MILESTONE: Discoveries and

Discussions
DISCOVER (topic): The status of LGBT marriage in the Philippines and in other countries.
DISCUSS:

1. What is LGBT marriage?

- LGBT marriage is also known as Same-sex marriage. It refers to the practice of marriage
between members of the LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer,
Intersex, Asexual).

2. What is Social Stigma in LGBTQIA+?

- It describes the negative and unfair treatment against the members of the LGBTQIA+
community. It is associated with homophobia and discrimination. It can take many forms
such as harassment, bullying, and family rejection.

3. What is a sexual minority?

- groups of people whose gender identity, sexual orientation, or sexual characteristics
differ from the supposed majority of the population, which are heterosexual,
non-intersex individuals, and cisgender.

4. Who are the characters of the topic?

Same-sex couple - refers to the main actors of the discussion since the topic revolves
around the marriage of LGBTQIA+ members.

Government - refers to the lawmakers that will either legalize or not the marriage of
same-sex couples in society.

Children - refers to children of a same-sex couple that may be adopted or created with
the means of fertility process such as reciprocal in vitro fertilization or gestational
surrogacy. Children would likely experience discrimination from other people due to
homophobic remarks from other people to their parents that are of the same sex.

Adolescent - refers to young people who are considered part of the sexual minorities. It
is the vulnerable part of the discussion since the likelihood of being accepted and
rejected as part of the LGBTQ+ community affects these individuals.
Unfamiliar terms and their definitions:

1. Reciprocal In Vitro Fertilization - it describes the process where a woman supplies her
eggs. The eggs are retrieved and fertilized by donated sperm in IVF. As result, the
developed embryo will be implanted into her partner for pregnancy.

2. Gestational surrogacy - it is referred to as gestational carrier in which a woman carries a

pregnancy for someone else.

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

LGBT marriage can pave the way to LGBTQ+ marriage does not decrease
acceptance. Same-sex marriage reduced Homophobia. It continuously affects the
Homophobia in other countries that employment rate, children, and adolescents.
legalized it.

● According to Bruno (2019), in a ● According to Willis (2017), children and

conducted study, states that legalized
same-sex marriage in United Stated
experienced decreases in homophobia at
a sharper rate – declining at roughly
double the previous rate – after
legalization.
adolescents with same-sex parents are
emotionally affected when exposed to
homophobia, discrimination, prejudice,
and social stigma.

● Based on the study of Ofuso et.al (2019)
entitled “Same-sex marriage legalization
associated with reduced implicit and
explicit antigay bias,” states legalizing
same-sex marriage reduces anti-gay bias.
Hence, anti-gay bias decreased generally
over time, legalization pushed the
reduction: Anti-gay bias reduced fast in
areas where same-sex marriage was
legalized. It was concluded that
"government legislation can inform
attitudes even on religiously and
politically entrenched positions."
● Based on the article of Gruberg and
Madowitz (2020), a survey data
conducted in Minneapolis, Minnesota
revealed that the unemployment rate of
same-sex couples is higher than
opposite-sex couples from 2014 to 2019.
The research shows that LGBTQ people
experience widespread discrimination in
the workplace, which contributed to the
persistently high unemployment rates
for same-sex couples.

Same-sex marriage has a positive impact on Same-sex parents influence the gender
suicidal attempts. identity of their children.

● According to Esposito (2017), the 2015 ● In a conducted study by Gato (2013)

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System entitled “Anticipation of the Sexual
 shows 29% of students identified as
sexual minorities (LGBTQ) reported
suicide attempts in 6% of heterosexual
students. Recently, a study published by
JAMA Pediatrics revealed that the rates
of suicide attempts in adolescents can be
decreased. It examined the effects of
same-sex marriage legalization and
adolescent suicide attempts. Results
showed, that in the states that
implemented same-sex marriage
policies, suicide attempts among sexual
minorities fell by 7% more than in states
that did not have same-sex marriage
legalization.
● According to Cheng (2020), legalizing
same-sex marriage leads to a substantial
drop in suicide rates among gay and
lesbian people. As a result of the
legalization, expansion of rights, and
protections for same-sex couples,
minorities have become much more
accepted in the Nordic countries and
elsewhere, which explains the reduced
suicide risk. The decrease in
stigmatization reduced the psychological
distress experienced by sexual
minorities.
Same-sex couples can have a family. These Birth rates would fall. A same-sex couple
couples can opt to adopt a child or use the could not undergo natural procreation.
fertility process.
● Based on the study conducted by Taylor
(2020), same-sex couples are four times
more likely than opposite-sex couples to
have adopted children or stepchildren;
43.3% of children of same-sex couples
were adopted or stepchildren in 2019.
● Since gestational surrogacy is a woman
that carries a pregnancy for someone
Gender Development of Children
Adopted by Same-sex Couples,” results
indicated that participants, particularly
males, considered children adopted by
either lesbian or gay couples to have a
lower probability of developing a
normative sexual and gender identity
than children adopted by heterosexual
couples. Both men and women
considered that children would emulate
the sexual orientation of their same-sex
parents and that a boy’s gender role
behavior was more at risk if he was
adopted by a lesbian couple.
● Based on the article, Children Raised in
Fatherless Families from Infancy: Family
Relationships and the Socioemotional
Development of Children of Lesbian and
Single Heterosexual Mothers” say that
“imitation of, or identification with
same-sexed models, together with
differential reinforcement of sex-typed
behavior, constitute the basis of
psychosexual development (Golombok
et al., 1983).
● Five U.S. states grant marriage licenses
to same-sex couples. As of 2007, four of
the five states ranked within the bottom
eight out of all fifty states in both birth
and fertility rates. Vermont is the first
state in the U.S. to offer 100% of the
rights and benefits of marriage to
same-sex couples through the passage of
its “civil unions” law in 2000 ranked dead
 else, and gay couples can choose to do
split insemination, in which half of the
eggs are put with one man's sperm and
the other with the other man's sperm, it
is possible for a gay couple to have a
child through egg or embryo donation
combined with gestational surrogacy.
Reciprocal in vitro fertilization, in which
eggs from one woman are extracted,
inseminated with donor sperm to
generate an embryo, and transferred
back to the other woman's uterus to
bear the baby, may be an option for
lesbian couples.
last in both birth rate and fertility rate
(Sprigg, 2011).
● Based on Gurevich (2021), IVF treatment
is already an expensive fertility
treatment, but reciprocal IVF costs more.
the average cost of reciprocal in vitro
fertilization is over $20,000 and depends
on the clinic, medication protocols, and
add-on services like genetic testing.
According to Fuller (2017), the cost of
gestational surrogacy can cost almost
$150,000. These options for a same-sex
couple to have a child are not affordable
for average salary earner couples.

The positive economic impact of same-sex Imposed Tax Increase due to Same-sex
marriage. marriage.

● Based on Forde (2019), researchers have
found that aside from granting same-sex
couples the same rights, respect,
recognition, and benefits as heterosexual
couples, legalizing same-sex marriage
has economic benefits in both the short
and long term. The benefits start with
the economic boost from weddings.
Same-sex couples pump money into
state economies as the couple plan
weddings and celebrate milestones.
● As cited from the study of Alm et.al
(2000), legalizing same-sex marriages in
the United States would increase income
tax revenues because gay and lesbian
households are thought to consist
primarily of two-earner couples. It
would lead to an annual increase in
federal government income taxes of
between $0.3 billion and $1.3 billion,
with the likely impact toward the higher
range of the estimates.

Reference/s:

Alm, J. R., Badgett, M. L., & Whittington, L. A. (2000). Wedding Bell Blues: The Income Tax
Consequences of Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage. SSRN Electronic Journal.
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.228874

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, November 19). same-sex marriage. Encyclopedia

Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/same-sex-marriage
Bruno, B. (2019, April 15). Legal Same-Sex Marriage Linked to Reduced Homophobia.
Courthouse News Service.
https://www.courthousenews.com/legal-same-sex-marriage-linked-to-reduced-homophobia/

Cheng, C. P. (2020, April 1). Legalizing Gay Marriage Decreases Suicides But Discrepancies
Remain. Mad In America.
https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/04/legalizing-gay-marriage-decreases-suicides-discrepan
cies-remain/

Esposito, J. (2017, March 14). Same-Sex Marriage Policies: Positive Impact on Adolescent Suicide
Attempts. Center for Injury Research and Prevention.
https://injury.research.chop.edu/blog/posts/same-sex-marriage-policies-positive-impact-adoles
cent-suicide-attempts

Forde, K. (2019, June 26). The economic impact of same-sex marriage. LGBTQ | Al Jazeera.
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2019/6/26/the-economic-impact-of-same-sex-marriage

Fuller, E. (2017). Gestational carriers (surrogacy). Babycenter.

https://www.babycenter.com/surrogacy

Gato, J., & Fontaine, A. M. (2013). Anticipation of the sexual and gender development of
children adopted by same-sex couples. International Journal of Psychology, 48(3), 244–253.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00207594.2011.645484

Golombok, S., Spencer, A., & Rutter, M. (1983). CHILDREN IN LESBIAN AND SINGLE-PARENT
HOUSEHOLDS: PSYCHOSEXUAL AND PSYCHIATRIC APPRAISAL. Journal of Child Psychology and
Psychiatry, 24(4), 551–572. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1983.tb00132.x

Gruber, S., & Madowitz, M. (2020, May 5). Same-Sex Couples Experience Higher Unemployment
Rates Throughout an Economic Recovery. Center for American Progress.
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/sex-couples-experience-higher-unemployment-rates
-throughout-economic-recovery/

Gurevich, R. (2021, November 29). How Reciprocal IVF Can Help LGBTQ+ Couples Have a Baby
Together. Verywell Family.
https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-reciprocal-ivf-5198860

Hartney, E. (2020, November 30). Sexual Minority Meaning and Characteristics. Verywell Mind.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-sexual-minorities-21876

Ofosu, E. K., Chambers, M. K., Chen, J. M., & Hehman, E. (2019). Same-sex marriage legalization
associated with reduced implicit and explicit antigay bias. Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences, 116(18), 8846–8851. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1806000116
Reproductive Science Center. (n.d.). Reciprocal IVF | LGTBQ Families | Reproductive Science
Center NJ. Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey.
https://fertilitynj.com/services/lgbtqia-family-building/reciprocal-ivf/#:%7E:text=Reciprocal%20I
VF%20at%20a%20glance,pregnancy%20as%20a%20gestational%20carrier.

RMA Network - Fertility Clinic. (n.d.). LGBT Fertility Options - IVF for Gay and Lesbian Couples |
RMA Network. https://rmanetwork.com/family-building-options/lgbtq-fertility-options/

Sprigg, P. (2011). The Top Ten Harms of Same-Sex “Marriage.” Family Research Council.
https://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF11B30.pdf

Taylor, D. (2020, September 17). Same-Sex Couples Are More Likely to Adopt or Foster Children.
Census.Gov.
https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/fifteen-percent-of-same-sex-couples-have-chil
dren-in-their-household.html#:%7E:text=in%20the%20couple.-,Same%2Dsex%20couples%20are
%20four%20times%20more%20likely%20than%20opposite,adopted%20or%20stepchildren%20i
n%202019

Willis, O. (2017, October 23). Same-sex marriage debate putting kids at risk, not same-sex
parents, experts warn. ABC News.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-10-23/marriage-debate-puts-kids-at-risk/9075384