Homosexuality
[LEFT]Homosexuality is not a medical or psychiatric disorder, but is a condition associated with certain medical risks. Homosexuality has long been recognized both in human and animal populations. Despite the relative frequency of homosexuality, it remains misunderstood and controversial to much of society. Homosexual individuals who choose members of their own sex for sexual relations and domestic partnerships are often targets of prejudice and may even be discriminated against by health care professionals.[COLOR=#000000][FONT=arial]The psychiatric and biologic literature on homosexuality has grown rapidly over the past 30 years. The literature now provides both a biologic and behavioral perspective on homosexuality.
A brief review of definitions and key concepts may be helpful. The term gender identity refers to an individual's internal sense of being male or female, boy or girl, man or woman. According to ego psychology, gender identity develops early in childhood and normally solidifies by age 2.5 years.Most homosexual individuals have a firmly established gender identity that is consistent with their anatomy. For example, a homosexual man understands himself to be a man, just as does a heterosexual man. When gender identity is not firmly established, an individual may experience significant psychological distress, which is termed gender dysphoria.
Who is homosexual? On the level of individual psychology, most adults experience themselves, and identify themselves to others, as either heterosexual or homosexual. A smaller number of adults experience themselves as having relatively little preference for one sex over the other, and they identify themselves as bisexual. The terms gay and lesbian have been adopted by a large number of self-identified homosexual individuals as preferred ways of referring to their gender orientation as well as to the culture they have developed as an alternative to mainstream straight (ie, heterosexual) culture.
[h=3]A brief look at conflicting concepts of homosexuality:
There are six common viewpoints about the causes of, nature of, and appropriate response to homosexuality. A brief descripton of two of the most often discussed are:
A traditional view, that homosexuality is a behavior that is chosen at or after puberty. It is changeable, abnormal, unnatural, hated by God, and immoral. Homosexuals should not have the same rights and protections that others receive.
[/LIST][FONT=arial]A progressive view, that homosexuality is an orientation that is discovered during childhood or after puberty. It is fixed -- or almost always fixed -- in adulthood, and is normal and natural for a minority of people, morally neutral, and accepted by God as a normal variation among humans, along with race, gender, language, etc. Homosexuals, bisexuals, and heterosexuals should receive the same rights and protections including the right to marry.
Is change happening?:
The short answer is yes and slowly.
On a person to person basis, change is happening.
When a parent learns that their child is gay, the information often triggers a crisis. Their initial reaction is often very negative. However, some parents are able to survive the crisis, to learn about homosexuality, to abandon what they have been taught them in the past, and change. Some become enthusiastic advocates for an end to homophobia and in favor of equal rights for persons of all sexual orientations, including the right to marry.
When a gay person comes out of the closet and reveals their sexual orientation to friends and family, many of the latter experience a conflict between the evils of homosexuality about which they had been taught, and the respect and love that they have to the gay person. Love often wins out.
Unfortunately, the quality of the studies about this is extremely poor. We desperately need well designed, statistically valid studies that will produce results that both religious conservatives and others will be able to accept. To do less than this is profoundly immoral, and could continue to result in large numbers of people in real pain, some with suicidal ideation, and some completed suicide.
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Originally Posted by fiaz
