On Respect and Religion

Religion is something that is very important to many people. I value it because it affords psychological needs to those who otherwise might not have anything. Yet, it is not the only way those same needs, safety or belongingness, are met, nor is it something devoid of problems and impervious to criticism.

Marriage in Colors

In my pursuit of a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, there have been many important things I've been taught. Among them is the idea of our clients as holistic beings. It is easy to look at them through the scope of their issues, their culture, or many other factors. However, we do them a disservice when we their whole being as a function of only one part of their identity. We owe it to our clients to see them as a confluence of all the things around them and within them. Yet, this is exactly what I see in marriage equality and why I'm having a hard time just rejoicing. There is a lack of acknowledgement of issues within the marriage equality movement and issues that are concurrent with marriage equality, such as a lack of racial solidarity in the LGBT community and transgender rights.