Homosexuality: Chosen or Genetic?

"American Psychological Association Discredits 'Ex-Gay' Movement"

New Orleans, Louisiana - The American Psychological Association on Friday issued a stinging rebuke of the so-called ex-gay movement following a demonstration by members of several organizations that claim homosexuality is a choice that can be cured.

A small group representing the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) and Exodus International demonstrated in front of the APA convention in New Orleans Friday.

"While the APA continues to play politics with social issues unrelated to its mission, thousands of current and potential patients are being harmed," said Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, a national "ex-gay" organization.

"We represent those across the country who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction, desire the help of skilled professionals and are instead, being discriminated against because their personal beliefs do not align with that of the APA."

In 1974, the American Psychological Association ceased listing homosexuality as a mental disorder.

The protestors demanded that the APA change its current position.

Immediately after the protest the APA issued a statement reaffirming its stand.

"For over three decades the consensus of the mental health community has been that homosexuality is not an illness and therefore not in need of a cure," the statement said.

"The APA's concern about the positions espoused by NARTH and so-called conversion therapy is that they are not supported by the science. There is simply no sufficiently scientifically sound evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Our further concern is that the positions espoused by NARTH and Focus on the Family create an environment in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish."

The APA statement was hailed by a group fighting the "ex-gay" movement and "conversion therapy."

"Truth Wins Out applauds the APA for taking a strong stand against quack science and not buckling to a transparent PR campaign designed to politically pressure the APA into abandoning reputable and respectable research," said TWO's Executive Director Wayne Besen.

"Conversion therapy is a contrived 'cure' that is nothing more than Scripture cloaked as science and religion masquerading as research."

Some of the organizations advocating "conversion therapy" use methods that include exorcisms, repossessing a client's Calvin Klein underwear because it is deemed "too gay," taking Prozac and drinking Gatorade in an effort to make men more masculine.

This one?

Originally posted by FeceMan
Whichever one you were spamming at whob. The most recent one, I suppose, if there were more than one.

About the latent homosexuality of homophobes?

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
About the latent homosexuality of homophobes?

A large percent of homophobes happen to be homosexuals themselves...that's the funniest part...

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
A large percent of homophobes happen to be homosexuals themselves...that's the funniest part...

Originally posted by Strangelove
I wouldn't say a large percent, but it certainly happens

54% is a majority.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
About the latent homosexuality of homophobes?

I know it's not chosen. It's a mix of genetic, the environment one is bought up in, and simply how the mind developes.

I think it's impossible to change though, if you're gay, you'll always be gay, and you cannot change that.

Originally posted by BlackC@
I know it's not chosen. It's a mix of genetic, the environment one is bought up in, and simply how the mind developes.

I think it's impossible to change though, if you're gay, you'll always be gay, and you cannot change that.

You cannot change it voluntarily, but there are people who are known to have transitioned from heterosexuality to homosexuality and vise versa. The factors that promoted the change, however, are still undetermined.

Originally posted by FeceMan
That's the one, the reaction formation study.

Researchers at the University of Georgia conducted a study to determine the cause of homophobia. For the purposes of this study, "homophobia" was defined as "a negative emotional reaction, e.g. anxiety, discomfort, fear, etc. to homosexuality."

Of a sample of 64 men, none of whom had engaged in homosexual behavior in their lifetime and whose sexual fantasies involved only women, 35 were rated homophobic and 29 were rated non-homophobic according to the Index of Homophobia.

The men were then shown gay, lesbian, and straight adult films while a plethysmograph device measured the circumference of their penis as a gauge of sexual arousal.

The two groups exhibited similar arousal when they viewed four minute samples of the lesbian and the straight adult films, but responded differently to the sample of the gay film.

Of the non-homophobic men, 66% experienced an insignificant degree of penile tumescence, 10% experienced a moderate degree of penile tumescence, and 24% experienced a definite degree of penile tumescence.

Of the homophobic men, 20% experienced an insignificant degree of penile tumescence, 26% experienced a moderate degree of penile tumescence, and 54% experienced a definite degree of penile tumescence.

The researchers concluded that this data is consistent with the belief that homophobic men have repressed homosexual desires.

I'd have to disagree with this conclusion. Though it may be true in some cases, many men are simply very sexual. If they are very sexual, pornographic material or any erotic visual of auditory information could easily invoke sexual thoughts, not necessarily pertaining to the current information. I think that amongst homophobes there may be a more intense focus on sexuality leading to these results. This of course means more studies.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
54% is a majority.

They got a bunch of homophobes in a room, put sensors on their dicks and made them watch gay porn. apparently, if you're a homophobe you can't bisexual or aroused by other people having sex, you're just gay.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
Researchers at the University of Georgia conducted a study to determine the cause of homophobia. For the purposes of this study, "homophobia" was defined as "a negative emotional reaction, e.g. anxiety, discomfort, fear, etc. to homosexuality."

Of a sample of 64 men, none of whom had engaged in homosexual behavior in their lifetime and whose sexual fantasies involved only women, 35 were rated homophobic and 29 were rated non-homophobic according to the Index of Homophobia.

The men were then shown gay, lesbian, and straight adult films while a plethysmograph device measured the circumference of their penis as a gauge of sexual arousal.

The two groups exhibited similar arousal when they viewed four minute samples of the lesbian and the straight adult films, but responded differently to the sample of the gay film.

Of the non-homophobic men, 66% experienced an insignificant degree of penile tumescence, 10% experienced a moderate degree of penile tumescence, and 24% experienced a definite degree of penile tumescence.

Of the homophobic men, 20% experienced an insignificant degree of penile tumescence, 26% experienced a moderate degree of penile tumescence, and 54% experienced a definite degree of penile tumescence.

The researchers concluded that this data is consistent with the belief that homophobic men have repressed homosexual desires.

Seems logical to me 👆

Originally posted by lord xyz
They got a bunch of homophobes in a room, put sensors on their dicks and made them watch gay porn. apparently, if you're a homophobe you can't bisexual or aroused by other people having sex, you're just gay.

No one is saying that....

Adam Poe simply said the studies have shown that the majority Homophobic men had a typically homosexual response to Gay Porn.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
The researchers concluded that this data is consistent with the belief that homophobic men have repressed homosexual desires.

Why do they?

Isn't that just contradictory of what they're supposed to hate/shun?

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
Why do they?

Isn't that just contradictory of what they're supposed to hate/shun?

A common and probably theory is that the reason men become homophobic (intensely homphobic) is because they want no social association with homosexual men. They do not want to be mistaken for being homosexual, or have any relation to them what-so-ever.

Think about it...your typical Heterosexual man....does he REALLY give a shit about other guys having sex with men ? No...he only cares about his own sex life.

Many Homophobes are SO pre-occupied with homosexuals and thier hatred for thier sexual lifestyle, you can only wondor...why ?

Many Homosexuals HAPPEN to be homophobic....incase you didn't know this already, which I can safely assume YOU DONT ....read about TED HAGGARD ? google him...you'll learn something.

Homophobia, like ANY form of bigotry, is rooted in insecurities with onese self. I am not saying all homophobes are really gay, but all people who discriminate do so because they are not secure in thier own idenitities, whether they realize it or not.

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
A common and probably theory is that the reason men become homophobic (intensely homphobic) is because they want no social association with homosexual men. They do not want to be mistaken for being homosexual, or have any relation to them what-so-ever.

Think about it...your typical Heterosexual man....does he REALLY give a shit about other guys having sex with men ? No...he only cares about his own sex life.

Many Homophobes are SO pre-occupied with homosexuals and thier hatred for thier sexual lifestyle, you can only wondor...why ?

Many Homosexuals HAPPEN to be homophobic....incase you didn't know this already, which I can safely assume YOU DONT ....read about TED HAGGARD ? google him...you'll learn something.

[b]Homophobia, like ANY form of bigotry, is rooted in insecurities with onese self. I am not saying all homophobes are really gay, but all people who discriminate do so because they are not secure in thier own idenitities, whether they realize it or not. [/B]

I think the 2 largest causes of homophobia is religion and the fact that a lot of cultures are homophobic.

If I had to venture a guess; I'd say that the secretly gay homophobes are few and far-between.

Originally posted by Quiero Mota
I think the 2 largest causes of homophobia is religion and the fact that a lot of cultures are homophobic.

If I had to venture a guess; I'd say that the secretly gay homophobes are few and far-between.

What kind of word is homophobe any way, homo = same, phobia = fear of. Fear of same? And yes, I know homophobe is what people say when they mean scared of gay people, it's just a stupid word is all.

Originally posted by BlackC@
I know it's not chosen. It's a mix of genetic, the environment one is bought up in, and simply how the mind developes.

I think it's impossible to change though, if you're gay, you'll always be gay, and you cannot change that.

i think through certain extensive "training" *brainwash cough cough*, one can be turned straight, but i definately don't think it's right. i personally think the rise in homosexuality is nature's way of inducing population control among humans; as far as i'm concerned, let it take its course

Originally posted by lord xyz
There is a different between a homophobe and someone who is anti-gay.

I thought they were one in the same.

Originally posted by lord xyz
What kind of word is homophobe any way, homo = same, phobia = fear of. Fear of same? And yes, I know homophobe is what people say when they mean scared of gay people, it's just a stupid word is all.

Yeah, it's a stupid word.