In an opinion for The Hill, Arthur C. Evans, the chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association, argues that stronger legal protections for the LGBT+ community leads to better health outcomes. Evans argues that the stressors of living in hostile and discriminatory societies can contribute to physical and mental health issues, including depression and cardiovascular disease.
Evans notes that despite evidence of the connection between stronger laws and better health for the LGBT+ community, the US federal government continues to roll back on laws aimed at protecting citizens who identify as LGBT+.
The APA calls for Congress to pass the Equality Act, which amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity, and to pass the LGBT Data Inclusion Act.
“Psychological science demonstrates the harms of discriminatory public policies and the benefits of supportive ones…We urge Congress and the administration to consider this as they craft and implement policies affecting sexual and gender minorities, and we ask that they not turn back the clock on existing, hard-fought protections,” Evans writes
Read more at The Hill