This afternoon, the Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson and Metro Weekly’s Chris Geidner asked White House Press Secretary Jay Carney about Dan Pfeiffer’s recent claim that a 1996 questionnaire in which Barack Obama said he supported same-sex marriage was not written by the president, despite his signature being affixed to the bottom of the document.

The White House has since walked back the claim, insisting that Pfeiffer was referring to a different survey, and during today’s exchange, Carney reiterated that the document was, in fact, signed by Obama. “Dan was referring to another questionnaire,” Carney said. He would not say if Obama supported marriage equality in 1996. Watch it:

A new study from the University of Rochester finds that the process of “coming out” has significant emotional benefits for people who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual. While previous studies have documented the effect, they did not take into account the impact of the environment in which a person might come out:

By teasing out the effects of different contexts, this study shows that “environment plays a huge role in determining when coming out actually makes you happier,” says Nicole Legate, a doctoral student at the University of Rochester, who led the study with Ryan and Netta Weinstein from the University of Essex in England. Among accepting groups, individuals experience significant psychological payback from being open about their sexual identity. But among hostile groups, the costs and stigma of identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual cancel out these benefits.

In judgmental contexts, “those who come out may actually feel no better than those who conceal,” says Legate.

It has long been a claim of anti-LGBT groups that being LGBT is the reason why LGBT groups face numerous health and wellness disparities. This is circular reasoning, but particularly so in light of this study. By continuing to propagate stigma, opponents of equality are contributing to the very negative well-being they then use to prop up their own arguments.

This study also speaks to the importance of gay-straight alliances (GSAs) in schools. Young people might be aware of their sexuality as early as middle school, and GSAs help create the positive environment that allows coming out to be a rewarding experience. Conversely, studies have demonstrated that conservative attitudes about sexuality increase the suicide risk for teens. In addition, prejudice-motivated bullying leads to long-term physical and mental health concerns. The school environment is crucial for making sure that queer teens are set on a path to live healthy and happy lives.

Sen. Greg Ball (R) could be the swing vote needed to pass marriage equality.

As the debate around marriage equality in New York reaches its (hopefully) final days, much of the conversation is focused on “religious exemptions.” These could be any number of special provisions that allow religious organizations — and perhaps even businesses — to exercise a religious objection against recognizing same-sex marriages. Sen. Greg Ball (R), who could be the swing vote needed to pass the marriage equality bill this week, has called for such carveouts for businesses, which are not part of any existing same-sex marriage law.

Carlos Maza at Equality Matters and Jeremy Hooper at Good As You have both thoroughly debunked the claims that such “protections” are needed. For example, Maza recently pointed out that New York already prohibits discrimination against same-sex couples by adoption agencies (Lambda Legal Memo PDF). Catholic Charities would not be “forced” to stop their services; marriage equality would change nothing about the standard they are held to.

The important takeaway, though, is that these religious exemptions could undermine marriage equality entirely. Same-sex couples seek to be recognized as a form of protection, whether it’s their ability to take care of each other, take care of their children, or live free of discrimination. As the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission found in its study of civil unions, same-sex couples suffer greatly if their relationships are not recognized as marriage (PDF):

In a number of cases, the negative effect of the Civil Union Act on the physical and mental health of same-sex couples and their children is striking, largely because a number of employers and hospitals do not recognize the rights and benefits of marriage for civil union couples.

No religion is being asked to redefine its tenets to recognize same-sex couples. The argument for these exemptions is actually a straw man for opposing marriage equality. Religious groups do not see it as a compromise, as many religious leaders have made it quite clear that they would not support the bill any more with the exemptions than without. Even if the language were enough to get an affirmative vote from Senators like Ball, it could actually compromise the entire value of the bill.

It’s unclear what carveouts might be included in the bill, or whether the bill will even come to a vote today. But, if the legislature insists that members of society be allowed to reject or ignore same-sex marriages, it would be a message to same-sex couples that true equality is still a long ways off.

During an appearance this morning on CSPAN’s Washington Journal, Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe predicted that America will see its first viable openly gay presidential candidate in five election cycles:

WOLFE: I think we may see a candidate in 5 cycles, that’s 20 years. [...] You have too build the bench here. So we’re spending a lot of time on the trainings, and getting people elected as mayors. We have a few state-wide elected officials today. Often somebody has a better chance if they’re a governor or U.S. senator, having been elected statewide to have an existing base to run for president of the United States. So, we’re beginning to see more people step into those ranks. And as we build that cadre of officials throughout the country, you’ll see some candidates prepared for the oval office.

Watch it:

Wolfe noted that Fred Karger, an openly gay presidential candidate vying for the Republican nomination, is already in the race, but said the Victory Fund has not endorsed him given his lack of electoral experience.