British Health Minister Norman Lamb

British Health Minister Norman Lamb has issued the following condemnation of ex-gay therapy on behalf of the government’s health programs:

The Department of Health does not condone the concept of therapists offering ‘cures’ for homosexuality. There is no evidence that this sort of treatment is beneficial and indeed it may well cause significant harm, to some patients.

It is incumbent on professionals working in the National Health Service to ensure that treatment and care, including therapy, is provided to every patient without any form of discrimination.

If someone is suffering a mental health problem, clinicians will try to help patients with whatever is causing them distress. This could involve helping someone come to terms with their sexuality, family arguments over their sexuality, or hostility from other people.

We know from research that the incidence of depression, anxiety and suicide within the gay community is significantly higher than within the heterosexual community and this is why ‘No health without mental health’ identifies lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people as a specific group for whom a tailored approach to their mental health is necessary.

Just last month, the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy came out against ex-gay therapy, pointing out that it had “no basis in science or medicine” and advising members not to offer it to clients.

Last week’s victories in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington are the latest signifiers that support continues to grow for marriage equality. But recent data suggest that the trend is not consistent across all geographical regions and communities, including some interesting results from those states.

Pew Research Center conducted a poll on same-sex marriage just two weeks before the election, its third reading on the issue this year. Marriage equality hit the highest favor (49 percent) and lowest opposition (40 percent) that Pew has ever recorded, just the latest in what Pew describes as the “steep recent trend” toward support. Still, there are big regional divides, with 62 percent favor in New England and 57 percent favor in the mid-Atlantic compared to a more even split in the Midwest (46-44 in favor) and continued opposition in the South (56-35 against) and the South Atlantic (48-42 against). Still, the trend toward support is evident across all regions — the South just happens to be about 10 years behind the rest of the country.

Pew also found that support continues to grow among black Americans, at higher rates over 2012 than among whites. Still, the black community is more closely divided with 44 percent in favor, 39 opposed, and 17 percent unsure. Hispanic voters are less divided, with 59 percent supporting the freedom to marry and only 32 percent opposed.

Within the states where votes were held, other interesting dynamics are apparent. For example, in Maryland, two prominent Republican strongholds voted for Mitt Romney for president but also approved same-sex marriage, or voted for same-sex marriage at higher rates than for Romney. By contrast, newly elected Democrats in Minnesota are unsure whether they could support marriage equality efforts because constituents in their districts also voted for the referendum to ban recognition of such unions. This reflects how the trend toward equality has not advanced as quickly in the Midwest as it has on the east coast.

The National Organization for Marriage has claimed since last week that there is no such trend, but that is delusional thinking. Steve Schmidt, who advised the presidential campaigns of John McCain and George W. Bush, acknowledged this, asking on behalf of the Republican Party, “Why should we sign a suicide pact with the National Organization for Marriage?” Still, NOM may try to capitalize on the weak points in the polling, targeting vulnerable areas of the country where support is lower and continuing to attempt its nefarious race-wedging strategies.

Father Federico Lombardi

Responding to marriage equality advances in the United States, Spain, and France, the Vatican has released a scathing editorial against marriage equality. In it, Father Federico Lombardi, spokesman for the Vatican, demands that marriage be reserved as a “privilege” for opposite-sex couples, lest polygamy be further down the slippery slope. Here are some excerpts from the editorial:

It is therefore clear that in western countries there is a widespread tendency to modify the classic vision of marriage between a man and woman, or rather to try to give it up, erasing its specific and privileged legal recognition compared to other forms of union. [...]

It is nothing new. This we had already realised. Nevertheless, the matter does not cease to amaze: Because we should be asking if this really corresponds to the feelings of the people, and because the logic of it cannot have a far-sighted outlook for the common good. [...]

It is not, in fact, a question of avoiding unfair discrimination for homosexuals, since this must and can be guaranteed in other ways. It is a question of admitting that a husband and a wife are publicly recognised as such; and that children who come into the world can know, and say they have, a father and a mother.

In short, preserving a vision of the human person and of human relationships where there is a public acknowledgement of monogamous marriage between a man and woman is an achievement of civilisation. If not, why not contemplate also freely chosen polygamy and, of course, not to discriminate, polyandry?

Lombardi’s editorial contradicts itself. He cannot claim that the Church is not discriminating against same-sex couples while at the same time claiming that opposite-sex couples deserve special privileges. There’s either discrimination or equality; they cannot somehow co-exist. He further stigmatizes gays and lesbians by describing them as outside of the “common good” and removed from an “achievement of civilization.” Though the sake of children seems to be at the crux of the argument, this Vatican position completely disregards the millions of children being raised by same-sex couples who are deprived of the same security and protections as other children.

The Vatican’s obsession with discriminating against the LGBT community is only explained by its obsession with preserving a superior status for heterosexuals.

UPS has confirmed that it has implemented a new policy for its charitable giving that will disqualify groups like the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. The UPS Foundation posted the following on its site yesterday:

The UPS Foundation seeks to support organizations that are in alignment with our focus areas, guidelines, and non-discrimination policy. UPS and The UPS Foundation do not discriminate against any person or organization with regard to categories protected by applicable law, as well as other categories protected by UPS and The UPS Foundation in our own policies. These include, but are not limited to race, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status, pregnancy, age and religion.

In September, The American Independent reported on companies like UPS and Intel that had made donations to the Boy Scouts. In 2010, UPS gave $167,000 to BSA and clarified at that time that it would not be changing its policies. At that time, Intel clarified to ThinkProgress that it had already implemented a new safeguard to prevent the company’s charitable giving from supporting discriminating organizations or charities. Intrepid activist Zach Wahls then led a petition effort against UPS, which has apparently followed suit.

Daily Kos is running a campaign to thank the UPS Foundation for standing by its principled support of LGBT equality and ending its donations to the Boy Scouts.