. Download I Do, But I Can't.

Does Gay Marriage Hurt Heterosexual Marriage?

A 2004 study shows no evidence that giving partnership rights to same-sex couples has any impact on heterosexual marriage. Specifically, heterosexual marriage rates and divorce rates in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and the Netherlands display no significant change in trends after implementation of rights for gay couples.

Validating All Christian Unions

Bishop Yvette Flunder recalls the first same-sex marriage ceremony she performed, and the lessons she learned. I passed through my fear and agreed to do the wedding. It was an epiphany for me, a time of great profound revelation. . . Click to read.