...Introduction Homosexuality is defined or characterized as attraction towards the same gender either male or female. It came from the Greek language, where “homo” means the same or similar, hence referring to the attraction between two beings of the same sex. Homosexuality is also referred as a clinical term. Most male homosexuals generally prefer to be called "gay men" and most homosexual women generally prefer to be called "lesbians." Homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation, alongside bisexual and heterosexual. The longstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality is an example of normal and positive variation in human sexual orientation. Currently the most common adjectives in use are lesbian for women and gay for men, though gay can refer to either men or women. The American Psychology Association defines sexual orientation in the following way: “Sexual orientation is an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual, or affectionate attraction toward others”. There are three broad categories within the family of sexual orientations which are defined as: heterosexuality, homosexuality (gay orientation) and bisexuality. The origins of homosexuality has been surfacing now and then in our time and we will look at how the future will hold for them(homosexuals). Literature Review Nowadays, homosexuality is an uncomfortable and even forbidding topic for many, but in the ancient...
Words: 3697 - Pages: 15
...ROSKILDE UNIVERSITY 2005 HOMOSEXUALITY Joanna Barnecka Kinga Karp Mie Lollike Psychology, Modul Autumn Semester 2005 Group Number 107 Supervisor: Bettina Hjortholt Characters: 106.189 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 2 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 2 MOTIVATION.............................................................................................................. 3 PROBLEM DEFINITION ............................................................................................... 4 CARDINAL QUESTION ................................................................................................ 4 SUB-QUESTIONS ......................................................................................................... 4 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 5 INTRODUCTION TO THE TERM HOMOSEXUALITY .................................... 6 THEORETICAL BACKGROUNDS FOR UNDERSTANDING HOMOSEXUALITY................................................................................................... 9 HOMOSEXUALITY FROM A BEHAVIOURISTIC POINT OF VIEW ................................ 10 HOMOSEXUALITY FROM A BIOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW ....................................... 16 HOMOSEXUALITY FROM A PSYCHODYNAMIC POINT OF VIEW....
Words: 16665 - Pages: 67
...HOMOSEXUALITY- PERSONAL VIEW I come from a country where homosexuality is such a taboo subject that it is not even covered much on the media. A news channel that discusses the issue is actually considered quite ‘brave’. Previously, I haven’t really gotten the chance to think about homosexuality and my viewpoint on it. I have always studied in a co-ed school, have had crushes on fellow guy classmates and have always had friends who were just like me. The thought of getting attracted to a girl or knowing any other female friend who did, was just disgusting, gross and unacceptable to me. My closest friends have been homophobic, so much that even when other girls would get physically close with each other as a joke, it would make them cringe and as a result I always kept a distance from them as well. I had my personal space, and any girl exploiting it would ‘freak’ me out. The subject of homosexuality was never even discussed at home with family. “Omg, you’re so gay” was the only phrase friends would use to mock a girly behavior of a guy friend, eventually forcing the male friend to stop behaving a particular way. The action would never be repeated again to avoid any further humiliation. The phrase itself was enough of an insult. Coming to Malaysia, I saw a lot of homosexuals around me. It disgusted me in the beginning but then a revelation came upon me. Normal, nice, fun and good friends of mine declared their mixed sexuality. Two of my closest female friends revealed that...
Words: 834 - Pages: 4
...HOMOSEXUALITY AND CHRISTIANITY 3 Working Outline I. The term homosexuality is frequently use to describe both orientation and behavior. (Main idea). A. People often use the terms sexual identity and sexual orientation interchangeably. 1. Sexual identity relates to individual expression of feelings. whether heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual involved in the metabolic processes of the brain and body. a. Heterosexual feelings involve an emotional and/or a physical attraction to the opposite sex. b. Homosexual feelings involve an emotional and/or a physical attraction to the same sex. c. Bisexual feelings involve an emotional and/or a physical attraction to same and opposite sex. 2. Sexual orientation describes the direction and focus of sexual and emotional attractions experienced by a person. a. Sexual direction and focus b. Emotional attraction and focus B. Many myths surrounding homosexuality exist and they need to be corrected. Here are five essential myths (First subordinate idea). 1. Perhaps the most destructive is the beliefs that homosexuals are child molesters. a. A homosexual can molest a child. b. A heterosexual can molest a chld. 2. The belief that homosexuals are promiscuous and incapable of long-term committed monogamous relationships. c. This is a general statement that shows no knowledge of this particular population...
Words: 2970 - Pages: 12
...introduction Homosexuality is sometimes also defined in terms of an attraction, preference, orientation, or identity. The term "orientation" is particularly favored by those who are promoting public acceptance of homosexuality.[2] Genetics and Claims of the immutability of homosexuality For more information please see: Homosexuality and Genetics A common argument is that an inclination to homosexuality is inborn and immutable. It is widely believed that the public will become more accepting of homosexuality if they are convinced that it is inborn and immutable. For example, neuroscientist and homosexual Simon Levay stated: "...people who think that gays and lesbians are born that way are also more likely to support gay rights."[3] Research into the issue of the origins of homosexuality suggests that adoptive brothers are more likely to both be homosexuals than the biological brothers, who share half their genes which suggests that homosexuality is not genetically caused. [4][5] This data prompted the journal Science to report "this . . . suggests that there is no genetic component, but rather an environmental component shared in families".[6][7] However, in regards topsychosocial and biological theories in regards to the origin of homosexuality, Columbia University psychiatryprofessors Drs. William Byrne and Bruce Parsons stated in 1994: "There is no evidence that at present to substantiate a biological theory. [T]he appeal of current biological explanations for sexual orientation...
Words: 1488 - Pages: 6
...Homosexuality - Theological Intro By Thomas Coy September 2008 Introduction to the theological aspects of homosexuality and the gay rights movement As a student of the medical debate over homosexuality, the gay rights movement, and the Bible, I believe I have an insightful perspective on the debates over homosexuality. In the last half of the twentieth century a divisive theological debate over homosexual behavior developed when gay activists created their own revisionist interpretation of the Bible to support their claim that homosexual behavior is neither immoral nor sinful. This revisionist theology has been labeled “gay theology.” Many Christians are not aware that in 1968 a gay activist started a Christian denomination called the Metropolitan Community Church based on gay theology. In this introduction I will point out some obvious errors in gay revisionist arguments and outline a much wider scope of biblical principles that are related to how the church deals with homosexuals and the gay political movement. Scripture and gay revisionism Gay activists contend there are only seven scriptures that address homosexuality in the Bible and therefore homosexual behavior is insignificant in scripture. Gay activists also contend that theologians have misinterpreted the seven scriptures. The seven main scriptures are the Genesis account of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), the Mosaic Law in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, the letter by Jude verse 7, and the Apostle Paul’s letters...
Words: 3990 - Pages: 16
...Instructor: Course 06/12/2015 Analysis of what modern scholars know and Near East ancients view concerning homosexuality According to the Christian Reformed Church, homosexuality refers to a sexual condition in which persons of the same sex are sexually attracted towards one another. In the current society, different societies have had different perceptions and opinions concerning the act of homosexuality. Due to this there is the need to know what the modern scholars know about homosexuality and how those living in the ancient Near East have viewed the whole issue. Looking at the ancient Near East, the law codes and those living in these areas essentially ignored the homosexual act. Looking at some parts of the North East such as Turkey and Syria, there existed one law that stated clearly that if a man went ahead and decided to violate his son by practicing homosexuality that was a capital crime. According to these people living in this area, this was a crime not because they were of the same sex but because the partner was his son. Harry Hoffner, who is a person from this area later, added that their statement was not strongly against homosexuality and hence the statement they made appeared to have the meaning that the act of homosexuality was not illegal among the Hittites. Looking at the modern Assyrians scholars, it is evident that homosexuality is not condemned, and it is hence not perceived as a moral disorder. The whole act was only despised, and those...
Words: 710 - Pages: 3
... According to the American Psychological Association, the largest association of psychologists in the world, homosexuality is an enduring emotional, romantic and sexual attraction among people of the same gender. Homosexual is the general term referring to a person with homosexuality, however, usually used for a man sexually attracted to people of the same sex when lesbian is the term for a woman whose sexual orientation is expressed only towards women. Homosexuality, according to psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, does not cause any illness, mental disorder or emotional problems. It has also been proved not to attach with mental disorders or emotional or social problems. In Vietnam, nowadays, homosexuality is no longer a rare phenomenon. However, it is not easy to notice homosexual people in Vietnam since most of them are trying to hide their homosexual orientation for fear of being discriminated. Many Vietnamese people have believed that homosexuality is no less than a disease. In their opinion, those with sexual feelings towards people of the same sex are abnormal, weird and degenerate. Some people even consider homosexuality as a social evil. The following contents will deal with four main parts to clarify if all those things are true about homosexuality: homosexuality throughout Vietnamese history; homosexuality in Vietnamese laws, arts, scientific researches and studies; the coming out of homosexuals...
Words: 3979 - Pages: 16
...I would like you to write on homosexuality, with a special reference to the ancient world and to other cultures. To what extent does the social understanding of sexuality in the ancient world and in other cultures illustrate the notion that heterosexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality are cultural constructions? Devote most of your paper to offering a clear explanation of the concepts, and only a final section (no more than 20% of your paper) to your critical assessment. Homosexuality behavior varies from culture to culture, but it is heavily practiced in the Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands and native America. The three basic forms of sexual practices that are known around the world are transgenerational, transgenderal, and egalitarian. Transgenerational is the sexual practice in which the people involved in sexual intercourse have a different or often large age gap, in transgenderal the individuals are of the opposite gender, and in egalitarian the partners are socially viewed the as the same gender (Grenberg pg.2). In cultures like the Coerunas Indians of Brazil, the homosexuality that was practiced heavily was trangenerational. Older men healers in these societies would consider it a ritual and a common way of life, to take a young boy healer into the forest for a long period of time to engage in sexual activity for the purpose of transferring his special powers into the boy. In a number of New Guinea cultures like the In the other cultures,what cultures? an older...
Words: 1576 - Pages: 7
...In the past, the general view and study of homosexuality was based upon the treatments, and what was needed to be done to treat this issue. But, throughout the last decade, Sociologist and Psychologist views changed from believing that homosexuality was something that just generally needed to be treated into something that they believe could be prevented if they were able to find evidence that could help them to distinguish the reasons why this occurred initially in children. Some Sociologists and Psychologists believe that this was due to biological factors, while other Sociologists and Psychologists believed that Sociology factors were the main influences that brought about the changes. Though the general belief in how and why this occurs is different, the great majority of Sociologists and Psychologists all believe that they are not born with the preconceived notion that they are homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual themselves; their sexual identity evolves slowly, over a period of time. In the earlier decades, the main concern about the biological basis of sexual orientation was initially brought up when British sexual liberators named Havelock Ellis and Edward Carpenter argued that laws against same-sex sexual activities should be dropped because people engaging in such activities were biologically different from those with opposite-sex partners: they called such people “inverts”. The use of the word “homosexual” as a noun designates a certain kind of person-rather that...
Words: 956 - Pages: 4
...Homosexuality From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about homosexuality in humans. For homosexuality in other animals, see Homosexual behavior in animals. Sexual orientation Male and female symbols overlaid Sexual orientations Asexual Bisexual Heterosexual Homosexual Non-binary categories Androphilia and gynephilia Non-heterosexual Pansexuality Polysexuality Queer Research Biological Human female sexuality Human male sexuality Demographics Environment Hetero/homosexual continuum Kinsey scale Klein Grid Neuroscientific Queer studies Sexology Timeline of sexual orientation and medicine Non-human animals Animal sexual behaviour Non-reproductive sexual behavior in animals Homosexual behavior in animals (list) Category Category v t e Part of a series on Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people LGBT flag Sexual orientation Homosexuality Demographics Biology Environment History LGBT history Timeline Social movements Culture LGBT community Coming out Pride Slang Symbols Gay village Rights Laws around the world Marriage Union Adoption LGBT parenting Military service Legal aspects of transgenderism Intersex human rights Social attitudes Heteronormativity LGBT stereotypes Queer Religion and homosexuality Religion and transgender Prejudice / Violence AIDS stigma Anti-intersex Biphobia Genderism Heterosexism Homophobia Lesbophobia Binarism Sexualism Suicide among LGBT youth Transphobia Violence against LGBT people LGBT trafficking ...
Words: 12671 - Pages: 51
...Maria Cruz P1 Rough Draft Homosexuality is an extremely controversial topic. There is an incredibly large amount of available arguments regarding this subject, making it disputable. One available argument is the ‘stop saying gay marriage’ debate. Some people are really flustered by the fact that we say ‘gay marriage’ instead of just ‘marriage’. I completely understand this viewpoint, because the specificity of the term seems to imply that there is something different and special about two people of the same sex getting married. Although the word ‘special’ can be described as a good thing in certain cases, it has a negative connotation when we’re talking about homosexuality. Marriage is something shared by two people who love each other. Why we have to put so much emphasis on the gender, race, and color of these two people is ridiculous. Before I get off topic, I’d like to say that those who are a bit too bothered by the term ‘gay marriage’ or ‘same-sex marriage’ might also be a little over-sensitive towards the topic. I, not being a heterosexual person, am not offended by the term. I do believe that for a change in society, we must stop using them, though. Another debate relevant to homosexuality would be the one about schools not teaching positive messages about homosexuality to students. The reasoning behind this argument is due to the brain’s sponge-like resemblance. Humans, especially during their younger years, tend to absorb information at very impressive rates...
Words: 1119 - Pages: 5
...Homosexuality from a New Perspective Sexuality means many different things to different people, especially sexuality of a homosexual nature. Everyone has their own personal ideologies about sexuality, many of which have been forced on us by mainstream society's portrayal of what of is right or wrong. Bersani's objective is to take these societal sexual idiosyncrasies and turn them upside down to reveal how he feels gay male sex should be. In Bersani's article, Is the Rectum a Grave?, he entertains ideas of the self, sexuality (especially homosexuality), and power. Bersani believes that abolishing the self opens many options sexually and psychologically. He rejects conventional ideologies pertaining to sexuality like gender, identity and inequality but proposes new ways of thinking about sex and ones sexual identity by showing the reader new and unusual ways of viewing homosexuality and sexuality in general. In the article, Bersani discusses "the self" and that it should be eradicated. The following is what Bersani thinks of "the self": It is the self that swells with excitement at the idea of being on top, the self that makes of the inevitable play of thrusts and relinquishments in sex an argument for the natural authority of one sex over the other. This quote displays Bersani's thoughts of how one's self controls the way they have been trained to think. The self is formed through a lifetime's worth of experiences, actions, lessons, and just living in the world...
Words: 1508 - Pages: 7
...ClayBreanna DavisBrandon Telfair| HOMOSEXUALITY| Introductory Psychology| | [Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document.]| | | 4/26/2012| | Brandon Telfair April 22, 2012 Homosexuality Homosexuality is becoming more common in today's society, whether it be gays or lesbians homosexuals are among us. According to science 8 to 15 percent of males and slightly less females today are of the homosexual race. In comparison, there are as many gay and lesbian citizens the world as there are unemployed citizens. Being homosexual is an ongoing fight for whom ever is dealing with it. The constant reminders of society and the way your lifestyle is supposed to be can be a burden on them. Until recently homosexuality was thought to be a psychiatric disorder, but research has proved that theory to be false. We as Americans don’t completely know how to properly cope with homosexuals in our society. Although we have gotten a lot better, there are still some of us that look at homosexuals as outcasts. This is one of the main reasons that homosexuality is very secretive and not embraced. They draw the conclusion that the less people know the less they have to be ashamed of their sexuality. Spiritual beliefs are also another factor when struggling homosexuality. God loves all homosexuals but what...
Words: 1690 - Pages: 7
...Wikipedia Version Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual activity between members of the same sex or gender. As an orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectionate, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same sex. "It also refers to an individual's sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others who share them. Homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation, along with bisexuality and heterosexuality, within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum (with asexuality sometimes considered a fourth). Scientific and medical understanding is that sexual orientation is not a choice, but rather a complex interplay of biological and environmental factors,[1][3] especially with regard to early uterine environment.[4] While there are those who still hold the view that homosexual activity is "unnatural" or "dysfunctional",[5][6] research has shown that homosexuality is an example of a normal and natural variation in human sexuality and is not in and of itself a source of negative psychological effects.[1][7] Prejudice and discrimination against homosexual and bisexual people (homophobia) have, however, been shown to cause significant psychological harm, and are especially damaging to children who are homosexual or bisexual. The most common terms for homosexual...
Words: 985 - Pages: 4
