Sexual orientation refers to a person’s tendency to be primarily emotionally and sexually attracted to someone of the same, the other or both sexes, known respectively as homosexuality, heterosexuality, and bisexuality.
it is composed of two components
(1) Subjective (what someone feels their tendency is)
(2) Behavioral (how someone behaves)
Kinsey Scale
- puts sexual orientation into a continuation; few people are exclusively heterosexual or homosexual
0
- Exclusively heterosexual
1
- Predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual
2
- Predominantly heterosexual, but more than incidentally homosexual
3
- Equally heterosexual and homosexual
4
- Predominantly homosexual, but more than incidentally heterosexual
5
- Predominantly homosexual, only incidentally heterosexual
6
- Exclusively homosexual
History
middle ages: Same sex was considered a sin
17th +18th Century: Same sex relations were considered a sin and a crime
19th Century: Same sex considered a mental illness
1869: Term "homosexual" coined
1950: Psychological testing could not determine differences between homosexual and heterosexual men
1973: Homosexuality was removed from the DSM II as a classification of mental disorders
1975:American Psychological Association adopted an official statement that "Homosexuality per se implies no impairment in judgement, stability, reliability, or general social or vocational capabilities"
1998: APA voted to reject therapy to change a person’s sexuality "Reparative Therapy"; considered it malpractice
1998: Military adapted the "Don’t ask, don’t tell" policy and many more people with discharged that year than years previously
Special Problems of Gay men and Lesbians
Effects of stigma and discrimination - including the attitudes of doctors
Developmental issues
Identity development
Coming Out
Internalized homophobia
Adolescent suicide -
Ý risk for gay and lesbian adolescents
Anti-gay and anti-lesbian violence
Substance abuse and depression -
Ý substance abuse and depression with gays and lesbians Þ associated with discrimination and lack of social options for the openly gay
Parenting - more difficult to adopt; (studies show that children adopted into a gay or lesbian family do just as well)
AIDS
How Sexual Orientation Develops: Biologic Research
Despite over 150 years research, we still don’t know