Psychologist Voices
Disagreement
with APA's Support of
Same-Sex Marriage,
Points to Adverse
Impact on Children
Contact: Trayce
Hansen, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, 760-522-2720,
trayce@drtraycehansen.com -–
Christian Newswire October 15, 2007
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Same-sex
marriage is one of the hottest and most controversial domestic issues in
America. As a result, many professional organizations have stepped into
the fray and taken formal positions with the hope of influencing public opinion
and policy. One such group is the American Psychological Association (APA)
that has officially endorsed the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Many psychologists, however, including members of the APA, disagree with the
organization's pro-same-sex-marriage position. One of those dissenters is
Trayce Hansen, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and former member of the
APA, who opposes same-sex marriage on the grounds it will be detrimental to the
children of same-sex couples as well as to other children who will be influenced
by the all-types-of-marriage-are-equivalent social message.
Dr. Hansen's opposition to same-sex marriage is explained in her recently
released opinion article titled "Love Isn't Enough: Five Reasons Why Same-Sex
Marriage Will Harm Children" which is available at
http://www.drtraycehansen.com. In the article she expounds on five reasons
why it is in the best interest of children to be raised by a married mother and
father: First, children require mother-love and father-love, both of which
are equally important but qualitatively different. Second, children
progress through certain developmental stages during which they need a mother,
and other stages when they need a father. Third, children require an
opposite-sexed parent to help them moderate their own gender-linked
inclinations. Fourth, same-sex marriage will increase sexual uncertainty
and sexual experimentation by young people. And finally, if same-sex
marriage is permitted, then other types of marriages such as polygamous and
polyamorous ones also would have to be allowed leading to more confusion in the
lives of children.
In her article Dr. Hansen expresses compassion for homosexuals who desire
marriage. But she nonetheless concludes, as does 2,000 years of
accumulated cultural wisdom, that the ideal marital and parental configuration
is a mother and father and that disregarding such wisdom would be tantamount to
using children as guinea pigs in a radical and risky experiment.
GayPASG Note: Here is a person who knows nothing about the history
of marriage. Count the other ways she totally misses the point.
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