Life or ideology? Same-sex marriage keeps queer teens alive

Since the Supreme Court abolished the federal right to an abortion, Chief Justice Clarence Thomas has announced his intent to revisit other landmark civil rights cases, including the legalization of same-sex marriage. 

“In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court's substantive due process precedents,” Thomas said in his consenting opinion this June, listing Lawrence v. Obergefell, the case which lead to the legalization of same-sex marriage, as one of these precedents.

Thomas writes as though Obergefell and same-sex marriage were a matter of dry constitutional law, but they are not. Overturning Lawrence v. Obergefell would be disastrous for the country. What Justice Thomas ignores in his consenting opinion is that same-sex marriage is an issue of life and death.

The legalization of same-sex marriage has had a tangible impact on mental health outcomes in the queer community. A 2020 study found that the legalization of same-sex marriage was associated with a 7% reduction in adolescent suicide attempts that began as soon as same sex marriage policies were enacted and remained as long as they were in place. Among LGB students, the effect was doubled: 14%. That’s 134,000 fewer kids attempting suicide each year, an incredible number given that suicide is the second most common cause of death among adolescents and that LGBT+ youth are 4 times more likely to commit suicide than their peers. 

If the Supreme Court is determined, the constitutionality of same-sex marriage can be debated endlessly. But there is no argument against it that can justify itself in the face of so many lives lost to suicide. The evidence transcends ideology—same-sex marriage is saving lives.

Fortunately, a bill is currently in the works to extend federal protections to same-sex marriage. However, it’s unclear whether it will have enough Republican votes to pass the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to comment on the bill, and no Republican leader has announced intent to whip support.

For the sake of queer Americans everywhere, I hope the legislature does not allow this bill to die to partisanship. It’s clear that if basic rights are to be protected, they must be taken out of the hands of the Supreme Court.

Peter Beardsley is a Biology and Spanish student at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is interested in writing and visual arts and is hoping to pursue a career in journalism.