Homosexual & bisexual orientations
Are they changeable or unchangeable?
Are they normal or abnormal?
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Note: The first draft of this essay was written in 1996 and uses the term
"homosexual" in its scientific sense as one of three normal and natural sexual
orientations.
Since then, the word has become a hate/snarl word within some groups.
It is not intended to be a derogatory term in this essay and on this website,
merely a term describing the gender(s) to which a person is sexually attracted.
Quotations:
 | These postings illustrate the great chasm between the two "solitudes"
on matters related to same-sex behavior. They were taken from the "Why I left my gay sexual lifestyle" discussion
group on Amazon.com:
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Comment: "I'm curious why it is so hard to believe that someone can
change."
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Response: "Because so many of us have tried so hard without even the
hint of change. And then we find out that those who promised us 'change'
still have homosexual desires."
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Comment: "Everyone that I personally know who is homosexual
experienced some sort of sexual trama as a child."
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Response: "I live within the gay community and have for over 30 years -- and
I've never met a gay man or lesbian who experienced some sort of sexual
trauma as a child.
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| Some say no. The vast majority of human sexuality researchers, therapists,
religious liberals, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals
agree that a person's future sexual orientation is determined before they reach school
age -- perhaps at birth; perhaps at conception. Once established, sexual attractions are always or almost always unchangeable.
In terms of behavior by sexually
active adults, researchers accept three normal, natural expressions of sexual feelings and attractions:
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Heterosexuals (over 90% of the adult population) can chose to enter into sexual
relationships with members of the opposite sex, or be celibate.
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Homosexuals (about 5%) can chose to become involved with members of the same gender
or be celibate.
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Bisexuals (fewer than 5%) can become involved with members of either gender or be
celibate.
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| | Some say yes. Many of the conservative religious organizations feel that sexual
orientation is a matter of choice, is sinful behavior, and can be changed through
counseling and prayer. Some religiously based ministries,
and mutual support/self help groups, and a very small percentage of
therapists specialize in
changing the behaviors of persons with a homosexual or bisexual orientation. Such groups often mention that "change is possible." They often talk about "leaving the homosexual lifestyle." However, they don't say what type of change is possible, or what leaving a lifestyle specifically means. It seems that it doesn't refer to changing a person's sexual orientation, only their behavior. Their long-term
successes appear to be in two areas:
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convincing bisexuals to restrict their sexual activities to members of the opposite sex.
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convincing homosexuals to remain celibate. |
"Ex-gay" groups rarely advertise that they are unsuccessful at changing
their clients' sexual orientation. They mainly discuss successes at
behavioral change. 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. In reality, same-sex attraction always or almost always remains.
Mel White, who once ghost-authored many books for Evangelical leaders, found
his business collapse when he came out of the closet and became publicly
known as gay. He wrote the book: "Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and
Christian in America," a heart-wrenching story of his decades-long
attempts to convert his orientation
from gay to straight. 1 Most religious Conservatives base their conclusions on three passages and
groups of passages from the
Bible:
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They believe that various Biblical verses
-- often called "clobber passages"-- condemn all forms of same-sex
behavior. Many secularists and religious liberals believe that these
same passages refer to homosexual rape, homosexual
prostitution, homosexual ritual sex in a Pagan temple, heterosexuals
engaging in same-sex orgies, males sexually molesting boys, and bestiality -- men having sex with non-humans. The latter
conclude that these passages are silent about loving, consentual
same-sex behavior.
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The Bible consistently represents marriage as only occurring between a man and one or
more women. St. Paul and other New Testament writers in particular condemn sexual activity, except
between married spouses. In the Jewish and early Christian communities, this meant a man married to one or more women.
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Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:17, writes that "Therefore if any
man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new." In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11,
Paul refers to many behaviors that will prevent a person from
attaining heaven. He concludes: "And
such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but
ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of
our God." Most religious conservatives interpret these passages
as teaching that when gays and lesbians become born again, their sexual orientation
will be automatically changed and they will become heterosexual. If they do not change, then they are apparently not saved.
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Since there are numerous passages in the Bible that guarantee that God always answers
the prayers of believers, conservative Christians generally believe that prayer can change
a sincere individual with a homosexual orientation into a heterosexual. However, in reality, prayer has limitations. Just as prayer will not cause an amputated leg to regrow, it seems to be unable to change a person's sexual orientation. Like gender identity, sexual orientation appears to be unchangeable.
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Most of the appears to agree with the former belief system --
that sexual orientation is fixed. As early as 1998-JUL, the McLaughlin Group
2
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.
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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 all mammals and some other species, including: 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."
3
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 lesbian partner have
been found to produce more and healthier eggs. 4,5 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." 5
Related essays:
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Mel White, "Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America," Plume, (1995). Read
reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
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The McLaughlin Group's home page is at: http://www.mclaughlin.com
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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
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Athenadorus, "Homosexuality: Its Genetic Basis & Evolutionary
Benefit," at: http://www.danaanpress.com/
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"El Paso Herepeofauna: Lizards: New Mexico Whiptail"
at: http://www.utep.edu/epbionet/cheklist/herps/
Copyright © 1996 to 2011 by Ontario Consultants on
Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2011-JAN-02
Author: B.A. Robinson 
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