Homosexuality or commonly refer to
as “gay” is a sexual orientation in which people experience sexual, affectionate,
or romantic attractions primarily or exclusively to people of the same sex. People
might wonder what exactly is the population of homosexual people out there.
Many researchs have been done to investigate this matter. The 2000 US Census
Bureau shows that homosexual couples make up less than 1% of American
household. The data from the Family Research Report shows that around 2-3% of men, and 2% of
women, are homosexual or bisexual, while The National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force reports that around 3 to 8 percents of the population is homosexual. All those researchs were done produce
different numbers, creating a doubt in the validity of those results. The reason
behind this is because homosexuality is a sensitive topic, difficult to
classify, and the methods of research. Most researches were done by asking
people about their sexual orientation. In the past, gay was viewed as a bad
thing so most gay people wouldn’t admit they are gay because they fear others
will know about it. In August 2002, Gallup did telephone interviews with 489 women and 518 men asking about their
sexual orientation. Because interviews through the phone protect the identity
of the interviewee, more participants were willing to answer the poll. The
result was that 21% of men are gay and 22% of women are lesbians. It means that
one out of five people of each sex in America is gay. The number tells us that a
large proportion of the population is gay. It is not an uncommon thing anymore.
We have to deal with how we perceive homosexuality.
Homosexuality has always been a
conversial topic, and has been discussed over and over again in many debates. In
the past, people try to medicalize it as a disease or a medical condition that
need to be treated. People viewed it as a bad thing just because homosexual
people were different from the norm. According to Scrimshaw 2006, disease is
the outsider view, usually Western biomedical definition, refer to an
undesirable deviation from a mesurable norm. This definition perfectly described
people’s views of homosexuality. Gay people were viewed as having a disease
just because they were different from the norm. Homosexual people were rejected
from the society and attacked by many religious groups. They were even rejected
by their friends and family members. That was why most gay people weren’t open
about their sexual orientation. The fear of being viewed as a freak and
discriminated by others drove them away from the society. That reason alone
make it almost impossible to estimate the gay population in United States. And
the United States is one of the developed countries that are very progressive
about this issue. In many parts of the world, discrimination against homosexual
people is even more harshly.
In recent years, there is a shift
in the perception of people about homosexuality. In last week lecture, we learn
that perception is a process of gathering information through any or all of our
senses, followed by the acts of organizing this information and making sense of
it. It is our view on matters or issues around us. Gay is one of them, and
people start to change the way they perceive it. Many people stood up and for
the rights and the acceptance of gay people. The evidence of this is gay marriage was
legalized in California in 2008 and laws legalizing gay marriage in Washington
have been passed in 2012. There has been a decreasing trend in negative views
toward gay people. Polls conducted in 2009 showthat 54% of the population opposed
legalizing gay marriage and 35% supported it. Present polls show that the percentage of the population opposing gay
marriage has decreased to 46% while the percentage of those favor gay marriage
has increased to 45%. And if we compare this data to the one in 1996, the
percentage of people opposing gay marriage has dropped by 19 percents. Polls ,asking
people about their views on the increasing number of gays and lesbians raising
children, also show the same trend. Four years ago, 50 percents said it was a
bad thing, 11 percents said it was a good thing, and 34% said it would make no
difference. Compare to today, 35 percents said it was a bad thing, 14 percents
said it was a good thing, and 48 percents said it would make no difference. The
numbers clearly tell us there is a shift in people’s opinions about
homosexuality. The number of people favoring it hasn’t increased by much
throughout the years but the number of people accepting it as a normal “condition”
has increased by a large percent.
People start to accept
homosexuality as a normal thing in the society. This is partly due to an
increasing in knowledge and education about homosexuality. Educated people are
more open minded than uneducated ones. They no longer attempt to medicalize homosexuality,
they stop trying to fix something that is not broken. The media also
contributes to this trend. Homosexual characters featured in Holywood movies,
become more and more common nowaday.
Above is a scene of the two main characters in the movie Broke back mountain Ennis and Jack. The main plot of the movie is the complex romantic relationship between Ennis and Jack. It is a huge success and widely accepted by the community. Their relationship started when they were teenagers in Wyoming. As the two men grew up, they married and had children. But their relationship didn't fade away, instead it became sexually. However, during the course of the movie, their lives took different twists and turns, preventing them from being together. Movies such as broke back mountain and milk support the acceptance of homosexuality. Many celebrities “come out of the closet”, become an example for others. Together with activists who fight for the rights of gay people, these movements increase the acceptance of homosexuality in the society. My personal view of it is homosexual people do no harm to us. It is totally wrong to discriminate against others just because they’re different from you. I believe that as more and more people are educated about this matter, homosexuality will be more widely accepted, not only in the United States but also around the world.
Duong Ly
Work Cite
"Most Say Homosexuality Should Be Accepted By Society." PewResearchCenter Publications . N.p., 13 2011. Web. 24 Oct 2012. <pewresearch.org/pubs/1994/poll-support-for-acceptance-of-homosexuality-gay-parenting-marriage>.
Robison, Jennifer. "What Percentage of the Population Is Gay?." Gallup. N.p., 08 2002. Web. 24 Oct 2012. <http://www.gallup.com/poll/6961/what-percentage-population-gay.asp&xgt;.
Image:
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2008/06/06/brokebackmountain460.jpg
Work Cite
"Most Say Homosexuality Should Be Accepted By Society." PewResearchCenter Publications . N.p., 13 2011. Web. 24 Oct 2012. <pewresearch.org/pubs/1994/poll-support-for-acceptance-of-homosexuality-gay-parenting-marriage>.
Robison, Jennifer. "What Percentage of the Population Is Gay?." Gallup. N.p., 08 2002. Web. 24 Oct 2012. <http://www.gallup.com/poll/6961/what-percentage-population-gay.asp&xgt;.
Image:
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2008/06/06/brokebackmountain460.jpg
Homosexuality is indeed a sensitive topic. Even people who are not gay tend to avoid sharing their own opinions about the homosexuals because of how they may also be perceived as for judging the gays. The way our society works in a way has an influence. The more we accept gay couples, the more we will consider it as a norm along with any other heterosexual couples or vice versa. If it is tough for the heterosexuals to bring up the topic, we can get an idea how much more difficult it will be for gay couples to admit it to the people. This definitely makes obtaining an accurate demography of the homosexuals much harder due to those who remain in silence or lie about their orientation.
ReplyDeleteFor me, gays are people that I still do not completely understand, but I don’t disapprove their relationships with the same sex because that’s their decision; it’s their life. I did, however, consider gays as possibly having some sort of difference in their biological feature compared to the heterosexuals. When I saw your title “Gay is not a medical condition,” I clicked on your blog because I was curious. It was a question that I still ask myself. Though in a social aspect, I do agree that the perception of the society have a big influence, I don’t think I am convinced that this is not a medical condition because you did not mention any regarding the biological/medical sense. Humans were designed in a way that was biologically meant for men and women to interact with one another for reproduction. In order for this to happen, they should also be attracted to one another, which I think has to do with psychology. When homosexuals are attracted to each other, it would defeat the purpose of reproduction. I know that what I am about to say may offend the homosexuals, but I think psychologically, homosexuals work differently than the heterosexuals. I don’t know if “something is wrong with them” because I don’t have any scientific background about this, but the truth is that homosexuals are indeed different and may have some biological/psychological reason to back up this difference.
However, in a way this can be countered because it may also be because of some sort of influence from the society, such as feeling unwanted, etc., may have caused men or women to turn homosexuals because they feel their own gender understand him or her better than when interacting with the opposite gender. You also mentioned about media, such as movies, playing a role in acceptance in the homosexuals and yes, it is a sign that our society is beginning to accept more homosexuals, but in a way, this can encourage even more heterosexuals to become homosexuals. I don’t want to say that this is wrong because this is in the end their choice, but I want to say that this can confuse people with their orientation. I honestly do feel uncomfortable when I see these scenes in media, but I just move on and let it be. I guess that’s a clear sign to know if you are and will remain heterosexual.
Homosexuality is a very controversial issue that the world is dealing with today. It is especially and important issue in this country since voting is now taking place. Homosexuals are being much more accepted and welcomed in communities. I think people who are very traditional still struggle with accepting homosexuals because it is new and evolving. Homosexuality is something that will need to take time to be fully accepted, not just in this country but also around the world. Even though some people may not agree with a homosexuals decisions and way of life, they should still respect them. Being homosexual does not make any one less of a person. People should be able to love who they choose.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a very good connection that Duong Ly made between homosexuality and disease. Duong states, “Gay people were viewed as having a disease just because they were different from the norm”. I’ve actually personally never heard the argument that if someone is homosexual they have a disease. I think that some people who disagree with homosexual’s way of life may treat them as if they have a disease though. Duong also mentioned that homosexuals felt like religious groups were attacking them. I personally am Christian and my parents are traditional Asian parents. My family doesn’t necessarily agree with homosexuality but we don’t believe in discriminating against them and we accept them as they are.
To be very honest, I am not quite sure where I stand on the issue of homosexuality. A part of me leans toward the beliefs that I have grown up with all my life, but on the other hand, being a young, college, and student myself, I am surrounded by new ideas, cultures, and ways of life. For me, it is really the struggle between sticking to my traditional roots or breaking away from those ideas and accepting the new, more modern ideas of ways to live life.
I think society really needs to grasp the fact that even though you may not agree with someone’s way of life you should not treat him or her any different you would someone else. In many other countries there are stricter rules and regulations against homosexuality. The legalization of gay marriage is still an issue that is being debated in this country, the end result of this issue will definitely change many things in this country, whether it is legalized or not. I also liked Duong’s connection to the movie Broke Back Mountain because I feel like homosexuality is really popular in the media now. There are countless movies and television shows that have homosexual characters. I think the increase of homosexuality being advertised in the media has helped people become more accepting of it. Television shows and movies help the audience see that homosexuals are just normal people and live normal lives.
My comment to the blog post written by Duong Ly will be referring to the post in its entirety not to any specific quote or statement.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found to be interesting about this blog post was that it addressed two large concepts that were discussed in the previous lectures, medicalization and perceptions. The topic of medicalization was discussed to be the practice of turning subjective behaviors, habits, and lifestyles into medical problems. And a perception was defined to be a point of view that is obtained through personally gathering information surrounding a certain topic. Duong Ly demonstrated how these two topics connect in an everyday topic such as sexual orientation.
Sexual orientation has a long history of labialization. It was originally thought of as a black or white choice, you are either hetero or homosexual. In fact most definitions have an origin in either-or stigmatizations. But over time the large grey area that surrounds definitions and labels has been revealed. And in most scenarios that people don’t understand they often choose to criticize. This criticism can then transform into the need to “fix” whatever “problem” they have identified. This is a possible pattern of thought that led the medicalization of sexual orientation. Whether there was ill intentions or genuine curiosity to the possibility of a biological component to sexual orientation doesn’t matter. Personally, I don’t care whether there is a gene mutation, or a hormone imbalance, or any of the other proposed reasons for homosexuality. A human is a human, and who people choose to love doesn’t make a difference in the quality of the being.
I think that the claim that Duong Ly is making is that individuals that identify as homosexual are no different than any other human being. Sexual orientation has been medicalized based on the biased perceptions of a portion of society. Luckily this label of homosexuality as being a “sickness” or “disease” is being removed from our vocabulary and a more tolerant understanding is replacing it. I completely agree with this fact and that only through tolerance will the full potential of our society be realized. Excluding and humiliating an unknown portion of the population is not acceptable and is harming us. Without accepting people for who they are we are ultimately stifling their potential; therefore weaken us all.
In the end I think that it is natural to be curious about anything that may be different than things that we may do in our personal lives, but I think that a better way to satisfy curiosity is through personal interactions rather than trying to “fix” someone that doesn’t need to be “fixed”.
I really enjoyed reading this blog post because it is something that is very relevant in today’s culture. The part of the blog post that stood out the most to me was the part where the author talks about gay as a norm. Since being gay is more common now we must accept it as something that is normal. Social norms relate heavily to how we act towards certain situations. I sat on a plane with a lady who grew up in the 60’s. During her life when she was in college, being gay was a disease that people got treated for. Then it became illegal. Her point of view on being gay simply is determined by levels of femininity. Since she is opposed to being gay in general and especially gay marriage she was very unhappy about the media representing being gay as a social norm. It was very interesting to hear someone talk about being opposed to gay marriage because living in Seattle in a big city where gays are accepted as a norm, I had never heard the other side of the argument.
ReplyDeleteSince I am not gay, I never really questioned what it must be like to be gay until I did a summer study abroad program and my best friend on the trip was gay. I loved him!! He was the most fun and we did everything together. That was my first experience with a gay friend and it made me mad that this lady tried to tell me that being gay was not a real thing and that everyone has levels of femininity that they need to deal with.
The fact that people used to think being gay was a disease and then illegal just shows how much western ideology can change throughout the years. We are constantly changing and innovating and creating new ideas about the world, people, cultures etc. One thing this lady did say to me that I liked was that, “we can make normal what we want to make normal”. With this, she was talking about how we can either take being gay as a social norm or not. I think it is important to take every human and get to know them and not judge them based on what they look like, how they dress, or who they like. We are all humans with different emotions and feelings towards things and just because we live in the same city and share the same culture does not mean that we are the same person.
We have come a long way towards accepting different religions, cultures, medicines, and it is good that we are accepting people’s different views and life choices. We have the power to choose what we think is acceptable and we should use that power to integrate rather than segregate.
Megan Macoubray
This blog really caught my eye because this is such a controversial topic. Duong talked about how society’s perception or acceptance of the gay and lesbian in society is receiving more acceptances. But also something that Duong addressed that is very interesting is that being gay or lesbian is not a medical condition. Even though there is no evidence that supports that it is or isn’t, I feel like people who don’t necessarily accept it want it to be a medical condition so they can accept it. Being gay or lesbian is something that people shy around. They don’t talk about it much because it doesn’t fit into the “norm” of society.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that in today’s society there is a lot more acceptances. Even being gay or lesbian isn’t fully accepted it has become more of a culture norm than what it was in the past. Like Duong said, the increase in amount of homosexuals has increased and I think a lot of it has to do with the culture “acceptance” of homosexuals. I feel like in this day and age people are more open to change than in the past. People are more open to different cultures, different lifestyles, and even very abnormal fashion like Lady Gaga’s fashion. Just as the picture entails, media has influenced the normalization of homosexuals in making movies such as Broke Back Mountain. Even influential people such as Ellen who have gained many supporters to the point where they disregard that she’s lesbian sees her as she is. Sometimes it’s almost “cool” to be different. But unlike fashion or lifestyle I personally believe that being gay or lesbian for the most part isn’t a choice. It is something that one cannot change. Just as I cannot change the fact that I am attracted to my boyfriend, or he is attracted to his girlfriend, or my father is attracted to my mother, gays and lesbians are the same. It is just that the person or persons that they are attracted to are the same sex as theirs. And personally to me, even if it is a choice why does it matter to everyone else. It doesn’t affect anyone else but those two who are I the relationship. Duong brought up also that people try to “medicalize” being homosexual because it out of the norm. Even though some research has been done on this there hasn’t been a break through that concludes that being gay is due to something biologically. I totally support the research because I think that anything is possible and there is not ruling out that being gay or lesbian could possibly be something biological. But I also think that many people resort to research and make themselves believe that being homosexual is the cause of something genetic or biological so they can accept it. Mental retardation or psychological problems are accepted and there is no prejudice against people with these issues because it is a fact of science. If therefore being homosexual concluded the same thing I think people would have to accept it. I agree with Duong that in today’s society homosexuality is definitely more accepted or if not accepted people are realizing that it is “normal”.
The blog titled, “Gay is not a medical condition” discusses the issue of whether being homosexual should be treated as a disease or not and the perception of homosexuality. Homosexuality is defined as a sexual orientation that an individual will experience a sexual attraction towards others of the same sex. There is much research done about the issue of homosexuality in regards the population of homosexuals in the United States. The data from Family Research Report and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force both had different results and showed that the research done previously was inconclusive in determining the actual population of homosexuals in the United States. But now research is being conducted via telephone to ensure the anonymity of the interviewee. The interview would ask the person via telephone about their sexual orientation and surprisingly because of this anonymity the results told a different story than the research that was previously done. The results showed that 21% of men are gay and 22% of women are lesbians (Blog) and that the amount of homosexuals living in America is vastly under represented in statistical reports. Although homosexuality is a rather controversial topic statistics show that one in out of five Americans considers themselves as gay (blog), which goes to show that such orientation is no longer uncommon. So why is it such a controversial topic to discuss? It may seem that in the past people attempted to medicalize homosexuality as a disease because gays are viewed to be outside the norm. The blog goes on to defining what “disease” is and how it can be applied to homosexuality. According to Scrimshaw 2006, “disease is the outsider view, usually Western biomedical definition, refer to an undesirable deviation from a measurable norm” (blog). The blog goes on to stating that in recent years there is a paradigm shift in the perception of accepting homosexuals as equals and not medicalizing it as a disease.
ReplyDeleteBut the problem is what is the measurable norm? It is safe to say that America’s belief system is predominately Christian based. And according to the bible, “homosexuality is a sin” But the measurable norm can be varied from different sub-cultures in America that may be different than the Christian Protestant belief system. In doing so the gays are prevented from being a part of a marital system, a marital system that largely maintains its Christian beliefs and normalcy that marriage should be between a man and woman. What’s even sadder is that the fact that the religious right wing is attempting to make the issue of homosexuality as a political issue. Apparently none of them have ever read the Constitution when our founding fathers clearly wanted, “Separation of Church and State” in which no religious beliefs should bleed onto the political agenda of politics. I personally believe that it is ridiculous how (most) religious people are attempting to ban gay marriage. It’s the same shenanigans as not allowing multiracial marriage back during the Civil Rights Movement. If one does not agree with homosexuality, then fine don’t marry someone of the same sex. But do not force one’s rather religious beliefs onto others. I commend politicians like Ron Paul, who personally believes that marriage should be between a man and woman, but he does not agree with the fact that government or another entity should institutionalize their beliefs and interfere with the rights of other people. I do agree that there is a shift in the acceptance of gays and whether to support gay marriage or not. As someone who is straight, I will continue to support the LGBT community as equals to heterosexuals and that they too deserve the same rights, not because of their orientation, but because they are also human beings just like you and I.
-Sophia Leung
Sickness is a social implication of a disease, and homosexuality is a sickness. I agree that homosexuality should not be ostracized. “Gay people were viewed as having a disease just because they were different from the norm. Homosexual people were rejected from the society and attacked by many religious groups. They were even rejected by their friends and family members.” I think it is absurd how a social perception led homosexuality to be associated with a mental disorder and a “problem.” Culture and society defined homosexuality as a problem because it contradicted the normal, socially accepted structure of heterosexual relationships. And I agree that the negative attitudes toward individuals who identify themselves as homosexuals are uncalled for; this social stigma of homosexuality needs to be debunked
ReplyDeleteI do, however, disagree with the generalized conclusion that was drawn from the telephone anonymous survey. “In August 2002, Gallup did telephone interviews with 489 women and 518 men asking about their sexual orientation… the result was that 21% of men are gay and 22% of women are lesbians. It means that one out of five people of each sex in America is gay. The number tells us that a large proportion of the population is gay.” The results of this particular survey that were collected was not a representative sample of the population and did no reflect the accurate statistic of the number of individuals who identify themselves as homosexuals in America. I believe that this survey was very narrow and provoked individuals who were afraid of public judgment and opportunity to share their sexual orientation with full disclosure. Therefore, I believe the audience was not random, but targeted toward the homosexual community. Therefore, the result was skewed. In USA Today, a more recent statistic was published in 2011 mentioning the estimated number of individuals who identified as homosexuals. “UCLA's Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy offered a new estimate of homosexual identification: concluding that 1.7% of Americans say they're gay, and a slightly larger group (1.8%) identified as bisexual.”
Although the recent consensus shows that homosexuality has not dramatically increased, it is still fair to say that homosexuality is becoming more familiar in our culture. Homosexuality is still far from become a social “norm,” but I agree with Duong’s statement, “it is not an uncommon thing anymore. We have to deal with how we perceive homosexuality.” This was supported by the decreasing trend of same sex marriage opposition. The cultural perception of homosexuality as being a sickness is changing. Homosexuality was stigmatized by society as a sickness but it is now gravitating toward focusing on the illness aspect of homosexuality—treating individuals who subjectively perceive themselves as suffering or disoriented. A document from the American Psychological Association (APA) formally proposed the change in the DSM-II in 1973 (This initiated the step in changing the cultural perception by removing homosexuality as a psychological mental illness). “By creating a new category, Sexual orientation disturbance… we will no longer insist on a label of sickness for individuals who insist that they are well and who demonstrate no generalized impairment in social effectiveness.” This shows that homosexuality is no longer medicalized, therefore it is no longer viewed upon as a disease. Society is also changing its views on stigmatizing homosexuality as a sickness, and it is only acknowledged on an individual basis when it is perceived as an illness.
Culture shapes and influences how communities and societies view health and healing. What used to be the black and white becomes grey; what used to be the norm changes. Culture is not static; it is always changing. And the issue and topic of homosexuality epitomizes the ability for society’s to change their perceptions and change their cultural views of acceptance.
Human beings have become social beasts. Their hopes, fears, desires, and habits have historically been defined according to what society deems as acceptable behavior. Any deviation from this “norm” is considered misconduct. Sex in itself is not political but it has become political because of regulation. In Duong Ly’s article, “Gay is not a medical condition”, the reader explores the controversy surrounding the acceptance of homosexuality in modern society. Ly describes the difficulty for homosexual individuals to label themselves as homosexual for fear of oppression from peers and institutional forces, Ly explains that with a broader cirriculum in our education system, we have begun to overcome this stigma. Ly articulates that "people start to accept homosexuality as a normal thing in the society. This is partly due to an increasing in knowledge and education about homosexuality. Educated people are more open minded than uneducated ones. They no longer attempt to medicalize homosexuality, they stop trying to fix something that is not broken”. The perception of abnormality in the gay community lead many to believe that Gay people had a disease, Ly cites that this is due to their deviation from the perceived norm. This blog entry begs the question: what does it mean to be fully educated? Education has come to mean something completely different than what it did a century ago. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary gives several definitions for the word “educate”, including: "to train by formal instruction and supervised practice especially in a skill, trade, or profession" or "to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction." In today's world, emphasis is usually placed on the first definition. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/educate).
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ly, Gay sex education has historically been non-existent, a product of the Victorian moral clauses that have characterized western society. When heterosexual men describe their son’s choice to live a homosexual lifestyle as “tragic” or “regrettable”, then the aversion to lifestyle preferences become comparable to divisions created to religious freedom of the earlier centuries. The issue of how to objectively present homosexuality may prove to be complicated, the media’s portrayal of gay marriage seems to show homosexual plight for the right to marriage as an action against discrimination and oppression. The rhetoric that explains the “evils of heterosexualism” is exposed by those who are oppressed and denied certain social benefits; this is the story that is explored most in regards to media coverage. On one side of the conflict, the education of homosexuality may decrease bullying and anti-gay discrimination and on the other hand, it may alter these conceptions of what we describe as values to American society. The idea that sexuality falls on a broad spectrum is not explored. This causes children who have abnormal feelings to harbor them and denies them a safe place to discuss their feelings.
Homosexuality and gay rights have never been topics for a quiet, sensible conversation. The debate over the origins of homosexuality—in the context of nature versus nurture—is likewise fraught with controversy. The title of this post, “Gay is not a medical condition,” seemed designed around just such an atmosphere of animosity. It seemed more like a slogan than the framing of an argument. In terms of content, the author focuses largely on social issues such as same-sex marriage and the demographics of homosexuality in the United States. What the author fails to do is to provide a concrete argument against homosexuality as a medical condition. There is, in fact, very little information given about that particular viewpoint. There is no shortage of material online. I typed “curing homosexuality” into a search engine and found myriad results. Most of the results were rants against conversion therapy as a dangerous and cruel practice. Nevertheless, the fact is that some people do consider homosexuality a disease, and this needs to be addressed. In the following paragraph, I will attempt to answer the question of whether homosexuality could be considered a medical condition.
ReplyDeleteIn the biomedical sense, a disease is a clinically identifiable condition that has a root cause and presents associated signs and symptoms. Provided with this context, being gay certainly is not a medical condition in and of itself. However, the word ‘disease’ also carries with it various negative connotations which indicate that the sufferer of said disease will experience a detrimental effect to their quality of life. It could be argued that this is the case. For example, according to 2005 data from the CDC, the largest proportion of new HIV cases was thought to be among gay men. When a person goes to give blood in this state, the information card asks individuals not to give blood if they are “a man who has had sexual contact with another man, even once, since 1977” due to the risk of HIV infection. HIV certainly has a negative impact on quality of life. To take a different tact, let us consider various forms of so-called “conversion therapies” that are meant to cure people of their homosexual proclivities. The Huffington Post published an online list of 11 conversion therapies that they ridiculed as ridiculous. Most were. A few had a leg to stand on. Electrocution was one of them. It may sound strange, but many medical facilities use electroshock therapy to treat a number of conditions. Mayo Clinic lists electroconvulsive therapy as a treatment for severe depression and catatonia. Some people claim electric shock is a useful treatment for drug addiction. Another treatment mentioned was prayer. It sounds ignorant, but prayer has been successful in combating behaviors that have been labeled as diseases. For instance, many 12-step programs have a heavy spiritual element. The third step of AA reads, “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” Over the years, 12-step programs have helped thousands to recover from addiction, which has been touted by many as a disease. In summary, homosexuality can be considered a medical condition from a certain point of view. Whether or not that point of view is valid is very much a matter of debate.
Sources:
http://www.thebody.com/content/art42384.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/31/11-conversion-therapy-methods-curing-homosexuality_n_1068103.html#slide=444474
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/electroconvulsive-therapy/MY00129
http://silkworth.net/aa/12steps.html