American Psychiatric Association Urges Hawaii Legislature to Keep Pushing for Civil Unions

The real battle underlying the issues of gay rights and the legal recognition of same sex unions in my view comes down to this: (1) a battle between modernity and ignorant embrace of a less than wonderful past, and related to that (2) a battle between often deliberately blind/wrong headed religious fundamentalism and the acceptance of new medical and scientific knowledge. Obviously the two overlap and as I have long maintained, the terror on the part of religious fundamentalists when it comes to homosexuality is the fact that if the Bible's alleged condemnation of homosexuality is not accurate, then the entire house of cards world view of the Bible beaters begins to collapse. Worse yet, these folks might have to think for themselves and analyze many of their extremely selective religious beliefs. This prospect scares the living crap out of them and, as a result, they exhibit knee jerk reactions both to gays and modern medical and mental health knowledge. By vetoing the Hawaii civil unions bill, Hawaii Governor Linda Lindle - twice divorced herself and obviously a hypocrite when it comes to living according to Biblical mandates - opted for the path of ignorance and bigotry. The American Psychiatric Association has acted promptly to condemn Lindle's action and to encourage the Hawaii Legislature to go back and enact another civil unions bill. A copy of the APA's news release is here. Here are some highlights:
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ARLINGTON, Va. (July 8, 2010) —The American Psychiatric Association strongly supports legislation recently approved by the Hawaii legislature that would have made Hawaii the 11th state, along with the District of Columbia, to recognize same-sex civil marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships.
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“We regret Gov. Lingle’s veto and pledge our ongoing support for enactment of same-sex civil marriage or civil union laws in Hawaii and throughout the United States,” said APA President Carol A. Bernstein, M.D.
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“As physicians who specialize in psychiatry, we recognize the positive influence of a stable, adult partnership on the health of all family members,” Dr. Bernstein said. “Marriage and family, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, are among the cornerstones of social relationships and other supports that help us face life’s challenges. All Americans should be able to enjoy these benefits.”
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“In the interest of maintaining and promoting mental health, the American Psychiatric Association supports the legal recognition of same-sex civil marriage with all rights, benefits, and responsibilities conferred by civil marriage, and opposes restrictions to those same rights, benefits, and responsibilities.”