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 | Changeable or fixed? |
| Normal or abnormal? |
| Moral or immoral? |
Can a Person Change their Sexual Orientation?
| Human sexuality researchers, religious liberals, gays and lesbians
generally agree that a person's sexual orientation is determined before reaching school
age. Once established, sexual feelings are unchangeable. In terms of behavior by sexually
active adults researchers accept three normal, natural expressions of sexual feelings:
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| Many of the conservative religious organizations disagree. They feel that sexual
orientation is a matter of choice, is sinful behavior, and can be changed through
counseling and prayer. Some ministries,
professional organizations and mutual support/self help groups specialize in
attempting to change homosexuals and bisexuals into heterosexuals. Their long-term
successes appear to be in two areas:
Such groups rarely advertise that they are unsuccessful at changing their clients' sexual orientation. They mainly discuss successes at behavioral change. They are sometimes able to convince people to leave the "homosexual lifestyle" -- that is they convince homosexuals to become sexually inactive, and convince bisexuals to seek only relationships with opposite-sex partners. We have not been able to find a single case where an adult with a homosexual orientation has been able to develop an attraction to a person of the opposite gender through counseling or prayer. Some who are bisexual change their behavior from same-sex to opposite-sex involvement. Others who are homosexual, decide to remain celibate. Some are able to train themselves to engage in heterosexual behavior by fantasizing that they are with a person of the same gender. They may even marry. But almost all such marriages are doomed to failure. A heart-wrenching story of a gay male who attempted for decades to convert his orientation is described in Reference 26. Most religious Conservatives base these conclusions on three passages and groups of passages from the Bible:
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| The general public appears to agree with the former belief system - that sexual orientation is fixed. During the week of 1998-JUL-17, the McLaughlin Group 1 conducted a public opinion poll via the Internet on the effectiveness of "love, understanding and the word of God" in converting a gay or lesbian to heterosexuality. 93% believe that such techniques are ineffective in changing one's sexual orientation. |
Is homosexual behavior normal and natural?
This of course depends upon your definition of "normal". Homosexual behavior certainly does not feel normal or natural for heterosexuals; they often have strong feelings of revulsion towards the idea. Similarly, heterosexual behavior does not feel natural for homosexuals. Both homosexual and heterosexual behavior feels natural to persons with bisexual orientation.
Homosexual behavior is natural in the sense that it is extensively found in nature. It has been observed in: antelopes, boars, bulls, chimpanzees, cows, ducks, cats, dogs, fruit flies, geese, gorillas, gulls, horses, humans, langurs, rams, sheep, macaques, monkeys, turkeys and vervets.
Bruce Bagemihl, a biologist from Seattle, WA, found that in zoos, at least 5% of Humboldt penguin pairs are gay. He has prepared an encyclopedic survey of homosexual or transgender behavior among more than 190 species, including butterflies and other insects. An Amazon.com reviewer commented: "Throw this book into the middle of a crowd of wildlife biologists and watch them scatter. But Bagemihl doesn't let the scientific community's discomfort deny him the opportunity to show 'the love that dare not bark its name' in all its feathery, furry, toothy diversity." 2 The reviews of this book are well worth reading for their own value.
Whiptail lizards, (Cnemidophorus neomexicanus) found in the American southwest, are all females. They reproduce by parthenogenesis. Unfertilized eggs develop, producing an exact clone of its mother. Even though no males exist, the females still exhibit sexual mating behavior. Those that attract a partner have been found to produce more and healthier eggs. 3,4
Another source states that "Homosexuality exists in proven ratios in all mammal species....It is as natural as blue eyes, left-handedness, or the genetic predisposition to walk on two legs." 4
Is Homosexual Behavior Moral or Immoral?
This is a matter of opinion. The Gallup Organization commented in 2002 that: "Homosexuality continues to be one of the more complex and in some ways paradoxical areas of public opinion measured by Gallup. The issue is not only one of significant concern because of its traditional moral and religious overtones, but in recent years has been at the center of state and federal legislative battles, highly publicized court challenges and political debate." 5
In association with recent Gallop Polls described above, the following question was asked: "Do you personally believe homosexual behavior is morally wrong or is not morally wrong?" The question is not well designed. A person's answer might well depend upon what exact group is being referred to.
Most political and religious conservatives probably have no difficulty answering that it is always morally wrong. However, a substantial portion of the public probably believes that the morality of any sexual behavior depends upon the situation and the scope of the question:
| Homosexual behavior by heterosexuals might be considered morally wrong; the same activity by homosexuals might be acceptable. |
| Some subjects might interpret the question to with reference to themselves. i.e. whether homosexual behavior is morally acceptable or wrong for a person with their particular sexual orientation. |
| Others might interpret the question to refer to society at large. |
| Others might assume that the question refers only to persons with homosexual orientation. |
| Some subjects might consider any manipulative, coercive or unsafe sex to be immoral; consensual, safe sex by two adults in a monogamous, committed relationship to be moral - whether gay or straight. |
But answers such as "it depends upon the situation" are not allowed. It is surprising that a polling organization as skilled as the Gallup Organization would create such a poorly worded question. 6 It seems to reflect their belief that a single answer is possible for all situations and persons of all sexual orientations. One is left wondering what the results would be to a survey that asked: "Do you personally believe that it is morally wrong or not morally wrong for gays and lesbians to engage in homosexual behavior?"
| Date | Acceptable | Not acceptable | No opinion |
| 1982-JUN | 34% | 51% | 15% |
| 1992-JUN | 38 | 57 | 5 |
| 1996-MAR | 44 | 50 | 6 |
| 1997-APR | 42 | 52 | 6 |
| 1999-FEB | 50 | 46 | 4 |
| 2001-MAY | 52 | 43 | 5 |
| 2002-MAY | 51 | 44 | 5 |
| 2003-MAY | 54 | 43 | 3 |
American adults approval of homosexual behavior appears to be steadily increasing. The percentage of adults who are undecided is dropping steadily. The percentage of those who are undecided is also dropping. This appears to be primarily age-driven, as youth and young adults are must more accepting of homosexuality. 7
Related essays:
References:
- The McLaughlin Group's home page is at: http://www.mclaughlin.com
- Bruce Bagemihl, "Biological Exuberance: Animal homosexuality and natural diversity," St. Martins Press, (1999) Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
- Athenadorus, "Homosexuality: Its Genetic Basis & Evolutionary Benefit," at: http://www.danaanpress.com/alib/hsex.html
- "El Paso Herepeofauna: Lizards: New Mexico Whiptail" at: http://www.utep.edu/epbionet/cheklist/herps/hl08cnew.htm
- "Special report: Homosexuality," 2002-SEP-11, at: http://www.gallup.com/
- Gallop Poll Archives, "Americans remain more likely to believe sexual orientation due to environment, not genetics," at: http://www.gallup.com/POLL_ARCHIVES/980725.htm
- "Six out of 10 Americans Say Homosexual Relations Should Be Recognized as Legal," The Gallup Organization, 2003-MAY-15, at: http://www.gallup.com/ Gallup Poll data typically remains accessible to the public for a limited time, and then requires a premium membership to access.
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Copyright © 1996 to 2004 incl. by Ontario Consultants on
Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2004-MAR-18
Author: B.A. Robinson
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