Medical and Social Stances on Homosexuality Essay

Introduction

An understanding of why one is homosexual is an important step to conversion. However, the difficult struggle is made easier with one’s religious commitment. The bible proclaims that homosexuality is a sin and despises it. However, it also proclaims love and forgiveness to those seeking it. While it violates religious teachings and is immoral, homosexuals should be given the same benefits, rights and privileges as heterosexuals.

People are not the same as we have different tastes and preferences which have to be respected by all irrespective of the stand that we take on issues. It is thus important that homosexual couples be accorded equal benefits and privileges as heterosexual couples since they are human beings with similar needs and wants as the rest of the population in addition to the fact their number is increasing with time. The main aim of the essay is to highlight the medical and social view of homosexuality.

Homosexuality and Rationale for Choice

There is no doubt that homosexuality is the current problem that threatens to wreck marriages and accelerate the spread of HIV/AIDS in the world today. Homosexuality has caused more controversy to many. It has divided psychiatrists, religious sects, societies, cultures and even the gay community itself. The issue of homosexuality is all-encompassing and touches the spiritual, physical, emotional and psychological parts of an individual’s life. It is a complex and sensitive topic. Biologists and scientists continue to study and search for that “gay gene” that could all at once kill doubts and prove homosexuality is hereditary.

The gay communities are one on this embodying the belief that they were “born that way.” Yet, until now there is no known gay gene, perhaps because none exist first? Many psychiatrists and psychoanalysts argue that homosexuality is not hereditary but rather a psychosexual disorder brought about by childhood traumas. The secular believes it’s a sin, a rebellion to God, a battle between the good and evil in human nature.

Amid these different opinions, one is certain: homosexual orientation is not defined by culture, race, and age, educational or work background. There are gays everywhere and there were gays even in biblical times. But exactly how many gay people are there? It is the widespread belief that 10% of the population is homosexual. This figure comes from research of Alfred Kinsey saying that ’10 per cent of the males are only homosexual for at least three years between the ages of 16 and 55′ (Shlemon, 2006). However, Kinsey’s study is criticized repeatedly judging from the profile of his test subjects mostly prisoners and sex offenders.

Although it is difficult to find out gay numbers because one has to define first who is gay and who is not. Clinical psychologists claim that homosexual behaviour and homosexual orientation are different.

The latter is involved in same-gender sex while the former is the attraction (without the act of sex) to the same gender. Further, some Circumstantial Homosexuals practice same-gender sex under stressful circumstances (prisoners deprived of cross-gender sex, some rape victims). Overall, several nationwide research estimates the prevalence of homosexuality in the adult population as usually below 3%, so it is realistic to say that the population is below 10% and not the other way around (National Association of Research and Treatment of Homosexuality, 2008).

Methodology of Literature Review

The problem formulation was the first and the most crucial step of the essay writing process for this study. The problem was defined clearly and specifically, as an ill-defined problem may result in an ineffective solution. The problem was properly translated into a research topic and the reason the research was required was also spelt out. Secondly, an exhaustive revision of the theoretical and empirical framework within the related review of the literature was made.

The literature review was based on secondary research conducted by reviewing various journal articles, books, research evidence of past research and course the worldwide web. This step helped the study by generating and refining the research objectives. Another step was the research approach and design of the research. This step covers how data were collected to answer the research objectives. This step also influenced the data collection method. The data were collected according to the chosen method. Finally, the data were analyzed, interpreted, and presented in this essay.

I will familiarize myself with library systems where he is going to search materials. Then I will make a list of keywords to guide the search. A literature review also forms a framework for interpreting research. A researcher can understand the topic he is covering to greater depths if he reads similar papers previously done by other researchers. He will easily interpolate and understand what he is researching much better. Then the researcher will emphasize areas he or she has been assigned without any problem.

A researcher will get reference materials from either primary sources or secondary sources. Primary sources are references from a person who carried out the research and secondary are references from publications like scholarly journals, thesis and dissertations, government documents, conferences and workshop proceedings, books, abstracts, periodicals, computer search, internet, and microfilms.

Further, still, literature review increases the confidence of a reader in the research professional ability. A reader or tutor will have more confidence in the researcher if he has an elaborate and well-written literature review. If the researcher displays his professionalism well, by applying what he has been taught properly and referring to work on a similar topic done previously by other people in a good manner then the reader of that report will feel encouraged and motivated to go through it.

Additionally, a literature review helps to avoid mistakes that have been made by other researchers on the same topics. Through literature review the researcher helps him to avoid misstates that have been made by other researchers in similar topics. It is through the literature review that a researcher can compare what other people have done and improve on them. He can also learn the common mistakes that they have encountered, and he should avoid similar mistakes.

A literature review helps in understanding researched work on the subject and puts the researcher in the apposition of analyzing the topic critically. Through the literature review, the researcher integrates and summarizes what is known in the area before carrying out his research. It gives a basis from where to start conducting the research.

Literature Review

Homosexuality occurs in most communities. There are many facets of marriage regarding the perception of marriage, and the traditional arguments against the legalization of homosexual marriage. The established concept of marriage usually involves a sexual relationship, the expectation of procreation, certain expectations or even agreements to provide economic, physical, or psychological support for one another, and a traditional event identifying the condition of marriage (Bolte, 1998).

This argument is based on the notion that sexual activity between homosexuals is morally wrong and is illegal. There is a need to provide rights to gay marriages as other marriages. Another conservative argument in favor of permitting homosexual couples to not only raises their children without interference but to adopt children.

The Biologic Theory

So many tests and scientific research abound on the account of homosexuality. So much so homosexuality is to be of several causes: hormonal changes, feeding of soy-based food products at infancy stage, bigger hypothalamus size, and more neuroanatomic research (as cited in Satin over, 1997).

In 1991, neuroanatomist Simon Levay found “that a localized cluster (a “nucleus”) of cells in the brains of ‘homosexual’ men was twice as large by volume on autopsy as in ‘heterosexual’ men (cited in Satinover, 1997).” Many disprove it on the basis the definitions of homosexuals and heterosexuals “were extremely imprecise, nor was there any way of verifying sexual orientation, as the subjects were dead (cited in Satinover, 1997).” Satinover (1997) went to number many other failed studies linking homosexuality to genetics (cited in Satinover, 1997).”

Another theory posited by doctors William Wong and Doris Rapp asserts that male babies fed with soy-based formula milk tend to be gay (Ojeda, 2004, p.17). According to the doctors, “soy contains compounds called isoflavones that mimic estrogen and interfere with the surge of testosterone that male infants undergo in their first few months of life. This hormonal influx programs them to develop male characteristics when they hit puberty (Ojeda, 2004, p.17).”

So far, no definite evidence has inferred a gay gene exists. Common sense would also point to evolution inconsistencies should it exist; Dobson points that naturally “it would be eliminated from the human gene pool because those who have it tend not to reproduce (cited in Ojeda, 2004, p. 68).” Natural selection would favour genes that will ensure the survival of the human race. Further, it may be safe to say that certain temperaments or biological tendencies may be at play and could cause homosexual tendencies in a person. But to claim that homosexuality is inherited as hair or eye colour is inherited would be an outcry.

Traits help build our character and behaviour yet we can safely change the way we act or behave with proper training and education. In other words, it is not wired in the genes like skin colour or nose size or the size of an ear. If we apply this metaphor to homosexuality, there may be intermediate traits that allow a person who carries these traits to be gay, given the right circumstances. In other words, genetic associations are possible but not core genetic make-up.

Psychosexual Development

Psychosexual components are developed in early childhood. The three primary components are: “core gender identity, the sense of self as a male of female; sexual orientation, erotic interest in individuals of the same or the other sex; and gender role behaviours, the myriad characteristics that are associated with being male or female (Hines, Brook & Conway, 2004, p.1).” These components make up the children’s understanding of their sexual identities. This understanding is determined through biological and social-cognitive interactions (Hines, Brook & Conway, 2004, p.1). Biological may include hormonal and genetic associations, while social-cognitive points to life experiences that could be triggering factors in homosexuality.

The Psycho-social Theory

Many studies credit that homosexual behaviour is learned or influenced by certain negative childhood experiences. Proponents of learned homosexual behaviour believe that an arrested psychosexual development in early childhood is a major factor that triggers homosexuality. Based on numerous researches, “factors in the development of homosexuality among men include faulty parents like an overprotective mother or distant father; feared older brother; childhood seduction by another male; peer labelling of the boy due to poor athletic ability or timidity (El-Awady, 2003).

Joseph Nicolosi (2008), a clinical psychologist and President of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) firmly believe in parental influence in homosexuality or as he calls it, gender deficit disorder. From his years of experience and many types of research conducted on the subject, Nicolosi proposes that homosexual boys have a father-son relationship that has been severely implicated during the critical gender-identity phase of development among boys. According to Green and Zuger, “nonmasculine or feminine behaviour in boyhood has been repeatedly shown to be correlated with later homosexuality (Nicolosi, 2008).”

Immaturity and fear in dealing with the opposite sex can likely result in homosexual orientation. Anyone who is not comfortable with the opposite sex (either romantically or sexually) due to certain traumatic events may develop an attraction to the same sex to feel secure. In the same manner, homosexuals who had trouble accepting their masculinity (due to faulty father-son relationship) may also turn out to be gay to suppress that which seem bad (masculine figure) about them (Nicolosi, 2008).

Society is also at play as it becomes more accepting of the gay lifestyle (especially in more developed and advanced countries and metropolitan cities). A boy with a particularly sensitive, relatively fragile, often passive disposition may succumb to homosexual practices in an embracing gay community (Nicolosi, 2008).

Psychologist Dr Jeffrey Satinover thinks that “many people, especially in America, are awash in the tide of unconstrained instinctive behaviours which are all being labelled “okay” because nobody has a sense of what’s right and what’s wrong (anymore).” He points to societal dysfunction and lack of moral compass as contributing factors in the rise of homosexuality. The implication is severely crucial especially to “impressionable, possibly confused exploring young people exposed to a sometimes explicit and sometimes implicit set of values (cited in Ojeda, 2004, p.75).”

The Biblical Point of View

The bible clearly states that homosexuality is a sin and contains many passages forbidding it. Case in point, both Old and New Testaments condemn sex outside marriage. The majority of homosexual relationships are outside marriage and this alone makes gay tryst a deviation to what is Holy and moral in the eyes of God.

If one would trace the Scriptures from the old to the new book, there is consistent disapproval of homosexual acts beginning from the Book of Genesis to the First Book of Timothy. The Book of Genesis tells the infamous story of the City of Sodom which was destroyed by God because of the evil things (particularly, having sex with other men) that its inhabitants have been doing (Strauss, n.d.). This is where the word sodomy came from thus making it a synonym for homosexuality. Gay activists dispute this interpretation and postulate that Sodom was destroyed because of inhospitality and not homosexuality. They claim that God was angry at the people of Sodom because they were rude to the guests of Lot.

However, Strauss (n.d.) explains that “the Hebrew word for “know” in verse 5 of Genesis 19 is “yada,” a sexual term used frequently to denote sexual intercourse.” Further, the bible made references condemning homosexuality and one that is worthy of the death penalty as cited in Leviticus 20:13, Judges 19-20 (Strauss, n.d.). The death penalty to Sodom is telling they were guilty of homosexuality and not inhospitality.

Scriptural passages from Leviticus 18:22 and 24 describe homosexuality as an abomination, and defilement to the sanctity of the human body. Judges 19 narrate an incident similar to Sodom and Gomorrah (Strauss, n.d.). In Deuteronomy 23:17, God forbade whores and sodomites among the daughters and sons of Israel, respectively (Strauss, n.d.).

The New Testament also deals with homosexuality in Romans 1:24-27, 1 Timothy 1:10 and Jude 7. These scriptures distinguish homosexuality as evil, vile and unnatural. In Romans 1:18-32, the apostle Paul delivered the message that homosexual activities are degrading, disgraceful, the improper activity of a depraved mind, unrighteous, and wicked. He also stressed such practice is contrary to nature and intuitively wrong (Strauss, n.d.).

Importantly, the Bible puts homosexual practices as a perversion of sexuality. It is against the rule of nature and of God. God made two kinds of people only: the male and the female. He did not create a homosexual person, nor put a homosexual need to His creation. Genetic predisposition is a fallacy and homosexuality presents a moral battle between choosing right from wrong.

Conclusion

Homosexuality is gaining major support from the populace of America as well as from the rest of the world. In the opinion of many proponents, the most obvious advantage of a homosexual union is the hope that society, our families, schools, and churches, will not only believe in gay’s relationships but their relationship is considered normal. Though it is a controversial issue that homosexual marriages are widely accepted among society, religious institutions still strongly oppose and discourage such union based on their belief in conventional marriages and rearing of a child through heterosexual couples.

A fundamental concern of opponents is that the legalization of homosexual marriage will lead to a direct attack against religious institutions, limit their constitutional right to free speech, force them to perform marriage ceremonies of which they do not approve, and that established churches would be eventually ruined by lawsuits brought against them. Proponents claim that since marriages are conducted by the power invested in the celebrant by the state, under the principles of religious pluralism and the separation of church and state, religious arguments should not be used to constitute the law.

List of References

Bell, A. P., & Weinberg, M. S. (1978). Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity among Men and Women. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Burton D (2000), Research Training for Social Sciences: a Handbook for Postgraduate researchers, (ed.), Sage Publication Ltd, Great Britain.

El-Awady, N. (2003). Homosexuality in a Changing World: Are We Being Misinformed? In Islamonline. Web.

Hines, M., Brook, C., & Conway, G. S. (2004). Androgen and Psychosexual Development: Core Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Recalled Childhood Gender Role Behavior in Women and Men with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. The Journal of Sex Research, 41(1), 75+. Web.

Kathari, C.R. (2003)-Research Methodology Methods and Techniques- WISHwa Prakashan, New DeJhi.

National Association of Research and Treatment of Homosexuality. (2008). Statement on “Gay Affirmative Therapy.” In NARTH. Web.

National Association of Research and Treatment of Homosexuality (NARTH). (1997). New Study Confirms Homosexuality Can Be Overcome. Web.

Nicolosi, J. (2008) Fathers of Male Homosexuals: A Collective Clinical Profile. In NARTH. Web.

Nicolosi, J. (2008). Why I Am Not a Neutral Therapist. In NARTH. Web.

Ojeda, A. (Ed.). (2004). Homosexuality: Opposing Viewpoints, Greenhaven Press.

Shlemon, A. (2006) “10% of the Population is Gay” The Story Behind the Myth. In Stand to Reason. Web.

Strauss, L. (n.d.). Homosexuality: The Christian Perspective. In Bible. Web.