--- title: "Psych News Alert: APA Applauds Court's Same-Sex Marriage Rulings" description: APA is hailing the two same-sex marriage rulings issued by the Supreme Court earlier today, with President Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D., citing A... image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gay%20wedding-2_105876656-Jun-24-2025-03-54-19-6153-PM.jpg --- 6/26/13 12:00 AM # APA Applauds Court's Same-Sex Marriage Rulings ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/06/apa-applauds-court-same-sex-marriage.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/06/apa-applauds-court-same-sex-marriage.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/06/apa-applauds-court-same-sex-marriage.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/06/apa-applauds-court-same-sex-marriage.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/06/apa-applauds-court-same-sex-marriage.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gay%20wedding-2_105876656-Jun-24-2025-03-54-18-5142-PM.jpg?width=133&height=200&name=gay%20wedding-2_105876656-Jun-24-2025-03-54-18-5142-PM.jpg)](https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gay%20wedding-2_105876656-Jun-24-2025-03-54-17-8223-PM.jpg) APA is hailing the two same-sex marriage rulings issued by the Supreme Court earlier today, with President Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D., citing APA's "long history of supporting freedom in sexual orientation and the rights of same-sex couples." He emphasized that, "By withholding benefits or marriage rights from same-sex couples, the government unfairly stigmatizes an important part of the American population." APA had joined most of the country's leading medical and mental health organizations in signing onto amicus briefs in favor of same-sex marriage in both of the cases. The briefs maintained that a substantial body of scientific evidence supports the conclusion that homosexuality is a normal expression of human sexuality, is not a choice people make, and that same-sex couples form stable, committed relationships that are equivalent to heterosexual ones in multiple respects. In one of the cases decided today, the Court ruled that much of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and thus denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples, is unconstitutional. (Twelve states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage.) Justices did not decide, however, whether there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. In the other case, they let stand a California ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. A statewide referendum, Proposition 8, had overturned a law allowing same-sex marriage, but a state court declared the results invalid. The Supreme Court said those who filed the legal challenge trying to get the ban reinstated did not have standing to bring the case. In 2005, APA adopted an official policy statement stating that it " supports the legal recognition of same-sex marriage with all rights, benefits, and responsibilities conferred by civil marriage, and opposes restrictions to those same rights, benefits, and responsibilities.”  Read the complete APA press release[ here.](http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Advocacy%20and%20Newsroom/Press%20Releases/2013%20Releases/13-51-APA-Supreme-Court-decisions-on-same-sex-marriage.pdf) (image: Lisa F. Young/Shutterstock.com)   [APA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/apa), [Jeffrey Lieberman](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/jeffrey-lieberman), [American Psychiatric Association](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/american-psychiatric-association), [same-sex marriage](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/same-sex-marriage), [gay marriage](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/gay-marriage) ## Related posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gay%20wedding_79631005-Jun-24-2025-04-22-50-7785-PM.jpg?height=200&name=gay%20wedding_79631005-Jun-24-2025-04-22-50-7785-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/02/federal-court-says-gays-should-have.html) [APA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/apa), [gay mental health issues](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/gay-mental-health-issues), [American Psychiatric Association](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/american-psychiatric-association), [same-sex marriage](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/same-sex-marriage) ## [Federal Court Says Gays Should Have Right to Marry](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/02/federal-court-says-gays-should-have.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 2/8/12 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/02/federal-court-says-gays-should-have.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/weddingrings_172133633-Jun-24-2025-07-24-59-0955-PM.gif?height=200&name=weddingrings_172133633-Jun-24-2025-07-24-59-0955-PM.gif) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/06/supreme-court-rules-same-sex-marriage.html) [U.S. Supreme Court](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/u-s-supreme-court), [same-sex marriage](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/same-sex-marriage) ## [Supreme Court Rules Same-Sex Marriage Is a Constitutional Right](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/06/supreme-court-rules-same-sex-marriage.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 6/26/15 12:00 AM This morning the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-to-4 decision that states do not have the right to... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2015/06/supreme-court-rules-same-sex-marriage.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/smoking%20gun2_66960676-Jun-24-2025-03-48-06-1294-PM.jpg?height=200&name=smoking%20gun2_66960676-Jun-24-2025-03-48-06-1294-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/11/florida-law-violates-mds-free-speech.html) [APA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/apa), [physician-patient relationship](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/physician-patient-relationship), [American Psychiatric Association](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/american-psychiatric-association), [Florida gun law](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/florida-gun-law), [First Amendment](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/first-amendment) ## [Florida Law Violates M.D.s' Free-Speech Rights, APA Tells Court](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/11/florida-law-violates-mds-free-speech.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 6/24/24 11:16 AM APA has joined the AMA and several medical specialty societies in an amicus brief urging a Florida... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/11/florida-law-violates-mds-free-speech.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T15:56:50.057Z", "datePublished" : "2013-06-26T04:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Psych News Alert: APA Applauds Court's Same-Sex Marriage Rulings", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gay%20wedding-2_105876656-Jun-24-2025-03-54-19-6153-PM.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/06/apa-applauds-court-same-sex-marriage.html", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```