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 | Reason 1: They do not view homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality as
related to sexual attraction towards another person. They define the words
in terms of sexual behavior:
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| Reason 2: The word "orientation" implies a fixed property -- a factor that is a
foundational part of a person's being that cannot be changed. The word implies something that is discovered, not chosen. Many Christian
conservatives believe that homosexuality is chosen and changeable. They base
this belief largely on Corinthians 6:9-11:
The implication is that once a person is "saved," persons with a bisexual or homosexual orientation change so that they have a heterosexual orientation. It is worth noting that many theologians believe that terms such as "effeminate" and "abusers of themselves with men" are a mistranslation. |
Religious conservatives frequently prefer the terms:
| "Sexual preference" or "homosexual preference." That implies that gays and lesbians are really bisexuals. i.e. they are attracted by both men and women, but they have a "preference" for members of the same sex. Thus, they could all choose opposite-sex partners if they wished. |
| "Sexual lifestyle" or "homosexual lifestyle." That indicates that a homosexual orientation is not innate. It is a "lifestyle" selection, as in the choice of whether to marry or remain single, whether to get a job or be self-employed, whether to drive a car or ride a bicycle, whether to live in the city, suburbs or a rural area, etc. |
Their preferred terms imply that homosexuals have chosen to be gay and that they can easily change at any time.
Sexual orientation according to some religious conservatives:
Some religious and social conservatives have broadened the terms "sexual orientation" immensely beyond the three that other groups recognize.
They seem to have reasoned that if religious conservatives believe that sexual orientation is defined by sexual behavior, then all sexual behaviors may be defined as sexual orientations.
The result is that they add a wide variety of sexual feelings or behaviors towards men and women, animals, and children. They believe that "sexual orientation" covers heterosexual or homosexual attraction to persons of the same age group, incest, polygamy (both polygyny and polyandry), bestiality, pedophilia -- a total of perhaps 30 activities. By using this definition, they can conclude that any legislation giving equal rights to persons on the basis of their sexual orientation would also legalize bestiality, incest, sexual abuse of children, sexual abuse of youth, polygamy, etc.
The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC)
The TVC issued a news release 1 and published a special report 2 that defines 30 behaviors that they feel qualify as sexual orientations.
Rev, Lou Sheldon's news release referred to a federal employee protections act .R. 2232 3 that protects employees on the basis of their sexual orientation, but is lacking a definition of the term. He writes:
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The TVC list includes the three factors that are universally defined as sexual orientations: bisexuality, heterosexuality and homosexuality. These three are defined as:
| 4: Bisexuality: "The capacity to feel erotic attraction toward, or to engage in sexual interaction with, both males and females." |
| 9. Heterosexuality: "the universal norm of sexuality with those of the opposite sex." |
| 10. Homosexual/Gay/Lesbian: "people who form sexual relationships primarily or exclusively with members of their own gender." |
I was unable to find these definitions in the DSM-IV-TR. #9's definition seems very strange. I doubt that there are many members of the APA who regard heterosexuality as "the universal norm." #10's definition also looks strange. The APA defines homosexuality in terms of feelings, not sexual activity. As indicated in their essay "Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues," sexual orientation is defined in terms of attraction.
Seventeen additional urges and behaviors that the TVC considers to be "sexual orientations" appear to be taken from the DISM-IV-RT chapter on Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders, Pages 535 to 582. These are not sexual orientations! They are a list of what the APA calls "Paraphilias," which they define as being:
"...characterized by recurrent, intense sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors that involve unusual objects, activities, or situation and cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning."
The only disorder mentioned in the DISM-IV-RT that is related to sexual orientation is listed as #302.9. "Sexual disorder not otherwise specified." item 3 is:
"Persistent and marked distress about sexual orientation."
That is, heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality are not themselves sexual disorders. However, a patient who is exhibiting a great deal of distress about their sexual orientation is suffering from a disorder.
The TVC missed this one and did not include it .
Some of the paraphilias listed by the APA in DISM IV-TR and misnamed as sexual orientations by the Traditional Values Coalition are:
| 3. Autogynephilia - the sexual arousal of a man by his own perception of himself as a woman or dressed as a woman (Page 574) |
| 6. Exhibitionism - the act of exposing one’s genitals to an unwilling observer to obtain sexual gratification (Page 569) |
| 7. Fetishism/Sexual Fetishism - obtaining sexual excitement primarily or exclusively from an inanimate object or a particular part of the body (Page 570) |
| 17.Partialism - A fetish in which a person is sexually attracted to a specific body part exclusive of the person (Page 576) |
| 18.Pedophilia - Sexual activity with a prepubescent child (generally age 13 years or younger) ... . (Page 571) |
| 22.Telephone Scatalogia - sexual arousal associated with making or receiving obscene phone calls (Page 576) |
| 27.Transvestic Fetishism - intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving cross-dressing (Page 575) |
| Zoophilia/Bestiality - engaging in sexual activity with animals (Page 576) |
Finally, they added ten behaviors that they also define as "sexual orientations" including incest, prostitution, transgenderism, transexual, and transvestite.
Concerned Women for America (CWA)
Robert Knight The CWA wrote:
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By combining:
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The three generally accepted sexual orientations and |
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Paraphilias (sexual disorders), and |
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A bunch of other behaviors |
and defining them all as valid sexual orientations, one ends up with about 30 sexual "orientations" as in the TVC list.
References used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
- Rev. Lou Sheldon, "What is a 'Sexual Orientation'," News release, Traditional Values Coalition, 2007-JUN-04.
- "What is a 'Sexual Orientation'," Special report, Traditional Values Coalition, undated, at: http://www.traditionalvalues.org/
- The text of H.R. 2232 is at: http://www.govtrack.us/
- Robert Knight, " 'Sexual Orientation' and American Culture,' Concerned Women for America, 2002-JUL-10, at: http://www.cultureandfamily.org/
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Site navigation: Home > "Hot" topics > Homosexuality > Basic data > Orientation > here |
Copyright © 2007 & 2008 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Original posting: 2007-JUN-05
Latest update: 2008-MAR-25
Author: B.A. Robinson
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