Liveblogging Day 4: Part IV afternoon session begins
By Rick Jacobs
It’s after lunch and Dr. Ilan H. Meyer, Associate Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health is up. He will testify about the stigma and prejudice gay and lesbians individuals face in society.
He’s being questioned an expert on the question of lesbian gay bisexual and transgender public health issues. He wrote an article for the journal of public health on LGBT health that was the only time the journal has ever sold out in its history. He teaches at Columbia, including Research Methodology (how to conduct surveys, required course); Prejudice, Stigma and Discrimination as Social Stressors and Gay and Lesbian Public Health. He’s a rock star. He just got qualified to offer his opinions.
{UPDATE] 1:27 Meyer: My opinion is on the nature of stigma on LGBT with example of Prop. 8. Second, model of minority stress from social stressors. And third the effects on mental health. This is a topic of my study for the last twenty years. Some of the research I have conducted; other is from doctors in the field that relies on body of evidence that allowed me to write a report.
Counsel: Define stigma.
M: I’ll be very brief because it’s a huge subject. Succinctly, group in society that has a negative attribute that is seen by society that results in their being “devalued.” Gay and lesbian people, the whole person is identified by the attribute that is devalued so the person feels devalued. In other words, the stigma devalues the entire person, not just an aspect of that person.
M: Structural stigma refers to more solid structures in society such as the law and any other institution that is central in our society. Law has a major role in determining the goods that society can provide to citizens. Laws may block or foster access to those resources. Stigmatized groups may be controlled by society from access to those institutions or goods, in this case marriage.
Counsel (Dusseault): Are there stigmas attached to gays and lesbians and what are they? (more…)
96 Comments January 14, 2010
