Post by Kender on Oct 14, 2005 10:47:34 GMT -5
For some odd reason, I skimmed stltoday's forums (it doesn't look like I missed much). One of the posts I saw was one made by BVD asking what the APA's position on homosexuality before 1973 was. Obviously, he thinks that the APA had the right idea for decades, then, perhaps due to political pressure(?) changed their mind in 1973.
I went to the APA's website (www.apa.org) and did a search on homosexuality, and found a wonderful page that might prove enlightening, if not useful. Answers to Your Questions About Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality.
It provides answers to such questions as to what determines sexual orientation (their answer includes enough factors, that I think they might as well throw up their hands and say "Hell if we know..."), whether it is a choice (it's not), whether it can be changed through conversion therapy (not really, and it describes why it is skeptical of those who say it can be done...), and yes, it answers whether or not it's a mental illness, and offers an explanation for that.
It goes on to provide answers for other questions, so it's worth clicking on the link (don't worry, it's jargon free) that are important to our gay and lesbian friends, but since it's Beev's post about the old view that inspired my search (no applause, please...I just went to apa.org and searched for homosexuality...no rocket science here), I'll quote that paragraph, and leave the rest for your mouse button:
Is Homosexuality a Mental Illness or Emotional Problem?
No. Psychologists, 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 itself,is not associated with mental disorders or emotional or social problems. Homosexuality was once thought to be a mental illness because mental health professionals and society had biased information. In the past the studies of gay, lesbian and bisexual people involved only those in therapy, thus biasing the resulting conclusions. When researchers examined data about these people who were not in therapy, the idea that homosexuality was a mental illness was quickly found to be untrue.
In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association confirmed the importance of the new, better designed research and 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.
So, when BVD looks longingly to the pre-1973 position of the APA, BVD is looking longingly at science done poorly.
I haven't read them, but I thought that you might also find these resources interesting too:
click here for the search results
I went to the APA's website (www.apa.org) and did a search on homosexuality, and found a wonderful page that might prove enlightening, if not useful. Answers to Your Questions About Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality.
It provides answers to such questions as to what determines sexual orientation (their answer includes enough factors, that I think they might as well throw up their hands and say "Hell if we know..."), whether it is a choice (it's not), whether it can be changed through conversion therapy (not really, and it describes why it is skeptical of those who say it can be done...), and yes, it answers whether or not it's a mental illness, and offers an explanation for that.
It goes on to provide answers for other questions, so it's worth clicking on the link (don't worry, it's jargon free) that are important to our gay and lesbian friends, but since it's Beev's post about the old view that inspired my search (no applause, please...I just went to apa.org and searched for homosexuality...no rocket science here), I'll quote that paragraph, and leave the rest for your mouse button:
Is Homosexuality a Mental Illness or Emotional Problem?
No. Psychologists, 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 itself,is not associated with mental disorders or emotional or social problems. Homosexuality was once thought to be a mental illness because mental health professionals and society had biased information. In the past the studies of gay, lesbian and bisexual people involved only those in therapy, thus biasing the resulting conclusions. When researchers examined data about these people who were not in therapy, the idea that homosexuality was a mental illness was quickly found to be untrue.
In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association confirmed the importance of the new, better designed research and 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.
So, when BVD looks longingly to the pre-1973 position of the APA, BVD is looking longingly at science done poorly.
I haven't read them, but I thought that you might also find these resources interesting too:
click here for the search results
