What
Is Sexual Orientation?
Sexual
Orientation is an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional
attraction to another person. Sexual orientation exists along
a continuum that ranges from exclusive homosexuality to exclusive
heterosexuality and includes various forms of bisexuality.
Bisexual
persons can experience sexual, emotional and affectional attraction
to both their own sex and the opposite sex.
Persons
with a homosexual orientation are sometimes referred to as gay
(both men and women) or as lesbian (women only).
What
Causes a Person To Have a Particular Sexual Orientation?
There
are numerous theories about the origins of a person's sexual orientation;
most scientists today agree that sexual orientation is most likely
the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive
and biological factors. In most people, sexual orientation is
shaped at an early age. There is also considerable recent evidence
to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal
factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality.
In
summary, it is important to recognize that there are probably
many reasons for a person's sexual orientation and the reasons
may be different for different people.
Is
Sexual Orientation a Choice?
No,
human beings cannot choose to be either gay or straight. Sexual
orientation emerges for most people in early adolescence without
any prior sexual experience. Although we can choose whether to
act on our feelings, most mental health professionals do not consider
sexual orientation to be a conscious choice that can be voluntarily
changed.
Can
Therapy Change Sexual Orientation?
No.
Even though most gay people live successful, happy lives, some
homosexual or bisexual people may seek to change their sexual
orientation through therapy, sometimes pressured by the influence
of family members or religious groups to try and do so. The reality
is that homosexuality is not an illness. It does not require treatment
and is not changeable.
However,
not all gay, lesbian, and bisexual people who seek assistance
from a mental health professional want to change their sexual
orientation. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual people may seek psychological
help with the coming out process or for strategies to deal with
prejudice, but most go into therapy for the same reasons and life
issues that bring straight people to mental health professionals.
What
About So-Called "Conversion Therapies"?
Some
therapists who undertake so-called conversion therapy report that
they have been able to change their clients' sexual orientation
from homosexual to heterosexual. Close scrutiny of these reports,
however, show several factors that cast doubt on their claims.
The
American Psychological Association is concerned about such therapies
and their potential harm to patients. In 1997, the Association's
Council of Representatives passed a resolution reaffirming psychology's
opposition to homophobia in treatment and spelling out a client's
right to unbiased treatment and self-determination. Any person
who enters into therapy to deal with issues of sexual orientation
has a right to expect that such therapy would take place in a
professionally neutral environment absent of any social bias.
Is
Homosexuality a Mental Illness or Emotional Problem?
No.
Doctors, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals agree
that homosexuality is not an illness, mental disorder or an emotional
problem. Over 35 years of objective, well-designed scientific
research has shown that homosexuality, in and of itself, is not
associated with mental disorders or emotional or social problems.
In
1973 the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality
from the official manual that lists mental and emotional disorders.
Two years later, the American Psychological Association passed
a resolution supporting the removal. For more than 25 years, both
associations have urged all mental health professionals to help
dispel the stigma of mental illness that some people still associate
with homosexual orientation.
Can
Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals Be Good Parents?
Yes.
Studies comparing groups of children raised by homosexual and
by heterosexual parents find no developmental differences between
the two groups of children in four critical areas: their intelligence,
psychological adjustment, social adjustment, and popularity with
friends. It is also important to realize that a parent's sexual
orientation does not dictate his or her children's.
Another
myth about homosexuality is the mistaken belief that gay men have
more of a tendency than heterosexual men to sexually molest children.
There is no evidence to suggest that homosexuals are more likely
than heterosexuals to molest children.
Why
Do Some Gay Men, Lesbians and Bisexuals Tell People About
Their Sexual Orientation?
Because
sharing that aspect of themselves with others is important to
their mental health. In fact, the process of identity development
for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals called "coming out",
has been found to be strongly related to psychological adjustment—the
more positive the gay, lesbian, or bisexual identity, the better
one's mental health and the higher one's self-esteem.
Why
Is the "Coming Out" Process Difficult for Some Gay,
Lesbian and Bisexual People?
For
some gay and bisexual people the coming out process is difficult,
for others it is not. Often lesbian, gay and bisexual people feel
afraid, different, and alone when they first realize that their
sexual orientation is different from the community norm. This
is particularly true for people becoming aware of their gay, lesbian,
or bisexual orientation as a child or adolescent, which is not
uncommon. And, depending on their families and where they live,
they may have to struggle against prejudice and misinformation
about homosexuality.
Children
and adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to the negative
effects of bias and stereotypes. They may also fear being rejected
by family, friends, co-workers, and religious institutions. Some
gay people have to worry about losing their jobs or being harassed
at school if their sexual orientation becomes well known. Unfortunately,
gay, lesbian and bisexual people are at a higher risk for physical
assault and violence than are heterosexuals.
Glossary
of GLBT Terms
Biphobia:
The fear, hatred, or intolerance of bisexual men and women.
Closeted
or In the
Closet: Hiding one’s sexual orientation.
Coming
Out: The process by which lesbians, gay men, and
bisexuals recognize, acknowledge, accept, and typically appreciate
their sexual identities.
Crossdresser: A person who, regardless of motivation,
wears clothes, makeup, etc. that are considered by the culture
to be appropriate for another gender but not one’s own (preferred
term to “transvestite”).
Discrimination: Differential treatment that favors
one individual or group over another based on prejudice.
Drag
or In Drag:
Wearing clothes considered appropriate for someone of another
gender.
Drag
King and Drag
Queen: A F2M crossdresser (typically a lesbian)
and a M2F crossdresser (typically a gay man), respectively, who
employ dramatic clothes, makeup, and mannerisms, whether toward
a glamorous or campy end, for other people’s entertainment
or appreciation or for its shock value.
FTM
or F2M:
A female-to-male transsexual, or a transsexual man. Some
transsexuals reject this terminology, arguing that they have always
been male or female and are only making that identity visible.
Others feel that such language reinforces an either/or gender
system.
Gender:
The social construction of masculinity and femininity in a specific
culture. It involves gender assignment (the gender designation
of someone at birth), gender roles (the expectations imposed on
someone based on their gender), gender attribution (how others
perceive someone’s gender), and gender identity (how someone
defines their own gender).
Gender
Expression: How one chooses to express one’s
gender identity.
Gender
Identity: How one sees oneself as a gendered being.
Gender
Variant: An alternative term for transgendered,
meaning one who varies from traditional “masculine”
and “feminine” gender roles.
Heterosexism: The societal/cultural, institutional,
and individual beliefs and practices that privilege heterosexuals
and subordinate and denigrate LGB people. The critical element
that differentiates heterosexism (or any other “ism”)
from prejudice and discrimination is the use of institutional
power and authority to support prejudices and enforce discriminatory
behaviors in systematic ways with far-reaching outcomes and effects.
Heterosexual Ally: Heterosexual people who confront
heterosexism in themselves and others out of self-interest, a
concern for the well-being of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals,
and a belief that heterosexism is a social injustice.
Heterosexual Privilege: The benefits and advantages
that heterosexuals receive in a heterosexist culture. Also,
the benefits that lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals receive as
a result of claiming a heterosexual identity and denying a lesbian,
gay, or bisexual identity.
Homophobia:
The fear, hatred, or intolerance of people who identify or are
perceived as lesbians or gay men, including the fear of being
seen as lesbian or gay yourself. Homophobic behavior can
range from telling jokes about lesbians and gay men, to verbal
abuse, to acts of physical violence. (Some people choose
not to use the word “homophobia,” preferring instead
to include anti-GLBT attitudes and behavior in how they define
“heterosexism.”)
Intersex:
A person who is born with “sex chromosomes,” external
genitalia, or an internal reproductive system that is not considered
“standard” for either male or female (preferred term
to “hermaphrodite”). About 4% of all births
are intersex to some degree.
MTF
or M2F:
A male-to-female transsexual, or a transsexual woman. Some
transsexuals reject this terminology, arguing that they have always
been male or female and are only making that identity visible.
Others feel that such language reinforces an either/or gender
system.
Oppression:
The systematic exploitation of one social group by another for
its own benefit. It involves institutional control, ideological
domination, and the promulgation of the dominant group’s
culture on the oppressed. Oppression = Prejudice + Power
(the “isms”).
Prejudice:
A set of negative beliefs or feelings that are generalized to
apply to a whole group of people and any member of that group.
Anyone can be prejudiced toward another individual or group.
Queer:
A derogatory term that some GLBT people have reclaimed as an inclusive
and positive way to describe themselves and their community.
Racism:
The societal/cultural, institutional, and individual beliefs and
practices that privilege white people and subordinate and denigrate
people of color.
Sex:
The biological assignment of “male” or “female”
based upon the genitalia that an individual possesses at birth.
Sexism:
The societal/cultural, institutional, and individual beliefs and
practices that privilege men and subordinate and denigrate women.
Sexual
Orientation: The desire for intimate emotional
and sexual relationships with people of the same gender (lesbians
and gay men), another gender (heterosexuals), or more than one
gender (bisexuals).
Trans
or
Transgender: An umbrella term for someone whose
self-identification or expression challenges traditional notions
of “male” and “female.” Transgendered
people include transsexuals, crossdressers, drag queens and kings,
and others who cross or transgress traditional gender categories.
Transphobia:
The fear, hatred, or intolerance of people who identify or are
perceived as transgendered.
Transsexual: A person who identifies with a gender
different than their biological gender. Transsexuals often
undergo hormone treatments and gender reassignment surgery to
align their anatomy with their core identity, but not all desire
or can afford to do so.
Two
Spirit: A Native American/First Nation term for
people who blend the masculine and the feminine. It is commonly
used to describe individuals who historically crossed gender boundaries
and were accepted by Native American/First Nation cultures (preferred
term to “berdache”). It is also often used by
contemporary GLBT Native American and First Nation people to describe
themselves.
The
Facts on GLBT People
Most
trans people DO NOT identify as lesbians or gay men.
Gender
identity (how someone perceives their own gender) is a different
concept than sexual identity. Transgendered individuals
identify across the sexual-orientation spectrum, and in fact,
studies show that the majority of crossdressers are heterosexual
men.
“Homosexuality”
is NOT unique to humans and IS found elsewhere in nature.
Same-gender
sexual behavior has been scientifically documented as a normal,
regular occurrence among nearly 300 species of mammals and birds,
including chimpanzees, dolphins, elephants, squirrels, geese,
and bears.
Most
bisexual people will NOT eventually identify as either “completely”
lesbian/gay or heterosexual.
Many
people identify as bisexual all of their lives. There are
probably as many bisexuals as there are gay men and lesbians.
However, bisexuals frequently go unrecognized because they are
seen as heterosexual when they are in relationships with people
of another gender, and as lesbian or gay when in relationships
with those of the same gender.
Being
lesbian or gay is NOT a type of mental illness and can NOT be
cured with psychotherapy.
In
1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed “homosexuality”
from its list of mental disorders, and in 1975 it stated that
“homosexuality, per se, implies no impairment in judgment,
stability, reliability, or general social or vocational capacities.”
Although several “ex-gays” have become prominent in
the mainstream media in recent years, very few gay people desire
or are able to change who they are. Even many “ex-gays”
admit that they continue to have attractions to people of the
same gender; they just don’t act on their feelings.
Helping GLBT people to develop a greater level of self-acceptance
is a more effective therapy.
Most
trans people DO NOT seek gender reassignment surgery.
While
some transsexuals take hormones, have electrolysis (for trans
women) or mastectomies (for trans men), and undergo genital reconstruction
surgeries, others choose only some of these procedures, because
of the tremendous cost of the surgeries, the mixed results (especially
for trans men), and their lack of access to medical care in general.
Other transgendered people decide not to alter their bodies permanently,
but seek to express their gender identities in other ways, such
as through crossdressing.
Being
gay, lesbian, or bisexual is NOT a personal choice that people
make.
The
cause of sexual identity is unknown. Some studies suggest
a genetic basis, while others cast doubt on a biological explanation.
Similarly, some people feel that they were “born that
way,” while others regard their sexual identity as a preference.
Bisexual
people are NOT more promiscuous than are heterosexuals or gay
men and lesbians.
Bisexuality
is a sexual orientation. It is independent of the decision
to be monogamous or non-monogamous. Some heterosexuals,
gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals are monogamous, others are not.
It is a mistake to assume that because someone has the potential
to be attracted to men and women, they must have twice as many
sex partners.
Providing
a young person with information about GLBT people WILL NOT harm
them or coax them to change their sexuality.
Because
of feeling isolated and lacking information that would enable
them to accept themselves, GLBT teens are more likely to attempt
suicide than their heterosexual peers. Suicide is the leading
cause of death among gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens, according
to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These
teens may face hostility both at school and at home. One
in four gay, lesbian, bisexual youths is forced to leave home
due to family conflicts over their sexual orientation.
Places
of worship DO allow openly GLBT people to become members of their
congregations.
While
some places of worship and religious denominations are intolerant
of people with different sexual and gender identities, others
are very accepting, including Reform Judaism, Unitarian Universalists,
the United Church of Christ, the Society of Friends (Quakers),
and the predominantly GLBT Metropolitan Community Church.
More than thirty churches and temples in central Ohio readily
welcome GLBT people as worshippers; some have GLBT clergy and
perform same-gender union ceremonies.
GLBT
people are NOT protected under civil rights laws like other groups
and are NOT asking for “special rights.”
In
most of Ohio, employers can fire or not hire someone simply because
of their sexual or gender identity. GLBT people can also
legally be denied housing and access to public facilities in much
of the state.
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