A person’s sexual orientation is not a choice. People are not born gay or straight, for most people their sexual orientation does not emerge untill early adolescence, before any sexual experience has even occurred. Although people can choose to act upon their feelings, most psychologists do not consider a person’s sexual orientation to be a conscious choice that is voluntarily changed.
In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the official manual that lists mental and emotional disorders. Many religious groups criticized this as no more than a political decision unsupported by any advances in psychological research.
One advocate the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, still believe they can “cure” homosexuality through reparative therapy. Still many western mental health organizations have concluded that reparative therapy is completely ineffective and potentially harmful, and that a person's sexual orientation remains unchanged. However in many non-western post colonial colonies homosexual orientation is still considered a mental defect.
Beginning in the twentieth century gay rights movements have led to changes in social acceptance and media portrayal. The legality of same sex marriage and non-gender-specific civil unions is one of the biggest goals for homosexual activists. Twenty seven states have amended their constitutions to limit marriage to same sex couples, some states going so far as to use language that forbids same sex domestic partnerships and civil unions as well.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Sexual orientation: refers to an individual’s preference for emotional-sexual relationships with members of the opposite sex, same sex, or both.…
- 4632 Words
- 19 Pages
Good Essays -
Thomas Szaz’s work, The Myth of Mental Illness, raises many questions as to what constitutes mental health and at what point do we label something as abnormal. As I read the article, the argument of homosexuality came to mind as it was once considered a mental illness prior to the 1970s. Szaz’s argument that mental illness may be a product of our environments and values also mirrors that of addiction: is addiction a disease, a choice, or a disease of choice? The ethical and social mores that individuals subscribe to may lead to varying views on the status of addiction and homosexuality as mental illnesses. Although Szaz’s argument is both plausible and strong, I do believe that mental illness exists and the denial of its existence could also be seen as the use of ethical norms to ignore what we find to be unpleasant or villainize those affected by mental health, rather than give them the validation and help that they need.…
- 501 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
a. Heterosexual orientation refers to those who have emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to members of the opposite sex.…
- 1248 Words
- 5 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
“Biological perspectives focus on the possible roles of evolution, genetics, and hormonal influences in shaping sexual orientation.” (Rathus, 2011 p. 291) Some evolutionary perspective hypotheses are still speculative but there are also thought that homosexuality alliances bind the group members together emotionally that gives them a better chances of survival. Studies that have also been done on the family tree of homosexuals where women who are related to someone who is homosexual will then be more likely to have an offspring who is then homosexual as well. These studies have us believe in the genetic perspective with considerable evidence that suggest homosexuality orientation runs within your families genetics. There also have been evidence that found on the X sex chromosome that may be linked to gay male sexual orientation. While there has been a so called "gay gene" that may be found, researchers have not yet found a particular gene that is specifically linked to a person sexual orientation and neither do scientists know how this potental gene relate to sexual orientation. Also studied, the hormonal influences on our bodies to see if there are any links that determine sexual orientation. To help further this determination there have been studies done on pregnant rats where testosterone has been blocked and the male offspring were likely to show more feminine mating patterns. “It remains possible that imbalances in…
- 1479 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Chapter 8 in the textbook charts information on the public’s attitude toward homosexuality has been moving toward greater acceptance. (Macionis, 2010). In the early 1970’s the views of homosexuality were on the verge of change and gay liberation movements begin. Survey conducted in 1973 over 75% of adults in the US viewed homosexual relations as wrong and by 2006 less than 60% of adults in the US viewed homosexual relations as wrong (Macionis, 2010). In 2004 gay marriages became legal in the state of Massachusetts. This made making homosexual individuals comfortable in the world in which they lived in. Other states like Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, Iowa, and New Hampshire also adapted laws for gay marriages and the number of states is still increasing today.…
- 493 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Sexual orientation is also a name used to describe an individual's sexual preference or sexual identity. Three major groups can identify preference: heterosexual - people who are sexually attracted to those of the same sex or gender; homosexual people who are sexually…
- 2423 Words
- 10 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Homosexuality was a major cause in therapy and people being institutionalized. In the diagnosis it was stated that the diagnosis was for people with unwanted homosexual feelings and desires. But with the homophobic society that we live in, many people felt or were forced to change and we were left with very few “happy well adjusted homosexuals”. Though the term homosexuality was taken out, it was replaced by “sexual orientation disturbance” for those conflicted with their sexuality. This being very familiar to the change in terms and diagnosis for transgenders. It was not until 1987 that homosexuality was completely out of the DSM. Neel Burton (2015) from Psychology Today stated “The evolution of the status of homosexuality in the classifications of mental disorders highlights that concepts of mental disorder can be rapidly evolving social constructs that change as society changes”. Though homosexuality was taken out of the DSM, that very same year Gender Identity Disorder was added to the list of…
- 1152 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Heterosexual Americans uniformly disparaged gays as deviant and morally reprehensible. The American Psychiatric Association categorized homosexuality as a “mental disorder,” a position it did not jettison until 1973. Taking the psychological stereotyping a step further, Time magazine viewed homosexuality as “a pernicious sickness.” “If you were gay and you accepted those societal norms, then you were at war with yourself,” stated one college student as he recalled his own struggle to come to terms with his homosexuality. Exposure as a homosexual or lesbian could mean losing everything—job, spouse, friends, and social…
- 993 Words
- 4 Pages
Powerful Essays -
According to current scientific and professional understanding, the core attractions that form the basis for adult sexual orientation typically emerge between middle childhood and early adolescence. These patterns of emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction may arise without any prior sexual experience. People can be celibate and still know their sexual orientation-–be it lesbian, gay, bisexual, or heterosexual.…
- 1578 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The definition of sexuality is different for everybody. The sexuality definition of people is formed by the some factors such as culture, religion, sexual orientation etc... Sexual orientation is important factors for the form of sexuality. People have very different sexual orientation. But homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality are best-known and prevail among people. We start to explain the meaning of key words. Homosexuality involves a variety of behaviour related to a same-sex sexual orientation. Although definitions of term often focus mainly on sexual acts and attractions between persons of the same biological sex ( Herek, 2000, p.1). Heterosexuality is attraction to member of the other sex. And finally accoding to LGBTQI (Lesbian,…
- 692 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
until a few years ago, sexual orientation was called a sexual preference. Obviously, the two…
- 553 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
From as long as one can date back, there has always been a history discrimination towards others among the general populace. First and foremost, there have been numerous accounts of judgement upon homosexuality making claims stating that it is an immoral choice, a mental disorder, or religiously unjust to be homosexual. These accusations stem as the cause of why members of the LBGT organization are shunned to society and constantly victimized, simply based off of the lack of knowledge towards the true origins of homosexuality. For example, in previous years, homosexuality was documented in the American Psychiatric Association’s, the APA’s, official list of mental disorders. The idea of homosexuality having to do with mental stability is supported…
- 1251 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
About 40 years ago the APA (American Psychological Association) stated that homosexuality is not a mental disorder;…
- 1098 Words
- 5 Pages
Best Essays -
Homosexuality reorientation therapy is a controversial topic. Its effectiveness as well as the ethics involved stir up much debate. Since homosexuality is not an illness, "The American Psychological Association reiterated the long-standing official position that homosexuality and bisexuality are not mental disorders, (APA, 1998)" (Slife, 2004), can it be treated? If it can, how, and under what circumstances it should be used, are important questions.…
- 1947 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
Psychologists say that sexuality is determined in the early stages of childhood but is not a conscious decision. Basically, people are born with their sexuality. That being said, many parents assume there might be something off about their child if they show interest in activities meant for the opposite sex. If their little girl doesn’t like to dress up and would rather play in the dirt, parents start to get suspicious. If their little boy likes dolls and is not all that interested in going outside or playing video games, parents think there’s a possibility of them being gay. But a very important thing to understand about sexuality is that there is no way to tell what sexuality someone is just by how masculine or feminine they are. That is because, like afore mentioned, gender is a spectrum. There are gay men that are very masculine but then some that are also extremely feminine. There are lesbians that seem like straight girls to others because they aren’t as masculine as the stereotypical lesbian. This applies to other…
- 856 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays