New England Journal Of Medicine Supports Same-Sex Marriage

The New England Journal of Medicine issues this statement today in support of same-sex marriage in advance of next week's oral arguments at the Supreme Court:

Eleven years ago, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to give same-sex marriages full legal recognition.

Today, same-sex marriage is legal, through legislative or judicial action or by popular vote, in more than 35 states and the District of Columbia. It is recognized by the federal government. And polls consistently show that it is supported by a clear majority of Americans.

However, in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Tennessee, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of laws and constitutional amendments that define marriage as a union between a man and a woman only, denying recognition of same-sex marriage.

Given the conflicting lower-court rulings, the Supreme Court has taken the issue under consideration. The Court will hear oral arguments on April 28 and is expected to hand down its ruling by the end of the current session, in June.

We believe that the Court should resolve this conflict in favor of the full recognition of same-sex marriage throughout the United States.

[snip]

The Supreme Court should require the full recognition of same-sex marriage throughout this country. If the Court rules otherwise, whatever the legal logic, a clear injustice will result. And that injustice would damage the health and welfare of millions of Americans.

There's much more at the link.

NEJM is the most widely read, cited, and influential general medical periodical in the world.