{"id":29601,"date":"2015-11-25T08:30:12","date_gmt":"2015-11-25T16:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?page_id=29601"},"modified":"2015-11-30T10:41:32","modified_gmt":"2015-11-30T18:41:32","slug":"homosexuality","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/homosexuality\/","title":{"rendered":"Homosexuality"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SilhouetteHomosexuality<\/strong> can be described as the romantic or sexual attraction, relationships, and sexual behavior between individuals of the same gender. This term typically refers to those who are only attracted to those of the same gender. Individuals\u00c2\u00a0who experience same-sex attraction as well as attraction to individuals of other genders may more often\u00c2\u00a0describe themselves in other terms, such as\u00c2\u00a0bisexual<\/a>, pansexual<\/a>, or\u00c2\u00a0queer<\/a>, among others.<\/p>\n

Understanding Homosexuality<\/h2>\n

Sexual orientation<\/a> involves a diverse and complex range of behaviors. Homosexuality, or same-sex attraction, was widely believed in the past to be a form of deviancy. Many people considered same-sex attraction a sign of a mental health condition. However,\u00c2\u00a0same-sex attraction is now known to be a normal\u00c2\u00a0expression of sexuality<\/a>, not an indication of any type of mental health concern.

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According to recent statistics, approximately 2% of the population identifies as gay or lesbian. The actual number of individuals who experience same-sex attraction may be higher, since some people, for a variety of reasons, may choose not to disclose the fact of their attraction to other individuals of the same gender<\/a>. Some people may also choose not to act on their\u00c2\u00a0attraction. Social, religious, and political influences can have a significant impact on\u00c2\u00a0whether people\u00c2\u00a0outwardly express their sexual orientation. While some individuals and groups\u00c2\u00a0believe that a person can choose whether or not to experience same-sex attraction and refer to sexual orientation as a “preference” or “lifestyle choice,” this belief is now widely known to be false.<\/p>\n

Society in general has grown more accepting of homosexuality. Same-sex marriage is legal in a number of countries and has been legal in the entirety of the United States since June of 2015. Many states have enacted laws protecting same-sex couples against discrimination<\/a>. Thus, stigma<\/a>, judgment, and prejudice may be less prevalent than in the past.<\/p>\n

Homosexuality and Mental Health<\/h2>\n

Until 1973,\u00c2\u00a0homosexuality was classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0as a mental health disorder.\u00c2\u00a0The\u00c2\u00a0seventh printing of the DSM-II<\/em>, however, removed this classification, due to growing empirical evidence supporting homosexuality as a healthy aspect\u00c2\u00a0of human sexuality.<\/p>\n

The\u00c2\u00a01980\u00c2\u00a0edition,\u00c2\u00a0DSM-III, <\/em>instead\u00c2\u00a0listed\u00c2\u00a0ego-dystonic homosexuality as a condition. This was intended\u00c2\u00a0to provide a diagnosis for\u00c2\u00a0individuals who experienced distress related to arousal as a result of same-sex attraction. However, this inclusion continued to promote the view of homosexuality as pathological and, by 1986, homosexuality had been\u00c2\u00a0completely removed from the manual.<\/p>\n

Though personal beliefs about homosexuality may differ, research has shown same-sex attraction\u00c2\u00a0to be a natural expression of human sexuality, not a mental health condition, and this is reflected in current standards of professional health care.<\/p>\n

The Fallacy of Conversion Therapy<\/h2>\n

Conversion therapy<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0claims to be able to help people who are not heterosexual<\/a> change their sexual orientation and “become” heterosexual. Proponents of this therapy believe\u00c2\u00a0same-sex attraction\u00c2\u00a0to be\u00c2\u00a0a\u00c2\u00a0deviant behavior for\u00c2\u00a0which\u00c2\u00a0treatment is necessary, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.\u00c2\u00a0This controversial type of\u00c2\u00a0therapy, also called reparative therapy or sexual orientation change efforts, is not based in\u00c2\u00a0science\u00c2\u00a0and\u00c2\u00a0is largely recognized to be ineffective.<\/p>\n

In 2009, the\u00c2\u00a0APA issued a Resolution on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual Orientation Distress and Change Efforts, stating, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The longstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality per se is a normal and positive variation of human sexual orientation.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The resolution also makes clear the APA’s opposition to the use of conversion therapy, concluding\u00c2\u00a0that professionals should avoid telling people in therapy\u00c2\u00a0their\u00c2\u00a0sexual orientation can be changed. Many human rights activists have also firmly stated their opposition to conversion therapy. Among them is President Obama, who\u00c2\u00a0has publicly condemned the practice of therapies aimed at changing the sexual orientation of youth who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer<\/a>, or\u00c2\u00a0transgender<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Impact of Homophobia<\/h2>\n

Although one’s sexual orientation is not indicative of mental health concerns, difficulty experienced as a result of\u00c2\u00a0stigma, discrimination, and homophobia<\/a> can often\u00c2\u00a0have a negative impact on a person’s mental health.\u00c2\u00a0Homophobia, or\u00c2\u00a0the fear<\/a>, hatred, and\u00c2\u00a0intolerance of people who experience\u00c2\u00a0or are believed\u00c2\u00a0to experience\u00c2\u00a0same-sex attraction,\u00c2\u00a0may be aimed at others or at oneself. Some individuals may find their attraction to members of the same gender\u00c2\u00a0difficult to accept. This internal conflict\u00c2\u00a0may result from internalized homophobia, personal beliefs, or a number of other reasons.<\/p>\n

Experiencing prejudice and stigma as a result of one’s orientation can lead to frustration, depression<\/a>, hopelessness<\/a>, and a number of other concerns. In some cases, homophobia may lead individuals to engage in acts of self-harm<\/a> or to attempt suicide<\/a>. Research indicates individuals affected by homophobic beliefs and behavior may be more likely to report mental health concerns such as severe depression and suicidal ideation. Homophobia can also lead to hate crimes and other violence.<\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. Jenkins, W. J. (2010). Can anyone tell me why I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m gay? What research suggests regarding the origins of sexual orientation. North American Journal of Psychology, 12, <\/em>279-295.<\/li>\n
  2. Bailey, N.W. & Zuk, M. (2009). Same-sex sexual behavior and evolution. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 24, <\/em>439-446.<\/li>\n
  3. Ward BW, Dahlhamer JM, Galinsky AM, Joestl SS. Sexual orientation and health among U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2013. National health statistics reports; no 77. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2014.<\/li>\n
  4. Anton, B. S. (2010). Proceedings of the American Psychological Association for the legislative year 2009: Minutes of the annual meeting of the Council of Representatives and minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors. American Psychologist, 65<\/em>, 385\u00e2\u20ac\u201c475. doi:10.1037\/a0019553<\/li>\n
  5. Shear, M. D. (2015). Obama calls for end to \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcconversion\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 therapies for gay and transgender youth. The New York Times<\/em>. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.nytimes.com<\/li>\n
  6. Matthew\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s story (n.d). Matthew\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Place. <\/em>Retrieved from: http:\/\/www.matthewsplace.com\/matthews-story<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Homosexuality can be described as the romantic or sexual attraction, relationships, and sexual behavior between individuals of the same gender. This term typically refers to those who are only attracted to those of the same gender. Individuals\u00c2\u00a0who experience same-sex attraction as well as attraction to individuals of other genders may more often\u00c2\u00a0describe themselves in other […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2924,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"psychpedia.php","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-29601","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2924"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29601\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}