Liveblogging Day 3: Part VI – Letitia Peplau
By Paul Hogarth
[UPDATE] 1:53 PM: We’re back from lunch … no news yet from the Supremes about whether the trial can be broadcast on YouTube. I believe that Frank Schubert (who ran the “Yes on 8” campaign in California, and “Yes on 1” in Maine) is in the same room with me right now. I’m doing my best not to pay attention to him … they only want us to be angry at them.
They have just trained a new witness: Dr. Letishia Peplak, social psychologist from UCLA — an expert on relationship research. She has done research work on same-sex couples since the 1970’s, and has been a pioneer in this field. Not sure who the plaintiff’s attorney is. Will hopefully get the name later …
Peplak says she is an expert on four issues: (a) marriage brings important benefits, (b) relationships between same-sex and heterosexual couples are similar, (c) gay couples who can marry have the same benefits, (d) gay marriage will not harm heterosexual marriage.
Peplak: Many people view getting married as an important life goal. 91% of Americans have either been married or plan to.
Attorney: Do lesbians and gay men feel the same way?
Peplak: Yes, most would want to get married if they could.
A: Do people value domestic partnership as much as marriage?
P: There were studies to see how many gay couples took advantage of domestic partnerships. Whereas only 10-12% of gay couples in the first year that civil unions took advantage of it, 37% of Massachusetts gay couples took advantage of marriage during the first year. This suggests that gay couples are three times more likely to act on marriage than civil unions … (more…)
40 Comments January 13, 2010
