The Michigan School of Public Health conducted research on the effects of anti-gay legislation, particularly (but not exclusively) bans on gay marriage and same-sex adoption, on young gay men and came to an utterly shocking conclusion: they cause harm. Of the over 1400 18- to 24-year-old gay men surveyed, those living in states with regressive anti-gay legislation…

…had higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem in states with LGB restrictive policies than men with the same aspirations in states without the bans. Furthermore, in policy-restrictive states, the more a participant valued his fatherhood aspirations, the more symptoms of psychological distress he reported.

According to Public Health Prof. Gary Harper, the only reason politicians even propose such legislation in the first place is from a desire to be reelected with no thought on the impacts that such legislation will have on their constituents.

The full study can be found – for purchase – here.