Nathanson, Paul (Vol. 01) – 11/12/2009

A – I don’t know.
Q – Do you know what position the American Anthropological Association takes, if any, with respect to the issue of gay marriage?
A – They support it.  They support it.
Q – Do you know what the position, if any, of the American Psycho-Analytic Association is with respect to gay marriage?
A – They support it.
Q – Do you know what the position of the American Psychological Association is, if any, with respect to gay marriage?
A – They support it.
Q – Do you know what the position is of the American Psychiatric Association…
A – They support it.
Q – … with respect to gay marriage, if any?
A – They support it.
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Q – Are you familiar with the American Academy of Paediatrics?
A – No.  No, I’m sorry, I am.  And they also support it.
Q – They also support what?
A – Gay marriage.
Q – Do you know any of the reasons why the American Academy of Paediatrics supports gay ma
A – They see no problem for children.
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Q – Now, using opinion in the sense that you do as a researcher, do you have an opinion as to whether permitting gay people to marry increases the stability in commitment of their relationship?
A – It increases.
Q – It increases the stability in commitment of their relationship?
A – That’s right.
Q – As a researcher, using the term “opinion” the way you defined it, do you have an opinion as to whether permitting gay people to marry increases their happiness and sense of security and well-being?
Mr. PETER A.PATTERSON: Objection, this is beyond the scope of his expert report.
A – I think it does.
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Q – Let’s try to break that down into two parts.  First, you recognize that gay couples are today raising children, correct?
A – Yes.
Q – And you believe that enabling those gay couples to marry would enhance their ability to be good parents to the chi
A – Yes.
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Q – Yes.  Are you aware of any peer-reviewed studies published as to whether permitting gay people to marry affects the rearing of children?
A – Yes.
Q – And what peer-reviewed studies of that type are you aware of?
A – Sociological and psychological ones.
Q – And those are sociological and psychological studies published by the various associations we’ve identified?
A – Yes.
Q – And what do those peer-reviewed studies conclude, to your understanding?
A – They don’t detect problems and they don’t predict problems.
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Q – … would you agree that, up until the last fifty (50) years, both religion and societies have been very hostile to homosexuals?
A – Yes.
Q – And that this hostility has caused homosexuals to be discriminated against, is that correct?
A – Yes.
Q – And indeed placed them in physical danger, correct?
A – Yes.
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Q – Are you aware of any studies or analyses as to how societies’ hostility to homosexuals and homosexuality affected the psychology of homosexuals?
Mr. PETER A. PATTERSON: Objection, this is outside the scope of his report.
A – I’m aware that there have been, in fact, studies.
Mr. DAVID BOIES:
Q – And have those studies reached uniform conclusions?
A – Yes.
Q – And what are the uniform conclusions that those studies have reached?
A – That being the target of hatred or hostility is a bad thing, it has bad effects on people.
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Q – Right.  Now, you used the term “hate” or “hatred” in your writing.  And would you define what you mean by that?
A – Culturally propagated hostility.  In other words, I don’t classify it as an emotion, I classify it as a cultural source.
Q – And I take it you would agree that there is what you referred to as culturally propagated hostility towards gay people?
A – There is some, yes.
Q – And would it be your opinion that, historically, there was a great deal of culturally propagated hostility towards gay people?
A – Yes.
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Q – Are you familiar with the term “gay bashing”?
A – Yes.
Q – And what does that term refer to?
A – Attacks… physical attacks on gay people or at least perceived gay people.
Q – That is, sometimes people are attacked because they are perceived as gay people, even if they’re not.
A – Yes.
Q – But they are attacks that are directed… physical attacks that are directed against people who are perceived by the attackers to be gay?
A – Yes, as in the case of Matthew Shepard.
Q – Yes.  And would you define for the record who Matthew Shepard was?
A – He was a student in – where was it? – Wisconsin who was attacked by some people who saw him coming out of a bar… a gay bar, and killed him.  He was left impaled on a fence.
Q – And when did that happen?
A – That could have been seven (7) or eight (8) years ago.
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Q – And did the defenders of the prejudice or stereotypes against Blacks argue that the discrimination was somehow protective of the family?
A – Yes.
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Q – Yes.  And did the defenders of the prejudice or stereotypes against women argue that the discrimination against women was important to protect in the family?
A – Yes.