BEN-e-FITS: Same-Sex Marriage Laws Improve Gay Health!

Want to improve the health of gay men? Just legalize gay marriage, the New York Daily News reports. A new study shows that gay men in Massachusetts visited a health care clinic 13% less often after same-sex marriage was legalized in the state in 2003. The result suggests "that marriage equality may produce broad public health benefits by reducing the occurrence of stress-related health conditions," says an expert behind the study.

The 12-month study of more than 1,200 patients at a gay health care clinic also found that their health costs dropped by 14%. Both single and attached gay men benefited from the same-sex marriage law. The study backs up earlier research that showed that banning gay marriage had a negative effect the health of homosexuals. Six states have legalized gay nuptials so far: Iowa, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont, in addition to Massachusetts. Washington, DC, allows for it, too.