A Brief History
On December 15, 1973, with a vote of 13-0, the American Psychiatric Association agreed to remove homosexuality from its list of psychiatric disorders. Obviously, prior to this, the psychiatric world of medicine had considered homosexuality a mental problem, and this ruling was a major step in the social definition of sexual orientation.
Digging Deeper
Other questions remain unanswered though; at least consensuses have not yet been reached in their regard. For example, is homosexuality something a person is born with, or is it a learned behavior brought about by a person’s life experiences? Is homosexuality perhaps a choice, something that a person can consciously decide to practice? Or, can homosexuality be “prayed away” like some religions claim?
Some people believe homosexuality is inherently a “bad” thing in that the participants do not contribute to the genetic pool by reproducing. They also argue that the heterosexual activity that is needed in order for a species to survive is biological proof that the homosexual lifestyle is unnatural. Other critics of homosexuality cite religious proscriptions or just plain old tradition against the practice. Some even go to the extreme as to equate homosexuals with pedophiles, as if the two things were mutually indicative.
Today the laws against “sodomy” that officially outlawed homosexual behavior are a thing of the past, or at least they are in most developed countries. The U.S. military no longer rejects homosexual men and women, and discrimination against gay people is not permissible and often condemned.
Homosexuality has likely been around as long as humans have, and history is checkered with homosexuals and homosexual incidents. Question for students (and subscribers): So, should gay marriage be allowed across the U.S.? Should gay people be allowed to adopt or raise children? Should gay teenagers be allowed to attend school functions as a couple? Is it silly to even ask such questions because such things should be a “given?” The mere fact that these questions are being asked shows that gays do not yet have the rights or acceptance they deserve. Whether you agree with that last statement or not, let us know what you think in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) Task Force on Homosexuality. National Institute of Mental Health Task Force on Homosexuality: final report and background papers. University of California Libraries, 1976.