Homosexuality Case Study
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is “an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions” to people of the same sex. It “also refers to a person’s sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions.”[1][2] Homosexuality Case Study Paper
Along with bisexuality and heterosexuality, homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation within the heterosexual–homosexual continuum.[1] Scientists do not know what determines an individual’s sexual orientation, but they theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences,[3][4][5] and do not view it as a choice.[3][4][6] They favor biologically-based theories,[3] which point to genetic factors, the early uterine environment, both, or the inclusion of genetic and social factors.[7][8] Hypotheses for the impact of the post-natal social environment on sexual orientation, however, are weak, especially for males.[9] There is no substantive evidence which suggests parenting or early childhood experiences play a role with regard to sexual orientation.[7] While some people believe that homosexual activity is unnatural,[10] scientific research shows that homosexuality is a normal and natural variation in human sexuality and is not in and of itself a source of negative psychological effects.[1][11] There is insufficient evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to change sexual orientation.[12] Homosexuality Case Study Paper
The most common terms for homosexual people are lesbian for females and gay for males, but gay also commonly refers to both homosexual females and males. The percentage of people who are gay or lesbian and the proportion of people who are in same-sex romantic relationships or have had same-sex sexual experiences are difficult for researchers to estimate reliably for a variety of reasons, including many gay and lesbian people not openly identifying as such due to prejudice or discrimination such as homophobia and heterosexism.[13] Homosexual behavior has also been documented in many non-human animal species.[19]
Many gay and lesbian people are in committed same-sex relationships, though only in the 2010s have census forms and political conditions facilitated their visibility and enumeration.[20] These relationships are equivalent to heterosexual relationships in essential psychological respects.[2] Homosexual relationships and acts have been admired, as well as condemned, throughout recorded history, depending on the form they took and the culture in which they occurred.[21] Since the end of the 19th century, there has been a global movement towards freedom and equality for gay people, including the introduction of anti-bullying legislation to protect gay children at school, legislation ensuring non-discrimination, equal ability to serve in the military, equal access to health care, equal ability to adopt and parent, and the establishment of marriage equality.
Inheritance of homosexuality
A second contribution by psychology is the discovery that homosexuality is largely determined by heredity, not just a free choice. This discovery is important, as support for the rights of homosexual persons is strongly linked to the belief that it is something individuals are “born with” (Gallup, 2007). Most gay men and lesbians believe they have “no choice at all” in their sexual orientation (Herek, Norton, Allen & Sims, 2010). Homosexuality Case Study Paper
In the 1990s, evidence for the inheritance of homosexuality grew rapidly. Bailey and Pillard (1991) compared the sexual orientation of male identical twins, fraternal twins and adopted brothers. They reasoned that if homosexuality is shaped by genetics, more closely related people should be more alike in their sexual orientation. Their findings showed that about 70 percent of homosexuality may be directly attributed to heredity. Later studies concurred, although the percentage was sometimes higher, sometimes lower. A network of genes, variations in maternal hormones during pregnancy, and their interactions may all play a part. There are perhaps multiple biological origins of homosexuality (Ngun & Vilain, 2014).
Far more Americans now accept that homosexuality is not just a choice. The percentage who believe homosexuality is something one is “born with” was just 13 percent in 1977 (Gallup, 2007), but in 2015, 51 percent believed that gays and lesbians are born as such (Gallup, 2015).
Anti-homosexual prejudice
A third major way that psychology has advanced the rights of homosexual persons is by turning the lens on those with strong anti-homosexual attitudes. The term “homophobia,” was introduced by Weinberg (1972). Based on his work with therapy patients, Weinberg concluded that anti-homosexual attitudes are often a real phobia, based upon a repressed fear that one is unconsciously homosexual. As experimental support, one study found that the penises of men with strong anti-gay attitudes became somewhat erect when they were shown a videotape of homosexual behavior, but those of other men did not (Adams, Wright & Lohr, 1996). Homosexuality Case Study Paper
However, given limited evidence that anti-gay attitudes are a true phobia, most psychologists use the term “anti-homosexual prejudice.” Psychologists have learned quite a bit about its correlates and dynamics. Those who are anti-homosexual persons are also more likely to be racist, anti-feminist, and ethnocentric (McFarland, 2010). The strongest psychological predictor of anti-gay attitudes is the “authoritarian personality,” a cluster of attitudes that includes submissive attitudes toward strong leaders, a desire to punish all who violate conventional moral codes, and strong fear that conventional morality is breaking down (Whitley, 1999).
In summary, the acceptance of homosexual persons continues to advance, and the work of psychologists has contributed substantially. Psychologists have shown that homosexuality is not associated with mental illness or criminality, is largely determined by heredity, and that anti-homosexuality is related to other prejudices and to authoritarianism. Homosexuality Case Study Paper
Are homosexuals “not dangers to society” and is homosexuality “compatible with full health”? To answer these questions 4,340 adult respondents drawn via area probability sampling from 5 metropolitan areas of the USA self-administered an extensive sexuality/public order questionnaire of over 500 items. Bisexuals and homosexuals (about 4% of the sample) as compared to heterosexuals: (1) more frequently exposed themselves to biological hazards (e.g., sadomasochism, fisting, bestiality, ingestion of feces); (2) exposed themselves sexually to more different bodies (e.g., more frequently admitted to participating in orgies, reported considerably larger numbers of sexual partners); (3) more frequently reported participating in socially disruptive sex (e.g., deliberate infection of others, cheating in marriage, making obscene phone calls); and (4) more frequently reported engaging in socially disruptive activities (e.g., criminality, shoplifting, tax cheating). From the standpoints of individual health, public health and social order, participating in homosexual activity could be viewed as dangerous to society and incompatible with full health. Homosexuality Case Study Paper
This study investigated the effect of sexual orientation on perceptions of persuasiveness and trustworthiness. Subjects were told that a university was considering adding either an International Studies Minor or a Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Studies minor to its curriculum. Subjects then viewed a videotape of a male professor, introduced as either homosexual or heterosexual, speaking about the benefits of the proposal. Following the video, ratings of the speaker’s trustworthiness and persuasiveness were assessed. Results indicate that the speaker’s sexual orientation alone did not have a significant effect on either of these ratings. However, a significant interaction occurred between the speaker’s sexual orientation and the speech topic, indicating that subjects expressed especially low levels of trustworthiness when the homosexual speaker was lecturing on the GLB minor. Regression analyses revealed that subject’s attitudes toward homosexuals were a significant predictor of their judgements of the speaker’s trustworthiness.
Even in today’s relatively forward-thinking society, with all of the informational and educational advantages provided by the Internet and related digital technologies, many people have a limited understanding of what it means to be homosexual, bisexual, and gender dysphoric. As such, I often find myself explaining the basics of both sexual orientation (also called sexual preference) and gender identity—not just in my office, but to the press, at therapy-related conferences, and elsewhere. Homosexuality Case Study Paper
Part of the issue stems from the fact that despite numerous recent legal and social advances we still live in a hetero normative society, where people who are biologically male marry people who are biologically female, and together they have babies who are raised to do the same. This is just the way it is, you know. And when that is the primary sociology-sexual message received from family, friends, and society at large, it can be difficult for people who are “sexually different” to accept and integrate their nontraditional reality. It is also difficult for their friends, family members, and therapists—the majority of whom are not sexually different—to understand and empathize with these people’s experience.
Even though many people don’t like to label or be labeled, I find that basic definitions are sometimes helpful to those who don’t fit the “sexual norm” (and also to their families, friends, and therapists). From personal experience I can tell you that when I found out at 14 years old that being gay was an actual thing, I experienced incredible relief. The simple knowledge that I wasn’t the only boy on Earth who felt “that way” made my teenage years considerably less unbearable. So, given my personal experience, I offer the following very basic (and eminently debatable) definitions:
To be a heterosexual man or woman means having a personally significant and meaningful romantic and/or sexual attraction primarily to adults of the opposite sex.
To be a homosexual man or woman means having a personally significant and meaningful romantic and/or sexual attraction primarily to adults of the same sex. (To be an openly gay man or woman implies a personal social integration with one’s homosexuality, including being “out” by fully accepting one’s homosexuality and sharing about it with friends, family, and others.) Homosexuality Case Study Paper
To be a bisexual man or woman means having a personally significant and meaningful romantic and/or sexual attraction to both adult males and females. Those who self-identify as bisexual need not be equally attracted to both sexes.
For the most part, sexual orientation and gender identity are unrelated. Yes, people with gender identity issues will typically self-identify as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual, just as people who are perfectly comfortable with their birth sex tend to self-identify their sexual orientation, but gender identity does not in any way influence who or what one finds romantically and sexually desirable. Nor does being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual necessarily correlate to having (or not having) a gender identity issue.
More on Sexual Orientation
Human sexual orientation (who/what we are attracted to) is believed to exist on a continuum. As many readers are probably aware, this idea originated in the mid-twentieth century based on extensive research by Alfred Kinsey. His research and theories have since been expanded and expounded upon by numerous other sexologists, most notably Fritz Klein. Today, Kinsey’s continuum theory is almost universally accepted. According to an official statement by the American Psychological Association:
Sexual orientation is an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual, or affectionate attraction toward others. It is easily distinguished from other components of sexuality including biological sex, gender identity (the psychological sense of being male or female), and the social gender role (adherence to cultural norms for feminine and masculine behavior). Sexual orientation lies along a continuum that ranges from exclusive heterosexuality to exclusive homosexuality and includes various forms of bisexuality. Bisexual persons can experience sexual, emotional, and affection al attraction to both their own sex and the opposite sex. Sexual orientation is different from sexual behavior because it refers to feelings and self-concept (rather than sexual activity). Individuals may or may not express their sexual orientation in their behaviors.
Of course, a lot of folks out there find the terms heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual somewhat limiting, and sometimes even degrading. This, of course, doesn’t stop the universal attempt to label. In fact, a wide variety of terminology is used by a wide array of people—and sometimes these terms have definitions that are flexible to the point of confusion, which may be the point. Terms I hear fairly often include pan sexual, poly sexual, hetero flexible, homo flexible, queer, sexually open-minded, MSM (men who have sex with men), and WSW (women who have sex with women). And there are many more terms than this in common usage, each expressing various points on the Kinsey continuum. Homosexuality Case Study Paper