Homosexuality In Boys Beware

It is interesting to note that according to the American Psychiatric Association, up until 1974 homosexuality was considered a mental illness. There was no scientific breakthrough or any new information that would allow for this change of status. Simply, “The APA claimed that they made the change because new research showed that most homosexual people were content with their sexual orientation, and that as a group, they appeared to be as well-adjusted as heterosexual people”. The decision to remove homosexually as a mental illness was done by trustee, and the decision was confirmed by a vote. I do not believe that homosexually is a mental illness, however, homosexually was never validated or invalidated by science, so I am surprised to learn that it was even considered a mental

·         Since 1973, how does the American Psychiatric Association view homosexuality? (Page 221) A normal variant of sexual orientation

According to George Vaillant, “psychiatric labeling [such as ‘homosexual’ or ‘schizophrenic’] is dangerous. Society can inflict terrible wounds by . . . confusing health with disease and disease with badness” (361).

Despite his belief that the human race is born with innate bisexual tendencies, Freud was assured in his belief that homosexuality was likely the cause of arrested psychosexual development, or in other words, a sexual immaturity. Freud once wrote “homosexuality… is nothing to be ashamed of, no vice, no degradation”, a theory that led him to believe efforts to reverse homosexuality would ultimately be unsuccessful (Drescher, J). Like Freud, Alfred Kinsey was yet another psychiatrist who began to challenge the negative perception of homosexuality. Sexual Behavior, released in 1948, offered up a nonpartisan and blunt analysis of human sexual behaviors to a staggering degree. Their prominence and magnanimous understanding of sexuality was nevertheless pushed aside, with the new generation of psychoanalysts to look at homosexuality from a pathological position. Unsurprisingly, no psychoanalytic cure was to be found yet this new generation vouched for the idea that heterosexuality was the only biological norm. Even with the lack of any sound evidence, claims of curing homosexuality, through various physical and psychological techniques, was vastly accepted by the scientific community. The idea that homosexuality was a disorder that could be cured was toxic to 20th-century American psychiatry. Paranoia already incited by the post-World War II social conditions in the

The article "Gay Teens Are at Risk," was written by Paula Schleis and Kim Hone-McMahan and was published in 2004 in Teens at Risk. This article describes how society is forcing the adolescents in the LGBT community into depression and causing them to attempt suicide. According to the article, gay teens risk loosing friends and loved ones if they 'come out of the closet' and thus either try to fruitlessly hide their sexuality or attempt suicide. Additionally, the article states that one-third of teen suicides are committed by homosexuals because of homophobia. With this article's use of pathos and heart-string-pulling language gain empathy and attention from their readers. Though neither authors have a personal background or connection to the

In this section of chapter 3 Georgian Davis talks about the power the medical field had on the topic of the intersex body. Georgina set up an interview at a pediatric medical center with Dr. I who was a well-known expert of the intersex body. After the publication of the “Consensus Statement of Management of Intersex Disorders” intersex language had been replaced with the terminology DSD (Disorders of Sex Development) in the medical profession. As mentioned in chapter 2 she reiterates critiques that the medical field have undergone based on their inability to diagnose honesty to people with intersex traits. She noted that the medical profession can either do harm or good to the intersex community based on its position in the level of gender structure. In the medical profession, there was not always a form of naming abnormalities. It began with the Greeks and continued into the 18th century until they created a classification of the many medical traits. Sociologist Phil Brown argues that for there to be diagnostics there has two be two parts to complete it. One the diagnosis is technique which includes forming the classification by using various tasks and techniques. While the work diagnosis includes clinical evaluations and task. By using this form of diagnosis, we can better understand intersexuality.

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are cases where there is a discordance of genetic sex and internal and/or external sex organs at birth related to suppression of, or overexposure to sex hormones in utero. DSDs can also stem from insensitivity to androgens. When these hormonal abnormalities occur, the best general description is that either internal or external genitalia do not form or do not form correctly. In some cases, for example, female genitalia may have a more masculine appearance or the girl may present with both male and female external genitalia, but no internal components such as a uterus (Helgeson, 2012). Wisniewski specifies that study of DSD has provided a greater understanding and appreciation of the impact of hormones on behavior, which has in part caused a reassessment of DSD-related treatments. However, she also emphasizes that socialization and learning have significant influence on gender and gender-role development, but only when prenatal androgen exposure is not a factor. Wisniewski added that she would like to see a gender marker that could be identified from birth and used as part of the formula for predicting gender development. Unfortunately, her own research demonstrates far too much societal and cultural involvement in gender and gender-role development

In class, we have learned and discussed how during the period of adolescence, it is known that this is the period of time where individuals are finding themselves and figuring out where they belong. It is during this time where individuals are the most sensitive and personal problems tend to arise more commonly during this stage. A major issue adolescents struggle during this stage is gender identity and sexuality. Adolescents are trying to figure out who they are attracted to and how they perceive themselves to be. While the norm is to identify oneself as their biological gender, there are those who develop gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is a reoccurring feeling that one’s biological gender is the opposite of one’s sexual identity (Cole,

Noriega, Chon. “"something's Missing Here!": Homosexuality and Film Reviews During the Production Code Era, 1934-1962”. Cinema Journal 30.1 (1990): 20–41. Web...

The essay defines personality approaches and how they are different but similar as well. Also, an abnormal behavior called Bulimia Nervosa located in a Diagnostic manual terms. Homosexuality no longer listed in the manual as a mental disorder.

Although Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and homosexuality has been in the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for many years, I was personally unaware of the controversy that surrounded it. I realized that I needed to educate myself in the issues and changes that have occurred in the DSM regarding GID and homosexuality over the years.

What would you do if you lost your rights (Like losing your right to get an education). Well, these 3 girls lost all of their rights (which was very important),but no… they didn’t let it be, they stood up for themselves and “fought” for what they believed in was right. This will tell about those 3 girls who went through that situation. Their names are Parvana (from a fictional book called The Breadwinner), Sultana (from a non-fiction passage), and Malala (from a non-fiction passage). These girls had different ways of losing their rights but they had 1 thing in common, they all believed in woman’s

Despite the fact that the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder on December 15, 1973, many therapists continue to practice conversion therapy with the aim of “curing” those in the LGBT community (Burroway). Their efforts to cure something that is not a disorder has lead to the development of actual mental disorders – depression, anxiety, and even PTSD – in patients (Glassgold et al.). In 1969, John Bancroft, M.D., conducted a study on conversion therapy using sixteen gay men, which led to mainly negative outcomes. Of the sixteen men, 10% developed suicidal ideation, 20% developed anxiety, and 40% developed depression (Bancroft). Bancroft also reported that conversion therapy had harmful effects on 50% of the participants involved in the study. While that study may be over forty years old, the data collected remains relevant. A 2013 survey given to those who have undergone conversion therapy revealed that more than 90% of the surveyees felt emotional harm during therapy, and more than 80% continue to endure that emotional harm (Shapiro). Gay author Jallen Rix conducted the survey and had this to say about its results, “If anything, the research shows that no one changed.” In a way, Rix is

Coville (1968) presented, “Perhaps the most troublesome and most frequent appearing sociopathic features or disturbances in assessment work concern the high incidence of effeminacy, heterosexual retardation, psychosexual immaturity, deviations or potential deviations of the homosexual type. A recent study of 107 male candidates, for example, shows that 8% of these were sexually deviant, whereas 70% were described as psychosexually immature, exhibiting traits of heterosexual retardation, confusion concerning sexual role, fear of sexuality, effeminacy, and potential homosexual dispositions.”

The world has come very far with all the dramatic changes we have faced over the years. Wouldn’t you agree? As much change as the world has been through there are still numerous social problems that still exist in society today. Amongst those numerous social problems, sexual orientation and inequality stand out to me. Research from biology, psychology, and sociology is where our understanding of sexual orientation comes from. There are two hypothetical theories researchers have discovered examining the biological basis toward sexual orientation. One concept is the neurohormonal theory, biologist contend that homosexuality is caused by abnormal sex hormone levels in utero. The alternative theory is based on behavioral genetics, determining the source and magnitude of genetic impact on sexual orientation. This theory suggested the concept that gay men were genetically female. Later this theory was proven to be false. Homosexuality was considered as a pathology or mental illness. Not every psychologists agreed with that perspective. A researcher by the name of Havelock Ellis stated that homosexuality was congenital and for that reason it could not be considered as a disease. Sigmund Freud another theorist had the concept that everyone is born bisexual and that either homosexuality or heterosexuality is developed through social and personal experience. Ellis and Freud both concurred that homosexuality was not a mental illness. Despite these researchers’ opinions in 1973,