Homosexuality Chapter Summary

During the late 19th century, the ideals of middle-class, respectable sexuality were in a state of flux. Published findings by renowned psychiatrists such as Richard von Krafft-Ebbing and Sigmund Freud helped to recreate and build upon sexual knowledge, establishing never before heard of terms for a variety of sexual behaviors. Often, therein lies an implicit bias when codifying topics of study. Therefore, due to the major shifts during the late 19th and early 20th century in how sexuality is classified scientifically and medically, psychiatry plays a primary role in creating concepts such as “normal” and “abnormal” sexuality.

Homosexuality is not a “disease” as Dr. Levin and his colleagues would call it. During the process of this experiment, Levin learned that forced gender reassignment paired with other harsh methods does not cure hmosexuality, instead it can make indivduals reluctant to reveal their self- accepted lifestyles, can cause ideations of self-harm due to the emotional distress and mental confusion, and are overall detrimental to the individual's’

The article dives into the 'gay gene’; a gene where individuals had hoped that would be the answer to peoples orientation. While scientists have found some new information regarding chromosomes and genetics, there still is no simple answer that reassures anyone that there is a single 'gay gene ' that defines their orientation.

Media coverage surrounding alternative sexualities has also expanded in recent years and, in the wake of gay liberation and the emergence of lesbian and gay studies, an ever increasing flow of academic documentation pertaining to sexual orientation has flourished. We now know more about homosexual lives in general and about the experiences of particular groups such as those in prison those who offer sex in exchange for money and those who lived during particular historical periods. However, with the knowledge and awareness about what it means to be gay or lesbian has increased considerably, there remains an ignorance on a number of homosexual issues. Explanations of why sexual orientations differ are still inadequate, and in a

According to the article, Homosexuality: know the truth and speak it with compassion, the author Shlemon argues for the issue of same-sex marriage. He is trying to convey his approach or belief on the issue which is knowing the truth and having compassion when talking about the issue along with the Christianity.

The development of sexuality begins right after birth and continues to develop throughout our lifespan. According to Chapter 9 it states that ¨Sexuality is a normative part of adolescent development and it plays an important positive role in growth and development¨ (Hyde, pg. 228). Understanding that sexuality influence physical, mental and social well-being of an individual it is will be my responsibility to create a positive conversations around this topic with my future son. As a Hispanic women I will discuss with my son at the age thirteen about sexuality and healthy sexual behaviors. In addition, I will provide him with a clear understanding of what sexuality is and how it will develop further as an adolescence. Furthermore, these conversations will discussion body awareness, physiological changes that occur and information on sexual orientation and safe sex practice.

For a long time, the minority of silent and ignored homosexuals has had to face and cross over not only internal fears, doubts and shame, but also the external fears of the risk of disapproval, rejection and maybe even death. Such fears stem from the widely-held belief that homosexual acts are abnormal behaviors as a symptom of a mental disease. As a consequence, this preconception, along with the displeasure with the idea of homosexuality, leads many families who have gay or lesbian children to seek a “cure” for what are called “unnatural” impulses. The afflicted individuals might suffer numerous methods of sexual reorientation therapy. However, considering the characteristics of a disease, homosexuality should not be considered as such if

The origin and cause of human sexual orientation have been highly debated topics between sociologist and biologists. Most scientists believe sexual orientation is biologically determined while sociologists argue that it is socially constructed. There is a third belief that human sexual orientation is not solely biologically determined or socially constructed. From this belief come theories that combine both arguments, where human sexual orientation contains a biological component and a social component. One of the conjoint theories is that humans are born with a propensity for certain sexual tendencies which are determined biologically, and these tendencies are developed into a complex sexual identity as an adult. This development of sexual tendencies into a sexual identity is influenced by society, and therefore, sexual orientation depends on biological influences as well as society and social influences. There is various evidence and arguments for biological determination and social construction of sexual orientation, as well as a few conjoint theories of sexual orientation, but there are also criticisms of each theory and the validity of these arguments will be explored.

As with heterosexuality many people will admit that they have engaged in homosexual experimentation at least once. Although, throughout time many have tried to explain homosexuality and why some people are drawn to the same sex. one theory that can possibly explain homosexuality is the lack of adequate heterosexual experiences during childhood (p.). the second theory is the inverted version of the theory that presumed that

The development of gay identity emerged from men and women not being comfortable with the lives they were living. Traditional heterosexual roles caused both men and women to become unsatisfied with the way they were supposed to act. In a sense, they expressed heterosexual roles so that they won’t receive any backlash from the community they were a part of. The sexuality of someone was socially constructed, and that caused many people to have a difficult time coming out about which sex they prefer over the other. In Jeffrey Week’s “Sexuality in History”, Week discussed how sexuality is socially constructed as it gives aid in the development of one’s identity. Sexuality is something that people are able to express by the people they have something in common with. However, it is socially constructed since people labeled everything. “Indeed, I would go so far to say that sexuality only exists through its social forms and social organization” (Weeks 6). Sexuality was not based on the person, but how people will view their nonconformity in society.

Even before the term homosexuality was defined in the dictionary as sexual relations between people with the same gender. Psychologists, scientifics, philosophers, and religious leaders were arguing and investigating the origins of sexual orientation. Although some argue that people born gay, others have the opinion that gay people are influenced by the environment. Indeed, it is likely that today the society knows more about homosexuality, but from the earliest years BC the history shows relationships among people with different sexual traits. Meanwhile, homosexuals struggle for equality, people should stop their prejudgments and treat them as equal.

Compulsory heterosexuality is defined as the dominant norm for sexual orientation, thus to take on any other form of sexual orientation outside the norm is seen as a deviant act.1 This means that everything we perceive and everything we process in the world around us is seen through a heteronormative lens. My question is, does society play a role in creating this heteronormative views, or are humans naturally inclined or already born with such ideologies? Feminist theorist Judith Butler states that binary gender roles are outdated, and then develops the a feminist theory in which she merges gender and performativity. In an interview with XYZ, Butler stated in an interview suggests that gender performativity or gender in general proves to be

There is much debate that homosexuality is a developmental problem caused by a weak bond between a father and son during one’s childhood. A failed relationship with one’s father can lead the boy to not fully internalize male gender identity and develop homosexually (Baird & Baird, 1995). Consider the gender development of identity. Infants indentify with their mother who is the first and primary source of nurturance and care. As girls age, they continue to identify mostly with their mother and boys shift towards their father. Through a father-son relationship, masculine identification is attained which is necessary if the boy is to develop a normally masculine personality (i.e. heterosexuality). This development task helps explain why boys have more difficulty than girls in developing gender identity and may also explain the higher ratio of male to female homosexuality (Baird & Baird, 1995). It is important that

Homosexuality is defined as a predominant sexual attraction to persons of the same gender. For example, men being sexually attracted to other men and women being sexually attracted to other women (Exodus Global Alliance, 2017). Heterosexuality however, is the opposite of homosexuality. A heterosexual person has a sexual attraction to a person of the opposite sex, as opposed to an individual of the same sex. In Western society, heterosexuality has been constructed to be viewed as the norm, this however was not always the case. Sociologist Michel Foucault coined the term ‘homosexuality’ arguing that homosexuality was not discovered but produced. “Homosexuality appeared as one of the forms of sexuality when it was transposed from the practice of sodomy onto a kind of interior androgyny, a hermaphrodism of the soul.” Following on from the invention of the term known as homosexuality, medical doctors invented a counter-position, heterosexuality. Although same-sex relationships existed prior to the invention of this terminology, it encouraged people to identify themselves and others differently (Angel Daniel Matos, 2013). As a result, the judgment of gender and

1897 Havelock Ellis reflected his view of gays and lesbians as having an inside out, or inverted pattern of erotic attraction. Ellis had a desire to investigate the nature of sex. He needed to have a physiological understanding of humanity before he turned his attention to the psychology. Ellis was determined then to become a physician. Despite his training Ellis never made the practice of his medical training central to his professional life (Bering, 2013). One of this sexologist’s most important contributions was his clarifying that homosexuality is a psychological orientation, not simply a random sex act or behavior involving the same sex. He didn’t personally believe that gay and lesbians were perverts, but he used this term to convey how religious moralist wrongly saw homosexuals and other deviants as deliberately going against what is right, since for hundreds of years before it ever connoted anything sexual, pervert was an epithet