LANGUAGE SUPPORT 1

prepared by : Afieqah, Syafinaz, Syazwi, Jolyn , Ainur and Amira

CONTENTS
The

definition of homosexuality The factors of homosexuality Religions opinions on homosexual relationship Myth about homosexual The effect of homosexuality Conclusions

DEFINITION OF HOMOSEXUALITY
Homosexuality

is romantic and/or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same sex; "it also refers to an individuals sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviours 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 heterosexualhomosexual continuum(with asexuality sometimes considered the fourth). The most common terms for homosexual people are lesbian for women and gay for men, though gay is also used to refer generally to homosexual men and women.

The factors of homosexuality

Gender confusion -Dr. George Rekers, an expert on Gender Identity Disorders, is author of dozens of scholarly research papers on homosexuality and wrote Growing Up Straight: What Every Family Should Know About Homosexuality in 1982. He is also editor of Handbook of Child and Adolescent Sexual Problems, published in 1995. Dr. Rekers stated in 1995, that "Gender nonconformity in childhood may be the single common observable factor associated with homosexuality. Some of the typical childhood factors leading to homosexuality are: feeling of being different from other children; perception of father as being distant, uninvolved and unapproving; perception of mother being too close, too involved; diminished or distorted masculinity or femininity; premature introduction to sexuality; and gender confusion.

Failure to Internalize Maleness:

Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, president of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality has written: "Homosexuality is a developmental problem that is almost always the result of problems in family relationships, particularly between father and son. As a result of failure with father, the boy does not fully internalize male gender identity, and develops homosexuality. This is the most commonly seen clinical model." Dr. George Rekers, writing in Growing Up Straight, observes: "Many studies of homosexual patients as well as of nonpatient homosexuals have established a classic pattern of background family relations. The most frequent family pattern reported from the male homosexuals includes a binding, intimate mother in combination with a hostile, detached father."

Sexual Abuse by Same-Sex Predator:

In studies conducted by Diana Shrier and Robert Johnson in 1985 and 1988, males who had been sexually abused as children were almost seven times as likely as non-molested boys to become homosexuals. Dr. Gregory Dickson recently completed a doctoral dissertation on the pattern of relationships between mothers and their male homosexual sons. His paper is entitled: "An Empirical Study of the Mother/Son Dyad in Relation to the Development of Adult Male Homosexuality: An Object Relations Perspective." Dr. Dickson's study is reviewed on the NARTH web site. His study sheds new light on the relationship between early childhood sexual abuse and a child's later involvement in homosexual behaviors. According to Dickson, an alarming 49% of homosexuals surveyed had been molested compared to less than 2% of heterosexuals.

HOMOSEXUALITY AND RELIGION

Jewish, Christian, Sikh and Muslim cultures have generally perceived homosexual behaviour as sinful. Many Jewish and Christian leaders, however, have gone to great lengths to make clear that it is the homosexual acts and not the homosexual individuals or their "orientation" that is condemned. Some liberal strands of both mainstream Protestant Christianity and Reform Judaism advocate, on theological as well as social grounds, the full acceptance of homosexuals and their relationships.

Statistics of homosexuality
2.7% of sexually active men and 1.3% of sexually active women had a homosexual experience in the past year. 9.1% of men and 4.3% of women have had a homosexual experience since puberty. Approximately 3 to 4% of American men and 2 to 3% of American women prefer to be exclusively homosexual.

49% say that homosexual relations between consenting adults should be illegal. 44% would not permit their child to read a book with a story about a same-sex couple. 61% say that homosexual marriages should not be legal. 42% oppose civil unions for homosexuals. 47% believe that gay spouses should not

Myth about homosexuality

Homosexuals have characteristics that are normal for the opposite sex. Homosexuals fear, and are incapable of having, heterosexual relationships. People typically become homosexual by being seduced by a homosexual. A homosexual will make advances to, anyone of his or her own sex, children as well as adults. Homosexuals do not form the same type of long-term attachments as heterosexual.

The effects of homosexual lifestyle

Drug and alcohol use: Gay men are not at

a higher risk for drug or alcohol abuse than heterosexual men, but lesbian women may be at a higher risk than heterosexual women. This finding is contrary to a common assumption that, because of the issues people face relating to coming out and anti-gay attitudes, drug and alcohol use is higher among lesbian, gay, and bisexual people than heterosexuals.[11] Several clinical reports address methods of treating alcoholism in lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients specifically, including fostering greater acceptance of the client's sexual orientation.[4][12]

Psychiatric disorders: In a Dutch study, gay

men reported significantly higher mood and anxiety disorders than straight men, and lesbians were significantly more likely to experience depression (but not other mood or anxiety disorders) than straight women. Gender atypical behavior: While this is not a disorder, gay men may face difficulties due to being more likely to display gender atypical behavior than heterosexual men.[16] The difference is less pronounced between lesbians and straight women.[17] Minority Stress: Stress caused from a sexual stigma, manifested as prejudice and discrimination, is a major source of stress for people with a homosexual orientation. Sexual-minority affirming groups and gay peer groups help counteract and buffer minority stress.[18]

Ego-dystonic sexual orientation:

Conflict between religious identity and sexual
orientation identity can cause severe stress, causing some people to want to change their sexual orientation. Sexual orientation identity exploration can help individuals evaluate the reasons behind the desire to change and help them resolve the conflict between their religious and sexual identity, either through sexual orientation identity reconstruction or affirmation therapies. Therapists are to offer acceptance, support, and understanding of clients and the facilitation of clients active coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, without imposing a specific sexual orientation identity outcome.[18] Egodystonic sexual orientation is a disorder where a person wishes their sexual orientation were different because of associated psychological and behavioral disorders.

Sexual relationship disorder: People with a

homosexual orientation in mixed-orientation marriages may struggle with the fear of the loss their marriage. Therapists should focus exploring the underlying personal and contextual problems, motivations, realities, and hopes for being in, leaving, or restructuring the relationship and should not focus solely on one outcome such as divorce or marriage.[18] Sexual relationship disorder is a disorder where the gender identity or sexual orientation interferes with maintaining or forming of a relationship.

CONCLUSION

Several reports have suggested that homosexuality is not a diagnostic entity, but rather that several types of homosexuality, each with a different combination of aetiological factors, may exist. There is some evidence that the determinants of sexual orientation in females may be different to those in males. It is hard to draw any conclusions on this from the existing literature, as very little attention has so far been given to lesbianism. There are also problems associated with the methods of classification used by researchers, and growing dissatisfaction with categorizing an individual as either homosexual or heterosexual. Theoretical problems of twin studies have been considered, which cloud the distinction between genetic and environmental influences of a trait. Such problems mean that the results of twin studies can, at best, only be considered as suggestive of the relative importance of such influences.

Many theories have been proposed to explain the genesis of homosexuality, including psychoanalytic, sociobiological and gestational neurohormonal theories. Of these, the latter is the most scientifically comprehensive and testable. The gestational neurohormonal theory is consistent with many of the data used as evidence for genetic contributions, because production and control of the critical hormones are under significant genetic control. From the data reviewed in this report, it seems reasonable to conclude that male homosexuality, or, at least, some 'types' of male homosexuality, are under some degree of genetic control, although various problems with this data prevent more precise conclusions from being drawn. Little can be said of the origins of female homosexuality.