Homosexuality (right-wing view)

Different bias-versions of this article are available. This is the right-wing perspective on homosexuality forked from Conservapedia.

For the left-wing perspective on homosexuality, see: Homosexuality (mainstream view)

For the Infogalactic main article on homosexuality, see: Homosexuality. For a non-wiki view, see the external link [2] at Britannica.com.

Homosexuality
Pronunciation	/ˌhoʊmoʊsɛkʃuˈælɪti/
Specialty	Psychiatry
Symptoms	Romantic and/or sexual attraction to members of the same sex
Causes	Environmental and psychological factors
Frequency	~3%

Homosexuality, or same-sex attraction disorder, is a mental disorder characterized by romantic or sexual attraction toward a member of one's own sex.

Homosexuality has a number of causal factors that influence its ultimate origination in individuals, as well as a variety of effects on individuals and society. There has been much politically-charged debate on the topic of homosexuality, particularly its medical and sociological import.

Terminology

Etymology

"Homosexual" comes from the Greek word homos meaning "same" and the Latin word sexual. The word was created by Karl-Maria Kertbeny in an anonymous pamphlet published in 1869 in Germany as replacements for earlier derogatory words. The word appeared in English in 1892, in a translation of a German work.

Other words

Gay, faggot, fag, pansy, and so on, are examples of words used in reference to male homosexuality. These words often are considered derogatory, but sometimes homosexuals have adopted them with a more positive meaning; an argued effeminacy is implied by many such words.

The word "lesbian", for female homosexuals, has been seen as derogatory by inhabitants of the Greek island Lesbos (from which the word derives), and who have campaigned against its use.

The politically correct acronym LGBTQ refers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This acronym is often extended indefinitely through the addition of a "+" sign, or additional letters, sometimes to ridiculous length.

"Men who have sex with men" (MSM) is term often used in HIV research, to describe a group of men that may not necessarily consider themselves to be homosexuals, but who have sex with men. The term includes groups such as male prostitutes.

GLAAD bans

In 2014, the homosexual media lobby organization GLAAD issued a "GLAAD Media Reference Guide - Terms To Avoid". It proclaimed the term "homosexual" to be "offensive". "Because of the clinical history of the word "homosexual," it is aggressively used by anti-gay extremists to suggest that gay people are somehow diseased or psychologically/emotionally disordered". GLAAD proclaimed that "gay"/"lesbian" should be used instead.

GLAAD also banned "sexual preference" as "offensive" since it "suggest that being lesbian, gay or bisexual is a choice" and proclaimed that "sexual orientation" should be used instead.

Any reference to a "gay agenda" was banned completely. Instead, only detailed descriptions of advocacy regarding specific issues are allowed. Any reference to "special rights" for homosexuals was also banned completely. Instead, only references to "equal rights" are allowed. Any mention of an association between homosexuality and pedophilia was also banned completely, "except in direct quotes that clearly reveal the bias of the person quoted".

Causes

Modern studies concerning the causes of homosexuality

Some studies indicate environmental factors can be involved in persons becoming homosexuals. Stanton L. Jones, Mark A. Yarhouse state in Homosexuality: the use of scientific research in the church's moral debate (and a main source for this section),

The origins of homosexuality are not clearly understood by scientists, and the topic is a subject of hot debate. Theories and and empirical studies, which often contrast sharply, abound. The theories about the etiology of homosexuality fall into two very large categories: theories that point to nature (that is, biological variables) and theories that point to nurture (that is, the influence of experience, of psychological variables." (p. 52).

Those who emphasize nurture, sometimes known as the psychoanalytical theory, see powerful psychological forces at work, shaping and molding children from their birth, while those who emphasize nature contend that early homosexual traits attest to a biological cause. (p. 53)

Many psychological studies which indicate that the parent-child relationship, early childhood development, early homosexual experiences, and childhood abuse foster homosexualityref>David G. Myers, A level of explanations view, Psychology of Christianity: four views. pp. 54-83</ref>

Environment and nurture

Columbia University psychiatry professors Drs. William Byrne and Bruce Parsons stated: "There is no evidence that at present to substantiate a biological theory. [T]he appeal of current biological explanations for sexual orientation may derive more from dissatisfaction with the present status of psychosocial explanations than from a substantiating body of experimental data".]]

That homosexuality is affected by environment and nurture has been the historical secular position.

In his 1980 work Overcoming Homosexuality, Robert Kronemeyer writes: "With rare exceptions, homosexuality is neither inherited nor the result of some glandular disturbance or the scrambling of genes or chromosomes. Homosexuals are made, not born 'that way.' I firmly believe that homosexuality is a learned response to early painful experiences and that it can be unlearned. For those homosexuals who are unhappy with their life and find effective therapy, it is 'curable.'

Similarly, in a 1989 USA Today article, San Francisco State University professor of psychology John DeCecco, and the former editor of the 25-volume, Journal of Homosexuality, stated, "The idea that people are born into one type of sexual behavior is entirely foolish". Homosexuality is "a behavior, not a condition," and something that some people can and do change, just like they sometimes change other tastes and personality traits."

Parental relationships with offspring

The psychoanalytical theory is the historical position, which implicates a detached, rejecting or absent father, often along with a close bond to the mother, as working, on the conscious and unconscious level, against a secure sexual identity. Also contributing to this can be a so called Emotional Incest Syndrome, for example when a mother who has animosity toward the father, or men in general, and who works to present him negatively, and to make the child side with her.

One of the earliest studies supporting this position was that of Irving Bieber and associates. Comparison of 106 homosexuals with 100 male heterosexuals showed that mothers of the former had enmeshed seductive type relationships with their sons, while their fathers were detached, distant or rejecting. This study was contested by some who charged the researchers with bias, but a further study by Ray B. Evans, which also compared homosexuals with heterosexuals, reported similar results, this time among self-identified homosexuals who had never sought treatment.

Based upon his work with 200 male homosexuals, Gerard van den Aardweg stated that 79 percent described their mother as "overanxious", or "overconcerned" about them; their safety, health, and being overly sentimental when they met with some hardship, as well as manifesting other aspects of over-mothering. In addition, in 71 percent of homosexual cases, "the most important factor was the father's detachedness or nonparticipation in the son's upbringing. The fathers of 38 percent of the men were so hypercritical that the sons were made to feel either rejected and/or inferior.

Another study of about 1500 homosexuals showed much less influence by the mother, while far more reported an unaffectionate or detached father, and approximately half of homosexuals reported they had negative feelings toward their fathers, versus 29 percent of heterosexuals.

While these factors are conducive to homosexuality, it should be stressed that these do not ensure that children raised this way will become homosexual, nor are these factors alone in influencing it.

Sexual abuse

Childhood sexual abuse is well attested to demonstrate a correlation to the incidence of homosexuality among those affected by it. A large national survey of almost 35,000 Americans showed that more than three times as many men and women who had been sexually abused as children became homosexuals, versus that of heterosexuals. Another study reported that 58 percent of male adolescents who later became homosexuals suffered sexual abuse as children, while 90 percent who did not suffer sexual abuse identified themselves as heterosexuals. In addition, 43 percent of male homosexuals reported sexual activity with another male during the ages of 10-12, versus 9 percent of heterosexuals.

Educational indoctrination

As part of the ideology in modern education, and as a result of psychological tactics used by homosexual activists, schools have increasingly fostered the promotion of homosexuality, whether as part of official policy through homosexual activists working with or in schools. As a form of indoctrination that begins at the kindergarten level, homosexuality is deceptively treated as "healthy" and "normal," with students at very impressionable ages sometimes being influenced to experiment with homosexual behavior. This is often done under the rubric of HIV instruction of preventing suicide by homosexuals, and preventing "homophobia".

Xenoestrogens and Xenoandrogens

Environmental chemicals, specifically sex steroids such as xenoestrogens and xenoandrogens, change the brain's gender preference resulting in homosexuality in nature. According to Melissa Hines, "This article reviews the evidence regarding prenatal influences of gonadal steroids on human sexual orientation, as well as sex-typed childhood behaviors that predict subsequent sexual orientation. The evidence supports a role for prenatal testosterone exposure in the development of sex-typed interests in childhood, as well as in sexual orientation in later life, at least for some individuals... The empirical record generally supports this model for a wide range of brain regions and behaviors that differ on the average for male and female animals. For example, treating female rodents with testosterone early in life decreases their female-typical behavior in adulthood, and increases their male-typical behavior."

These chemicals are produced in quantities of billions of kg. per year, and are used prominently in cosmetics and pesticides such as diethylstilbestrol (DES) and DDT while appearing also in food and dust particles. When in the form of phthalates they can be widely used in plastics including children's toys, food and drink containers, and medical devices. Xenoestrogens and xenoandrogens alter the brain's sexual differentiation in a number of species, including rams, ferrets, zebra finches, gulls, primates, and rodents, resulting in the masculinization of female brains/behavior (e.g. 'lesbian gulls') and feminization of male brains/behavior.

According to Bernard Weiss, "disagreements arise partly from arguments about the roots of homosexuality, and about questions of gender identity and others that at one time would have seemed quite remote from neurotoxicology." Due to concern over environmental health risks including cancer, thinning of bald eagle eggshells, and reduced species reproduction, endocrine disruption was the primary theme of the 27th International Neurotoxicology Conference.

Biological research on the causes of homosexuality

The belief that homosexuality has a biological cause can be traced back to the preliminary findings of neuroscientist Dr. Simon LeVay. In 1991 LeVay's studied the brains of 41 cadavers which included 19 homosexual males, and claimed that "a tiny area believed to control sexual activity [the hypothalamus] was less than half the size in the gay men than in the heterosexuals." This study was immediately seized upon by many as proof that homosexuality was biologically determined.

However, further scrutiny showed this hasty conclusion as lacking in warrant.

• 1. The range of sizes of the hypothalamic region varied and was inconsistent. The region at subject was the same size in a few homosexual men as that of the heterosexuals, while in a few other heterosexuals this region was a small as that of a homosexual.
• 2. The fact that all 19 of the homosexual men had died of AIDS could easily have accounted for or contributed to the differences.
• 3. It has not been determined if the smaller hypothalamuses were the cause rather than the effect of homosexual activity. "Researchers have found that when people who become blind begin to learn Braille, the area of the brain controlling the reading finger actual grows larger."
• 4. LeVay's study was based upon a supposed sexual functional correlation between the SDN-POA brain center in male rats and a brain center called INAH3 in humans, but which assumption was shown to be false.
• 5. The sexual history of the "heterosexual" men was not known, and LeVay's samples included 16 brains from men whose sexual orientation was unknown.
• 6. And as William Byne noted, LeVay's work "has not been replicated, and human neuroanatomical studies of this kind have a very poor track record for reproducibility. Indeed, procedures similar to those LeVay used to identify nuclei have previously led researchers astray".
• 7. The conclusions were that which were sought by the researcher. Dr. LeVay, a homosexual himself, confessed that his study was not entirely a dispassionate scientific endeavor, He also later stated, "I did not prove that homosexuality is genetic, or find a genetic cause for being gay."

Two prominent geneticists, Paul Billings and Jonathan Beckwith, commenting on the quality of the LeVay research, stated that LeVay, "could not really be certain about his subject's sexual preferences, since they were dead", and that his "research design and subject sample did not allow others to determine whether it was sexual behavior, drug use, or disease history that was correlated with the observed differences among the subjects' brains." And in addition, it was very likely that LeVay's method of defining homosexuality would "create inaccurate or inconsistent study groups."

Another study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, examined the anterior commissure (a structure that divides the left and right halves of the brain) of male heterosexuals and homosexual men, most of whom died of AIDS. The study shows that the anterior commissure was larger in women and in 27 of the 30 homosexual men than in heterosexual men.

Here again, how AIDS might have factored in this difference is an issue, and the findings of this study were overall in contradiction to another study published in 1988, which found, in part, that the anterior commissure was larger in men than in women.

A 1991 study of twins by Michael Bailey and Richard Pillard was also promoted as establishing biological determination of homosexuality, but which conclusion was also soon found to be lacking in warrant, and contrary to other studies.

That blood chemistry as well as brains can change over time in response to environment and lifestyle has been documented by studies. Richard Dawkins speculates that a "gay gene" causes homosexuality, but science has not discovered such a gene.

Evolutionary explanations

Homosexuality in itself, or at least exclusive homosexuality, would seem to imply reduced reproductive success for the homosexual as well as for the parents, who spend resources on their homosexual child without getting a reproductive return.

Possible evolutionary explanations include that the genes contributing to exclusive homosexuality in some persons would instead increase the reproductive success of relatives who do not become exclusively homosexual. Various mechanisms for such an effect have been speculated, such as the genes causing exclusive homosexuality in some males increasing fecundity/attractiveness of female or male relatives.

One possible evolutionary explanation is that homosexuals without children would instead direct their efforts towards the reproductive success of relatives. Research on this has been mixed, with research in Western countries failing to find support for the theory, although research in Samoa has found some support.

Another possible evolutionary explanation is that being bisexual would have some advantage over strict heterosexuality, although this requires an explanation for why not everyone is bisexual.

However, many of the proposed evolutionary explanations seem to imply that homosexuality, or at least exclusive homosexuality, in itself is an evolutionarily undesirable side effect. Furthermore, genetic/evolutionary factors are not very important causes of homosexuality, according to the above mentioned studies on heritability.

Conclusions

Sociologist Steven Goldberg, Ph.D. states,

Virtually all of the evidence argues against there being a determinative physiological causal factor and I know of no researcher who believes that such a determinative factor exists...such factors play a predisposing, not a determinative role...I know of no one in the field who argues that homosexuality can be explained without reference to environmental factors.

Goldberg also expressed, "Gay criticism has not addressed the classic family configuration"; it has merely "asserted away the considerable evidence" for the existence of family factors. Studies which attempt to disprove the existence of the classic family pattern in homosexuality are "convincing only to those with a need to believe."

Psychiatrists Friedman and Downey: "Despite recent neurobiological findings suggesting homosexuality is genetically-biologically determined, credible evidence is lacking for a biological model of homosexuality."

Psychiatrist and author Jeffrey Satinover, M.D. concludes,

Like all complex behavioral and mental states, homosexuality is...neither exclusively biological nor exclusively psychological, but results from an as-yet-difficult-to-quantitate mixture of genetic factors, intrauterine influences...postnatal environment (such as parent, sibling and cultural behavior), and a complex series of repeatedly reinforced choices occurring at critical phases of development.

Drs. William Byne and Bruce Parsons, researchers at the New York State Psychiatric Institute,having carefully analyzed all the major biological studies of homosexuality, found none that definitively supported a biological theory of causation. "Human Sexual Orientation: The Biologic Theories Reappraised." Archives of General Psychiatry 50, no.3. (1993)

Other similarly express that nurture and choice factor as being mostly or wholly determinative.

Indications of onset homosexuality

Childhood manifestations of gender non-conformity such as consistent preference by a boy for the clothing, company and play things (dolls, etc.) of girls over that of boys is generally seen as predisposing such to homosexuality. However, this is not always the case, and many children who manifest gender non-conformity are simply trying to discover what gender is.

Homosexuality as a choice

Studies indicate that most homosexuals have been attracted to the opposite gender.

A research project (2004) of Robert Goetze identified 84 articles or books that contain some relevance to the possibility of sexual orientation change. Of the data reported, 31 of the 84 studies showed a quantitative outcome of individuals able to change sexual orientation.

Ironically, the homosexuals themselves argued back in 1971 that homosexuality is "merely a preference, orientation, or propensity". One homosexual received the question on this topic in the CBS documentary from 1967: "Most homosexuals if they had a chance [i.e. choice] to be a heterosexual, would they? Well, I have a friend who took a poll of 300 people on that very question, he asked them: If you were able to take a pill to change yourself from homosexual to heterosexual, would you do it? And something like 95% of men said: “No.”"

Romana Schlesinger, a prominent gay activist and organizer of Gay parades in Slovakia, referred to homosexuality as to 'way of living' (lifestyle) in an interview.

History

The two most principal areas of historical inquiry which have been studied by historians in relation to ancient occurrences of homosexuality are Greek homosexuality and Roman homosexuality (see also Romans 1) but to which other societies, ancient to modern, are included.

It should be noted here that most of the research for the information referenced here comes through pro-homosexual writers, who sometimes interpret obscure or indefinite data as positively denoting homosexuality, while tending to render negative comments on homosexuality as being due to homophobia. And or as Boswell, they may seek to contrive a history more usable to them, (which they are not alone in doing). Some assert that in some cases, pro-homosexual authors have extrapolated prevalent homosexuality out of little real evidence. The inclusion of these sources is for reference purposes, and not as recommended reading. A primary source on the subject of history and homosexuality, pro homosexual author Dr. David E. Greenberg, noted that, other than the Jews, "none of the archaic civilizations prohibited homosexuality per se",

Dynes and Donaldson also note that the literary and archaeological records of Mediterranean societies have overall revealed that the ancient patterns of same-gender sexual behavior

did not, for the most part, conform to the androphile model of modern industrial societies — a model that involves pairs of adults, both considered to be of the same gender, of roughly equal social status, and reciprocal and their behavior. Instead they generally adhered to gender-and-age differentiated patterns, Egypt being a partial exception. The best known types are the male temple prostitution of the near east and the institutionalized pederasty of Greece.

Hunter-gatherers

There are very few descriptions of homosexual behavior in traditional societies such as hunter-gatherer societies. These are the ones most similar to the societies in which humans spent almost all of their evolutionary history. The only exception are some related tribes on Papua New Guinea. This consist of apparently highly ritualized and culturally obligatory initiation rites for boys. As such, there is very little individual choice in participating. Depictions of sexual behavior are not uncommon in prehistoric art, such as cave paintings, but depictions of homosexual behaviors are nonexistent, or possibly rare if generously interpreting two unclear cave paintings as homosexual. This is in contrast with ethnographers having been able to document many not culturally approved behaviors, such as murder, theft, infanticide, and extramarital affairs.

Homosexuality in Greece

The largest amount of material pertinent to the history of homosexuality is from Greece, from notable philosophers and writers such as Plato, Xenophon, Plutarch, and pseudo-Lucian, to plays by Aristophanes, to Greek artwork and vases. James B. De Young notes that homosexuality seems to have existed more widely among the ancient Greeks more than among any other ancient culture. The main form of this was pederasty, a custom that seems to have been practiced mostly among the upper classes, in which an older man (the erastest) would make a young free boy (the eromenos) his sex partner, and become his mentor. This was regulated by the State as an institution. However, this practice was usually a supplement to marriage, and thus is seen as being done by bisexuals. The practice of pederasty is mentioned in Homer's Illiad, and is evidenced to have existed at least 4500 years ago in ancient Egypt.

Homosexuality in Rome

After Greece, Rome is the next most significant entity in the history of homosexuality, and this cultural practice in both is understood by scholars as being what the apostle Paul is immediately referring to in condemning homosexuality in Romans 1. Romans emperors were sometimes the most notorious examples of homosexuality. Edward Gibbon, in his History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, wrote that "of the first fifteen emperors Claudius was the only one whose taste in love was entirely correct (not homo-sexual].

Juvenal (60-140 A.D.) and Martial (c. 40-102 A.D.) wrote of formal marriage unions between homosexuals. Some moral philosophers around the time of the apostle Paul questioned the merits of homosexual behaviors. Seneca (4 B.C-65 A.D.), a statesmen and tutor to the homosexual emperor Nero, reproved homosexual exploitation, such which which forced a slave to shave his beard, and dress and behave as a women, though Nero himself castrated a boy, and dressed him as female and married him, after killing his wife. Dio Chrysostom (A.D. 40) likewise condemned such exploitation, and commended natural intercourse" and union of the male and female. Later, in 226 B.C., the Lex Scantinia (149 B.C.) is understood to have penalized homosexual practice.

According to psychiatrist and sexual historian Norman Sussman, "In contrast to the self-conscious and elaborate efforts of the Greeks to glorify and idealize homosexuality, the Romans simply accepted it as a matter of fact and as an inevitable part of human sexual life. Pederasty was just another sexual activity. Many of the most prominent men in Roman society were bisexual if not homosexual. Julius Caesar was called by his contemporaries every woman's man and every man's woman."

Many see Rome realizing a deleterious change in aspects of social morality beginning in the second century B.C, due to the influence and adaptation of "Asiatic luxury and Greek manners", including homosexuality, resulting in a "moral crises from which she never recovered (historian D. Earl)

Edward Gibbon, stated in his “History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” that marital faithfulness in the Roman Empire was virtually unknown, and that “The dignity of marriage was restored by the Christians.”

Homosexuality in China

Art, poetry, historical and legal documents infer or attest to the practice of homosexuality in China (the type or degree of which is often somewhat dependent on the bias of the researcher, with most major works today being by by pro homosexual writers). The earliest references to such are from the period of the Han Dynasty (Western: 202 B.C. to 9 A.D; Eastern: 25 to 22 A.D.) The Da-le-fu by Bo Xingjian (775-826) in an official ancient medical text History of the Former Hans Dynasty is seen by some to speak of homoeroticism, especially among emperors, in highly euphemistic language.

Heissig states that in the fourteenth century, the Chinese found homosexual Tibetan religious rites practiced at the court of a Mongol emperor.

Sex historian Arno Karlen reports that "two Arab travelers trekked through India and China m the ninth century, and in tneir chronicle said the Chinese were addicted to sodomy and even performed it in their shrines."

During the Song dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) Tao Gu noted in his Records of the Extraordinary

Everywhere people single out Nanhai for its 'Misty Moon Worships, a term referring the custom of esteeming lewdness. Nowadays those in the capital those who sell themselves number more than ten thousand . As to the men who offer their bodies for sale, then enter and leave place shamelessly. A law later enacted during Xhenghe reign (1111-1118) which punished male prostitutes with "one hundred strokes of a bamboo rod and a fine of fifty thousand in cash." However, it seems to have fallen into disuse over time.

Male prostitutes were known to have their own god, Tcheou—Wang.

During the latter part of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.), Xie Zhaozhe, (1567-1624) - a contemporary of Shakespeare - recorded in his encyclopedia, the Wu za zu (Fivehold Miscellany),

In today's Peking, there are young boys singers who go to all the gentry's wine parties, and no matter how many official prohibitions there are, everybody uses them.

A fuller description of homosexual relations, and one that may be likened to same-sex marriage, is found in the writings of Ming commentator Shen Defu (1578-1642), which tells of homosexual relationships which sometimes were part of the family order in the southern province of Fujian. He states that among all social ranks and physical attractiveness, Fujianese men found a same sex partner of their status, with the older becoming a "brother" to the younger (a custom termed nanfeng) and paying for his later marriage to a female. "And that at the age of thirty they are still sleeping in the same bed like husband and wife." However, this is not known to have lasted more than twenty years, as they were to later marry a female.

In the latter part of the 16th century Roman Catholic missionaries commented on the perverse homosexual practices they saw in China. In a book published in 1569, Dominican Gaspar da Cruz attributed the earthquakes which had recently shaken China (its most fatal earthquake in history was in 1556 [3]) to being due to their indifference to sodomy. Shortly after his arrival in 1583, noted Jesuit astronomer Matteo Ricci found that male prostitution was lawful and practiced openly:

there are public streets full of boys dressed up like prostitutes. And there are people who buy these boys and teach them to play music, sing and dance. And than, gallantly dressed up and made up with rouge like women, these miserable men are initiated into this terrible vice.

He also wrote to his superior lamenting "the horrible sin to which everyone here is much given, and about which there seems to be no shame or impediment." No long before his death in 1610, he grieved that such was "neither forbidden by law nor thought to be illicit, nor even a cause of shame. It is spoken of in public, practiced everywhere, without there being anyone to prevent it."

An official Chinese historian named Mao Qiling (1623- 1716) wrote in a supplementary historical account regarding Emperor Wuzong (1491-1521), that had a passion of military uniforms and maneuvers, and broke precedent by sleeping at his new Leopard House, which accommodated his generals. He had so close friendship with one general in particular,that is recorded that they sleep and rose with together (tong wo-qi).

Open sexual expression was expanded under the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.), but increasing moral disorder, and invasion by warriors who captured Peking in 1644, establishing the Qing Dynasty, worked to somewhat morally awaken China, and resulted in laws for moral reform. Chinese conservatives labored to restore the more chaste values of orthodox Confucianism, while the Manchu conquerors sought to discourage fornication, including sexual offenses between males. The second Qing Emperor, Kang Xi, was an esteemed ruler who was hostile to pederasty and child prostitution, and declared that he himself was not waited on by "pretty boys."

In 1679 extensive legislation was written and confirmed in the Qing code of 1740, which made the abduction and rape of boys under twelve a capital crime, and penalized consensual sodomy with one hundred strokes of the heavy bamboo, and the wearing of the cangue (a flat wooden board) for one month. As in Biblical law, it appears that actually being caught in the act was required, and enforcement seems to have been rather selective. However, Kang Xi's own son and heir to the throne was found to be sexually involved with palace officials, and was executed.

Despite these reforms, later some Qing rulers are said to have engaged in homosexual relationships, and China saw a resurgence of homosexuality. Even during the reign of Kang Xi a contemporary writer wrote that "it is considered bad taste not to have singing boys around when inviting guests for dinner." Art began to abandoned its discrete nature in relation to sexual expression, and began to make the sexual act explicit.

Englishman John Barrow, secretary to the Macartney Embassy of 1793, and later the founder of the Royal Geographical Society, stated in Travels in China (1806),

Many of the first officers of state seemed to make no hesitation in publicly avowing [homosexuality]!"

Barrows also wrote that the exclusion of women had the effect of

"promoting that sort of connexion which, being one of the greatest violations of nature, ought to be considered among the first of moral crimes - a connexion that sinks a man many degrees below the brute. The commission of this detestable and unnatural act is attended to with so little sense of shame, or feeling of delicacy, that many first officers of state seemed to make no hesitation in publicly avowing it. Each of these officer is attended to by his pipe-bearer, who is generally a handsome boy, from fourteen to eighteen years of age, and is always well dressed.

In Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism Rejected Homosexuality, Dennis Prager also notes that the low state of women has been linked to widespread homosexuality, and writes that a French physician reported from China in the nineteenth century that, "Chinese women were such docile, homebound dullards that the men, like those of ancient Greece, sought courtesans and boys."

In contrast, a commentator of Napoleonic France provided commendation for such.

Sir Richard Burton summed up the Chinese in these words: "their systematic bestiality with ducks, goats and other animals is equaled only by their pederasty."

Eberhardt understands that "Chinese Buddhism considered homosexuality to be a minor transgression."

A western visitor to the port city of Tianjin estimated that there were approximately eight hundred boys in its thirty-five brothels, trained for pederastic prostitution.

However, homoeroticism apparently was not a religious part of Chinese folk religion, as "the Chinese were shocked and indignant at the homoerotic Tibetan rites practiced at the court of Shun-Ti Heissig, the last Mongul emperor in the fourteenth century."

During the Chinese cultural revolution (1966–76), government considered homosexuality to be a social offense or a form of mental illness, and homosexuality is said to been punished more than in all previous times.

In 1989 the "Chinese Classification and Diagnostic Criteria of Mental Disorders", released by the Chinese Psychiatric Association, defined homosexuality as a "psychiatric disorder of sexuality", providing more tolerance toward this class of sin.

Homosexuality in Japan

Greenberg understands that during the feudal age in Japan, homosexuality flourished among military aristocracy, "with samurai sometimes fighting duels on behalf of their lovers", and that Japanese Buddhism appears to have disregarded homosexuality.

Buddhist monks are said to not have allowed intercourse with women, though "male partners were not explicitly prohibited, and that many monks took youthful male lovers, a practice that was considered quite acceptable..." "Legal codes of the period do not even mention homosexuality."

Homosexuality among the Celts

Aristotle stated that the Celts esteemed homosexuality." In addition, Diodorus Siculus wrote in the first century B.C., "The men are much keener on their own sex; they lie around on animal skins and enjoy themselves, with a lover on each side. Furthermore, this isn't looked down on, or regarded in any way disgraceful."

Homosexuality among the American Indians

Pre-Columbian Americas: In North America, the Spanish and French explorers and missionaries who visited the New World quickly became aware of widespread Indian transvestism (men dressing as women) and homosexuality. Writing in 1776, Father Charlevoix, a Jesuit priest, found the Iroquois to have “an excess of effeminacy and lewdness. There are men unashamed to wear women’s clothing and to practice all the occupations of women, from which follows corruption that I cannot express. They pretend that its usage comes from their religion. These effeminates never marry and abandon themselves to the most infamous passions.”

Greenberg reports that there was widespread male homosexuality among the Mayans in Central America: “A strong homosexual component pervades close friendships of young married Mayan men as well as bachelors in southern Mexico and among Guatemalan Indians.”

Among the Aztecs, “Sodomy was virtually universal, involving even children as young as six. Cortez also found sodomy to be widespread among the Aztecs, and admonished them to give it up – along with human sacrifice and cannibalism. One of the Aztec gods, Xochipili, was the patron of male homosexuality and male prostitution.”

Homosexuality in ancient Mesopotamia

Certain other ancient societies provide some evidence in regards to the history of homosexuality. Gordon J Wenham in "The Old Testament Attitude to Homosexuality" refers to Homosexualität Reallexicon der Assyriologie (4. 559-68) as a prime source, and states,

From iconographic evidence dating from 3000 BC to the Christian era it is clear that homosexual practice was an accepted part of the Mesopotamian scene. This conclusion is confirmed by many literary and legal texts in which homosexual activity is mentioned.

Within the Middle Assyrian Laws (c. 1450-1250 B.C.) does seem to provide one or two relevant laws. MAL 19 provides a penalty for false accusation of passive homosexuality, requiring the false witness to be beaten, fined and suffer a mark of shame on him.

MAL 20 is more specific, "If a man has lain with his male friend and a charge is brought and proved against him, the same thing shall be done to him and he shall be made a eunuch."

Wenham comments,

This is what Cardascia, Les lois assyriennes, 134-35 suggests. Bottero and Petschow in Reallexicon der Assyriologie 4, 462 are more dogmatic. 'The verb niku/ náku ... implies a certain constraint on the part of the protagonist. Its literal translation would be "to do violence to" and almost "violate". It is precisely because the victim submits to violence that obliges its author to submit in his turn to violence himself.

He further states,

Nor were homosexuals shut away in Mesopotamia. There were homosexual cult prostitutes, who took part in public processions, singing, dancing, wearing costumes, sometimes wearing women's clothes and carrying female symbols, even at times pretending to give birth...Sometimes they are called 'dogs'. 'It therefore appears that these types of person, as in other places and periods including our own, formed a shady sub-culture where all sorts of ambiguities, mixtures and transformations were possible.

Greenberg states that in Mesopotamiam Hammurabi, the author of the famous legal code bearing his name, had male lovers (Greenberg, p. 126)

In addition, it is understood that Assyrian men prayed for divine blessing on homosexual love. This is seen to stand in contrast to the Bible, which nowhere offers sanction for homoeroticism, in contrast to its explicit Divine blessing on heterosexual relations in marriage. The Bible is also seen to separately forbid homosexual activity near the Temple, (Dt. 23:17,18) this likely being homosexual prostitutes, called dogs.

The Reallexicon der Assyriologie concludes:

Homosexuality in itself is thus nowhere condemned as licentiousness, as immorality, as social disorder, or as transgressing any human or divine law. Anyone could practise it freely, just as anyone could visit a prostitute, provided it was done without violence and without compulsion, and preferably as far as taking the passive role was concerned, with specialists.

Among the Hittites, Law 189 states, If a man violates his daughter it is a capital crime. If a man violates his son, it is a capital crime. However, the violation here may be more due to its incestuous nature, than the homosexual aspect.

Homosexuality among the Jews

As Leviticus 18 and other texts evidence, homosexuality was forbidden among the Jews, with violation being a capital offense. The author of the Syballine Oracles, thought to be an Egyptian Jew (approx. 163 - 45 B.C.), compared Jews to the other nations, stating,

The Jews "are mindful of holy wedlock, and they do not engage in impious intercourse with male children, as do Phoenicians, Egyptians, and Romans, specious Greece and many nations of others, Persians and Galatians and all Asia."

In contemporary times, according to sex researcher sex historian Arno Karlen, Alfred Kinsey (who was an atheist) stated that "homosexuality was phenomenally rare among Orthodox Jews" (even though his flawed research otherwise exaggerated the number of homosexuals).

Homosexuality in Egypt

The earliest and longest version of the Contendings of Horus and Seth (Greek transliterations, or Heru and Set from Egyptian), dated c. 1160 B.C., late in the 20th Dynasty in the New Kingdom, with elements of religious mythology which are likely older, tells of Set, who is before manifested as heterosexual, perpetrating a homosexual act upon Horus. This is seen as shameful by Ruler Ennead. Seth is also said to have become pregnant by eating lettuce with the semen of Horus on it, placed there by his mother. An earlier version (est. 2,000 B.C.) is similar. Historians see this indicating that to be anally penetrated was looked upon as humiliating and shameful.

The Egyptian Book of the Dead (c. 14.50 century B.C.) is the name given by Egyptologists to a collection of mortuary texts written on sheets of papyrus covered with magical texts and accompanying illustrations. The earliest record of Book of the Dead is dated from approx. 1650-1550 B.C., though it is thought that some of the spells originated in the Pyramid Texts carved more than 1000 years earlier. In chapter 125 are two sets of “negative confessions”, in which the deceased was to testify before Osiris and forty-two other gods of his righteousness and worthiness of eternal life. In the first set of declarations (before Osiris) is the statement (as translated), I have not penetrated the penetrater of a penetrater, while in the second set (before the 42 judges) it is declared (as translated), I have committed no acts of impurity nor have I had sexual intercourse with a man.

Part of an incomplete text dating from approximately 2200 B.C. has been termed, Neferkare’s Affair with General Sisene. It tells of a common man discovering that King Neferkare (Pepi 2) was making regular nightly visit to a man living without a wife, and which may imply a homosexual affair as part of royal corruption.

The Teaching of Vizier Ptahhotep (c. 2200 B.C.), has a difficult to translate text (32) which may read, Do not copulate with a woman-boy,for You know that one will fight against the water upon her heart.

Later, a homosexual liaison is described between the Governor of Egypt C. Vibius Maximus (103-107 A. D.) and a 17 year old still beardless...and handsome youth who ate and traveled with him rather than attending school and the gymnasium. His sexual relations with the politician were known, and the young man is described as exhibiting an attitude often seen in contemporary society today:

Once accustomed to this shame this handsome and rich young youth gave himself airs and became so impudent..in the presence of everyone, and laughed long and freely in the middle of the clients.

Partly because of this conduct the Governor incurred damnatio memoriaem, with his name being removed from public documents.

Homosexuality in the Arab and Islamic worlds

Greenberg contends that male homosexuality has been "pervasive and highly visible" in the Arab and Islamic worlds.

A Dutch traveler among the Moguls (Muslims who ruled in India), wrote that male homosexuality "is not only universal in practice among them, but extends to a bestial communication with brutes, and in particular with sheep."

John Chardin, a visitor to Persia the late seventeenth century, reported that he had found "numerous houses of male prostitution, but none offering females;" and "some of the greatest Persian love poetry is written to boys."

Louis Dupree, perhaps the West's leading scholar on Afghanistan, wrote in his 1973 book on Afghanistan chat male homosexuality remains common there. (Louis Dupree, Afghani- stan, Princeton University, 1973, p. 198.)

Khaled El-Rouayheb in Before homosexuality in the Arab-Islamic world, 1500-1800" states that "Arabic literature of the Ottoman period (1516-1798) is replete with causal and sometimes sympathetic references to homosexual love", most of it pederastic in content, such as between poets and young boys.

In his Music from a Distant Drum, Bernard Lewis writes that

Homosexuality is condemned and forbidden by the holy law of Islam, but there are times and places in Islamic history when the ban on homosexual love seems no stronger than the ban on adultery in, say, Renaissance Italy or seventeenth century France. Some [of the Arabic, Persian and Turkish] poems are openly homosexual; some poets, in their collected poems, even have separate sections for love poems addressed to males and females.

In The Venture of Islam author Marshal Hodegson wrote that in medieval Islamic civilization,

despite strong Shari disapproval, the sexual relations of a mature man with a subordinate youth were so readily accepted in middle class circles that there was little or no efforts to conceal their existence. The fashion entered poetry, especially the Persians.

Records from European travelers attest to the prevalence such, with the content of some revealing the distinction in cultural attitudes. One example is from Englishman Joseph Pitts, a sailor who was captured and sold into slavery at Algiers in 1678 but escaped fifteen years later. He later stated,

The horrible sin of Sodomy is so far from being punish'd among them, that it is part of their ordinary Discourse to boast of their detestable Actions of that kind. 'Tis common for Men there to fall in love with Boys, as 'tis here in England to be in love with Women.

The French traveler C. S. Sonnini, after visiting Egypt between 1777 and 1780, similary noted,

The passion contrary to nature...the inconceivable appetite which dishonored the Greek and Persians of antiquity, constitute the delight, or, to use a juster term, the infamy of the Egyptians. It is not for the women that that their amorous ditties are composed: it is not on them that tender caresses are lavished; far different objects inflame them.

Affirming this contrast, Muslim travelers who "rediscovered Europe" in the first half of the 1800s found it notable that the European men were not found courting or eulogizing male youth.

Moroccan scholar Muhammad Al-Saffar, who visited Paris in 1845-46, recorded,

Flirtation, romance, and courtship for them take place only with women, for they are not inclined to boys or young men. Rather, that is extremely disgraceful to them.

Likewise, El-Rouayheb also writes that Egyptian scholar Rifa'ah Rafi' al-Tahtaw who was in Paris between 1826 and 1831, noted,

Amongst the laudable traits of their character, similar really to those of the Bedouin, is their not being inclined to toward loving male youths and eulogizing them in poetry, for this is something unmentionable for them and contrary to their nature and morals. One of the positive aspects of their language and poetry is that it does not permit the saying of love poetry of someone of the same sex.

Homosexuality in England

Homosexuality was known to occur to certain degrees in England. Saint Boniface wrote in 744 that the people of England "have been leading a shameful life, despising lawful marriages, committing adultery and lusting after the fashion of cutlic people of Sodom. " Yet especially in latter times England is evidenced to possesses a healthy abhorrence of homosexuality, with both laws and the public attitude being contrary to it.

Sodomy (buggery) was described as "a sin against nature" and was prohibited as a capital offense along with bestiality from 1533 until 1861, which saw the penalty reduced to 10 years to life in prison. Later legislation broadened the description while lessening the penalty.

Prior to this a number of medieval legal sources do discuss "sodomy."

A German traveler wrote in 1768,

The English women are so handsome, and the desire to please them, and to obtain their favours, is so ardent and so general, that it is not in the least surprising, that those islanders should hold a certain unnatural crime in the utmost abhorrence. They speak in no part of the world with so much horror of this infamous passion, as in England. The punishment by law is imprisonment, and the pillory. It is very uncommon to see a person convicted, and punished for this crime; not on account of the paucity of the numbers charged with perpetrating it, but because they never yield to such a brutal appetite but with the utmost precaution.

The Societies for Reformation of Manners was founded in 1690, and by 1701 there were about twenty such Societies. They purposed to clean up public vice, particularly prostitution. Eight or nine members of the society worked undercover to observe gay cruising areas and attract solicitation. From 1707 through 1709, one cleric, "Reverend Bray," directed several raids, in affiliation with Constables who were also members of the Societies. By their annual meeting in 1710 they were able to attest that "our streets have been very much cleansed from the lewd night-walkers and most detestable sodomites."

Attitudes regarding homosexuality varied throughout the history of England, depending on its spiritual condition, and while sodomy between men remained unlawful until the 1930s, increased tolerance toward homosexuality was seen in post World War 1 The precursor to modern sexual revolution is understood by some to have begun among an intellectual class in England termed the Neo-Pagans, whose lifestyle was one of worship of the body, freedom of sexual expression, nudism, etc. This lifestyle was one which would later characterize the sexual revolution of the 1960s in the West. As seen in Romans 1:25, referring to "those who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen", this resulted in a modern prevalence of homosexuality in the United States and England, with its resultant deleterious effects.

Lesbianism

Lesbianism was termed lesbian passion by the Greeks, being derived from the name of the Greek island Lesbos, after its female poet Sappho wrote about love between women. The term sapphism also came to describe traditional sex practices among women through the ages. However, this is not seen as obtaining the same-sex social sanction as pederasty. Nor does Greek mythology offers legends of the goddesses which parallel the homosexual acts seen as having occurred between male Greek gods.

In Lucian's Amores 28, the Greek character Charicles states that it would be better for a women to invade the dominion of male wantonness (homosexuality) than for men to become effeminate, and also warns of lesbianism: If you concede homosexual love to males, you must in justice grant the same to females; you will have to sanction carnal intercourse between them; monstrous instruments of lust will have to be permitted, in order that their sexual congress may be carried out; that obscene vocable, tribad, which so rarely offends our ears--I blush to utter it--will become rampant, and Philænis will spread androgynous orgies throughout our harems.

Romans 1 of the New Testament clearly refers to lesbianism, as even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature, as a result of rejecting the creational revelation given them.

Ancient laws against homosexual acts

Greek laws existed which regulated pederasty, while later Romans laws went further in restricting it. Although there is some debate among scholars, Roman literature of the republic and early empire may indicate that men who engaged in consensual homosexual relations were often mocked as effeminate, but such was not illegal. Laws instituted in the later Roman Empire would change explicitly outlaw such.

On Dec 16, 342 A.D., Constantius and Constans issued a legal decision which was included in the later Theodosian Code:

Cod.Theod. IX. Viii. 3: (Cod. Justin IX.ix.31):

When a man marries in the manner of a woman, a woman about to renounce men (quum vir nubit in feminam viris porrecturam), what does he wish, when sex has lost all its significance; when the crime is one which it is not profitable to know; when Venus is changed to another form; when love is sought and not found? We order the statutes to arise, the laws to be armed with an avenging sword, that those infamous persons who are now, or who hereafter may be, guilty may be subjected to exquisite punishment.

The meaning of this is somewhat obscure, more explicit is the law issued by Valentinian II, Theodoisus and Arcadius on Aug 6, 390, and which also survives in the Theodosian Code:

Cod.Theod. IX. Vii. 6:

All persons who have the shameful custom of condemning a man's body, acting the part of a woman's to the sufferance of alien sex (for they appear not to be different from women), shall expiate a crime of this kind in avenging flames in the sight of the people.

During the Roman Imperial period the Lex Julia de adulteris (originally of c. 17 B.C.) was expanded by legal commentators to include first offenses against boys, and possibly all male homosexual acts. Under Justinian, the Eastern Roman Emperor from 527 A.D. to his death, historical accounts in Procopius and Malalas indicate that there was punishment of some homosexuals. In addition, under Justinian's legislative activity there was the strict Institutes of the Corpus Juris Civilis (effective Dec 30, 533), which is understood by some to sum up the legal opinons:

Institutes IV. xviii .4:

In criminal cases public prosecutions take place under various statutes, including the Lex Julia de adulteris, "…which punishes with death (gladio), not only those who violate the marriages of others, but also those who dare to commit acts of vile lust with [other] men (qui cim masculis nefandum libidinem exercere audent)."

More significantly, two "Novels" by Justinian issued were directed against homosexual activity:

NOVEL 77 [358 AD] (extract)

…since certain men, seized by diabolical incitement practice among themselves the most disgraceful lusts, and act contrary to nature: we enjoin them to take to heart the fear of God and the judgment to come, and to abstain from suchlike diabolical and unlawful lusts, so that they may not be visited by the just wrath of God on account of these impious acts, with the result that cities perish with all their inhabitants. For we are taught by the Holy Scriptures that because of like impious conduct cities have indeed perish, together with all the men in them.

NOVEL 141 [344 AD]

1. 1: For, instructed by the Holy Scriptures, we know that God brought a just judgment upon those who lived in Sodom, on account of this very madness of intercourse, so that to this very day that lands burns with inextinguishable fire. By this God teaches us, in order that by means of legislation we may avert such an untoward fate. Again, we know what the blessed Apostle says about such things, and what laws our state enacts. Wherefore it behoves all who desire to fear God to abstain from conduct so base and criminal that we do not find it committed even by brute beasts. Let those who have not taken part in such doings continue to refrain in the future. But as for those who have been consumed by this kind of disease, let them not only cease to sin in the future, but let them alos duly do penance, and fall down before God and renounce their plague [in confession] to the blessed Patriarch; let them understand the reason for this charge, and, as it is written, bring forth the fruits of repentance. So may God the merciful, in abundance of pity, deem us worthy of his blessing, that we may all give thanks to him for the salvation of the penitents, who we have now bidden [to submit themselves] in order that the magistrates too may follow up our action, [thus] reconciling to themselves God who is justly angry with us.

Late Roman pagan lawyers had already applied the Lex Julia to homosexual acts when Christian emperors enacted laws and issued exhortations against homosexuals, four in a two-hundred year period, with the two by Justinian (527-565) being as much concerned with penance as penalty.

Under Roman Emperor Charles V, (A.D. 1539), Lex Carolina (Die peinliche Halsgerichtsordnung) was promulgated:

§116 Punishment of the Unchastity that occurs against Nature.

Moreover, if a human being commits unchastity with an animal, [or] a man with a man, [or] a woman with a woman, they have forfeited life, and, according to the common custom, they shall be banished from life unto death by fire.

History of homosexuality and myths

Myths play a substantial part in the study of the history of homosexuality, which is seen by many among mythological Greek gods (similar Romans gods had Latin names). Instances and possibilities include

• Zeus and Ganymede,
• Apollo and Hyacinthus,
• Achilles and Patroclus,
• Heracles (or Hercules) and Hylas,
• Narcissus and Ameinias.
• Other gods who to homosexual affairs are attributed include Orpheus ("the first man to love boys"), Boreas (god of the North Wind) and Thamyris.

Non-uniform occurrence

An notable interesting aspect in regards to the history of homosexuality is that it has been rare in a number of cultures or been absent in some cultures. Dr. Neil Whitehead and Briar Whitehead state regarding various cultures: "If homosexuality were significantly influenced by genes, it would appear in every culture, but in twenty-nine of seventy-nine cultures surveyed by Ford and Beach in 1952, homosexuality was rare or absent."

Other non-modern, non-Western societies

The prevalence of homosexuality, as well as the practices/customs involving homosexuality, have been argued to have varied widely in different societies and to have sometimes changed quickly within societies, as cultures have changed.

Modern prevalence and influence

The prevalence of homosexuality according to surveys is affected by the question(s) used by the surveys. This includes if asking for exclusive homosexuality, if asking for bisexual actions, or if asking for sometimes having felt an attraction towards persons from the opposite sex. The stated prevalence is also affected by possible time limits, such as "…in the past year."

The history of homosexuality in modern times is one which evidences a growth from that which is shameful to mainstream acceptance in the West. This change may be seen as a product of the sexual revolution beginning in the 1960s, which saw widespread rebellion toward moral authority, and against prohibitions against illicit sex in particular. Homosexual rights groups had existed before and grown during that time, but the rebellion which marked that era was distinctly manifested by homosexuals on June 28, 1969 in the Stonewall Riots which occurred in Greenwich Village, injuring police and bystanders. This is seen as marking the beginning of the modern organizing of gay and lesbian groups, and the promotion of what conservatives term the homosexual agenda. Gay Democratic clubs began in every major city, and one fourth of all college campuses had gay and lesbian groups. The American Psychiatric Association was pressured to removed homosexuality from its official listing of mental disorders, and to treat it as an optional lifestyle. It is contended by some that such changes were due to pressure from the homosexual lobby, which Nicholas Cummings, former president of the APA, states, "is very strong in the APA."

Since Stonewall, the visibility of gays and lesbians has become an increasing aspect of American life, despite the fact that the homosexual lifestyle was the primary cause of the spread of AIDS, which has resulted in the death of over a half million Americans, and many more worldwide. In addition to the decreased moral influence by Christians or others, and the increase in erotic sensuality overall, many credit effective homosexual public relations strategy for the increasing acceptance of homosexuality. Instrumental in this strategy were Harvard trained marketing experts and social scientists Marshall Kirk (1957 - 2005) and Hunter Madsen, who advocated avoiding portraying gays as aggressive challengers, but as victims, while making those who opposed them as evil persecutors. The widespread use of the term homophobia against any who oppose homosexuality has been effective in the latter effort.

Various estimates are given for the percentage of homosexuals (though who sexually desire their same genders over the opposite). The early figure of 10% as based upon a report by Alfred E. Kinsey, though often quoted, is not generally considered accurate by profession researchers, due to serious flaws (and even criminal practices) in his studies. A more recent national study found that 1.51% of total U.S. population identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Various sources compiled by Thomas E.Schmidt resulted in a figure of 1.8% of the U.S. population being gay or lesbian. With the promotion of homosexuality in schools and society, these figures are expected to rise.

Recent, high quality surveys have been stated to have reported a prevalence of more enduring homosexuality in approximately 2–4% of the population of Western countries. Sometimes higher numbers such as 10% are mentioned, but they have been criticized as not being based on representative samples. Exclusive homosexuality has been stated to be more common among men, while bisexuality has been stated to more common among women.

The largest survey ever done was made in the United States in 2012 and stated that 3.4% of adults self-identified as LGBT. For Whites the figure was 3.2%, for Hispanics 4.0%, for Asians 4.3%, and for Blacks 4.6%. For men the figure was 3.3% and for women 3.6%. The prevalence was higher for persons with low income and short education. LGBT women were as likely as non-LGBT women to have children under the age of 18 in their home, while LGBT men were half as likely as non-LGBT men to have children in their home. There was a large age difference. Persons aged 18 to 29 were more than three times as likely as seniors aged 65 and older to identify as LGBT (6.4% vs 1.9%). Also, in the 18 to 29 age group, the sex difference was particularly large (8.3% of women and 4.6% of men self-identified as LGBT).

A 2011 survey stated that studies in other Western countries have generally found lower self-identification than in the United States (1.2-2.1%). A 2012 study in the United Kingdom stated a self-identification prevalence of 1.5%. As in the US, the prevalence was much higher among younger persons. The prevalence for persons aged 16 to 24 was 2.6% and the prevalence for persons aged 65+ was 0.4%.

There is a much higher occurrence of homosexuality among those who have been raised in large cities, rather than in rural areas. The explanations may be similar to those proposed for the age differences.

Contemporary conflict

In modern times in the United States the term "Culture War" has been used to describe the polarization on various issues between conservatives and liberals and the issue of homosexuality is part of this conflict. Conservatives point out that the weight of evidence shows there is a significant body of research showing the homosexuality inordinately harms individuals and the larger society as a whole in comparison to heterosexuality (for example, through higher rates of diseases, higher domestic violence rates, etc.).

Consequences of prevalent homosexuality

Historically, societies that have embraced homosexuality have perished, whereas those that have upheld traditional values have endured. For example, ancient Rome's decline and its eventual fall in A.D. 476 were due in no small part to a growing tolerance of homosexual acts beginning in the Late Republic period ending in 27 B.C. The prominent Italian historian Roberto De Mattei, deputy head of Italy's National Research Council, indicated the fall of Rome was due to a "contagion of homosexuality and effeminacy" that made the Roman Empire easy pickings for barbarian hordes.

Similarities between homosexual men and heterosexual women

Aside from the sexual preference, there are also some other similarities between homosexual men and heterosexual women. Note that the following discussion refer to average group differences and that there are individuals who differ greatly from the group averages.

A 2003 literature review stated that homosexual males on average in childhood had a strong tendency for gender nonconforming behaviors (which also as stated above has been proposed as a cause of homosexuality). Similarly to females, on average homosexual males entered puberty earlier than heterosexual males. On various tests of mental abilities, they had on average scored similarly to females or intermediately. There was an increased preference for occupations traditionally preferred by females.

On the other hand, the preference regarding the degree of sexual partner variation was more similar to that of heterosexual men than heterosexual women.

Some brain structures differ between heterosexual men and heterosexual women. Homosexual men have in studies on average had similarities to heterosexual women, regarding some of these brain structures, but not regarding other.

The brain research, in particular an influential 1993 study, has often been cited by homosexual activists, as evidence for homosexuality being hard-wired, and criticized by those objecting to homosexuality being hard-wired. However, differences, like those reported in some studies regarding certain brain structures, are not necessarily due to genetics or proof of hard-wiring, but could also be explained as due to environmental factors, including possibilities such as growth of certain brain areas in direct response to learned sexual behaviors. Also, even when there are group differences regarding average values, this does not necessarily mean that it is possible to identify sexual orientation by, for example, measuring the volume of certain brain structure. This since the individual variability may be large and overlapping between groups.

Parenting

In 2004, the American College of Pediatricians stated the following regarding homosexuality and parenting:

"Children reared in homosexual households are more likely to experience sexual confusion, practice homosexual behavior, and engage in sexual experimentation. Adolescents and young adults who adopt the homosexual lifestyle, like their adult counterparts, are at increased risk of mental health problems, including major depression, anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, substance dependence, and especially suicidal ideation and suicide attempts...

The research literature on childrearing by homosexual parents is limited. The environment in which children are reared is absolutely critical to their development. Given the current body of research, the American College of Pediatricians believes it is inappropriate, potentially hazardous to children, and dangerously irresponsible to change the age-old prohibition on homosexual parenting, whether by adoption, foster care, or by reproductive manipulation. This position is rooted in the best available science."}

One study, a large 2012 study by Mark Regnerus, randomly selected and representative of the American population, examined the outcomes for children who had grown up in different family constellations, including homosexual ones. On a large number of social, emotional, and relational outcomes, the children who had grown up with two heterosexual parents did better than other children, even after controlling for differences in age, gender, race/ethnicity, level of mother’s education, perceived family-of-origin’s income, experience with having been bullied as a youth, and the "gay friendliness" of the respondent’s current state of residence. Furthermore, while 90% of those growing up with two biological parents identified themselves as entirely heterosexual, only 61%/71% of the children to lesbian mothers/gay fathers did so. 2% of children growing up with two biological parents reported being ever being touched sexually by parents, while for children to lesbian mothers/gay fathers the numbers were 23%/6%.

Health

Homosexuality is associated with a variety of physical health issues.

Most well-known may be the association with HIV/AIDS. A 2012 study stated that the prevalence of HIV among "men who have sex with men" (MSM) was 25.4% in the Caribbean, 14.7% - 17.9% in Sub-Saharan Africa, North America, Latin America, and South and Southeast Asia, and 3% - 6.6% in the rest of the world. The HIV epidemics among MSM were stated be expanding in most countries.

A high frequency of unprotected anal sex and many sexual partners have been stated to increase the risk of HIV-infection for MSM. "Barebacking" refers to unprotected anal sex and has been stated to be common among young MSM in the US, despite a high risk for HIV-infection. Stated possible explanations include that HIV is no longer seen as a death sentence and that the behavior is seen as a form of defiance of norms and rules. In some areas, an increased use of drugs similar to amphetamine have been associated with more risky behaviors and an increased frequency of HIV-infection.

There are also "bug chasers", who want to become HIV-infected, and "gift givers", who want to infect "bug chasers". Stated possible reasons include a desire to no longer be afraid of becoming HIV-infected, a feeling of exclusion from the group of HIV-infected that may include friends and partners, the behavior is seen as a supporting a stigmatized group, safe sex is seen as an obstacle to spontaneous sex, and risky sex is considered exciting.

There is also an increased risk of several other sexual diseases. One example is hepatitis C, that greatly increases the risk of several severe liver diseases. Recent studies in several countries have found drastic increases in the frequency of the disease and described hepatitis C as a possible new epidemic among MSM. Sexual transmission of Hepatitis C is rare among non-MSM. However, it has been suggested, and several studies have found support for, that sexual behaviors that cause trauma to mucous membranes and consequent bleeding may be a transmission cause (such behaviors also increases the risk of other STDs). Such sexual behaviors include anal sex, fisting, rimming, enema, sex toys, group sex, and drugs that are applied to mucous membranes (such as in the nose). Also other STDs that cause wounds in mucous membranes may contribute as well as HIV-infection that suppresses the immune system. More effective new drugs against Hepatits C has been developed but are very costly.

"Gay bowel syndrome" is a term used to describe the various sexually transmitted anal and rectal diseases and sexual traumas and that related to anal sex.

A higher use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs have been reported for homosexuals of both sexes than for heterosexuals. Also various problems related to this has been reported.

A 2013 literature review stated that homosexuals/bisexuals as compared to heterosexuals had poorer general health and increased risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, allergies, arthritis, and chronic gastro-intestinal problems. There was also a higher prevalence and earlier onset of disabilities, such as use of a walking assistant. Homosexual men also had a higher risk of migraine headaches and urinary incontinence.

Mental health

A large 2008 meta-analysis stated that homosexuals/bisexuals as compared to heterosexuals had increased risk for depression and anxiety disorders, alcohol and other substance dependence, and suicide attempt. The results were similar for both sexes, but female homosexuals/bisexuals had a particularly large risk for substance dependence, while male homosexuals/bisexuals had a particularly large risk for suicide attempt.

A 2010 twin study in Sweden stated that "Rates of depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), eating disorders, alcohol dependence and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were increased among men and women with same-sex sexual experiences."

A higher frequency of bipolar disease, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and phobias have been reported for homosexual men as compared to heterosexual men.

Studies have also stated a higher frequency of psychotic symptoms and psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia in homosexuals. Also a higher frequency of certain personality disorders have been reported.

Causes of health differences

While homosexual activists often explain the health differences as due to causes such as stress caused by persecution there are also other possibilities.

A higher prevalence of substance abuse may contribute to health differences and may be caused by factors such as a subculture with many visits to bars/clubs. Sexually transmitted diseases increase the risks of certain cancers. Women never being pregnant have a higher risk of breast cancer. A high prevalence of stress and depression may have negative effects on the immune system. Also nutritional patterns may contribute.

Another possibility is differences regarding coping styles. A 2009 study found that homosexual men as compared to heterosexual men more strongly applied emotion-oriented and avoidance coping strategies. The more emotion-oriented coping was argued to be an explanation for health differences. Sexual orientation was not related to different coping styles for women.

Several studies have found support for that whatever factors are causing homosexuality (including possibly genetic factors) at the same time contribute to the poorer health.

If endocrine disruptors are factors contributing to homosexuality, then they may also possibly disrupt various organ systems and cause negative health effects.

Maltreatment in childhood/adolescence is associated with later homosexuality (see the section "Causes of homosexuality"). It is possible that this maltreatment at the same time could cause poorer health through mechanisms such as stress.

Gender nonconforming behaviors in general (not just homosexual) are associated with poorer health. One explanation is that such behaviors are associated with increased risk of maltreatment (including sexual abuse and bullying) by family members and other persons. Since homosexuality is associated with gender nonconforming behaviors in general (not just homosexual), then this may be an explanation for the poorer health of homosexuals. This could also mean that undermining the traditional gender roles of children/adolescents may increase the risk of maltreatment (and also may be a cause of homosexuality as noted in the section "Causes of homosexuality").

Domestic violence

In regards to homosexual couples and domestic violence, studies indicate that homosexual as a whole couples have higher rates of promiscuity than heterosexual couples. In addition, studies report that homosexual couples have significantly higher incidences of violent behavior which will be covered shortly. These studies are not surprising at all given what pathologists have stated regarding the commonness and brutality of homosexual murders.

Regarding studies regarding homosexual couples and violence, a recent study by the Canadian government regarding homosexual couples states that "violence was twice as common among homosexual couples compared with heterosexual couples". According the American College of Pediatricians who cite several studies violence among homosexual couples is two to three times more common than among married heterosexual couples. In addition, the American College of Pediatricians states the following: "Homosexual partnerships are significantly more prone to dissolution than heterosexual marriages with the average homosexual relationship lasting only two to three years."

In June 2004, the journal Nursing Clinics of North America reported the following regarding homosexual couples:

Domestic abuse is under-reported in the gay community... Male-on-male same-sex domestic violence also has been reported in couples where one or both persons are HIV-positive. Intimate partner abuse and violence include humiliation, threatening to disclose HIV status, withholding HIV therapy, and harming family members or pets.

In 2000, the New York Times in an article entitled Silence Ending About Abuse in Gay Relationships cites some information which may indicate that domestic abuse may be under-reported in the homosexual community. The New York Times article states the following:

But the issue of gay domestic abuse has been shrouded by silence until recently...

For years, gay people have tried to keep quiet about the problem, said Dave Shannon, coordinator of the violence recovery program at Fenway Community Health, a gay and lesbian clinic in Boston.

Mr. Shannon said: People feel, 'Why should we air our dirty laundry? People feel so negatively about us already, the last thing we should do is contribute to negative stereotypes of us.'

Studies

• The Journal of the Family Research Institute using data from the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Center for Disease Control concluded that "married men who are not separated are at least 25 times less apt to be domestically attacked than a homosexual male in an 'on-going relationship.' Even if we include all married and separated husbands, the risk of domestic violence in a male-male homosexual relationship is still at least 18 times greater."

• Another study indicated that 83% of homosexuals report they have been emotionally abused by homosexual partners.

• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Domestic Abuse Fact Sheet states that "11% of women in homosexual relationships and 23% of men in homosexual relationships report being raped, physically assaulted, and/or stalked by an intimate partner".

• A study published in The Journal of Family Violence reported among its participants that "Emotional abuse was reported by 83%" of its participants.

• A study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence examined conflict and violence in lesbian relationships. The researchers found that 90 percent of the lesbians surveyed had been recipients of one or more acts of verbal aggression from their intimate partners during the year prior to this study, with 31 percent reporting one or more incidents of physical abuse.

• A 1985 study of 1109 lesbians by Gwat-Yong Lie and Sabrina Gentlewarrier reported that slightly more than half of the respondents indicated that they had been abused by a female partner.

• Coleman, in a 1990 study of 90 lesbians reported that 46.6% had experienced repeated acts of violence.

• A study of 113 lesbians reported (1994) that 41% said they had been abused in one or more relationships.

• In their book, Men Who Beat the Men Who Love Them: Battered Gay Men and Domestic Violence (1991), Island and Letellier postulate that "the incidence of domestic violence among gay men is nearly double that in the heterosexual population."

• The Journal of Social Service Research reported in 1991 that survey of 1,099 lesbians showed that slightly more than 50 percent of the lesbians reported that they had been abused by a female lover/partner, "the most frequently indicated forms of abuse were verbal/emotional/psychological abuse and combined physical-psychological abuse."

• A study of lesbian couples reported (2000) in the Handbook of Family Development and Intervention "indicates that 54 percent had experienced 10 or more abusive incidents, 74 percent had experienced six or more incidents, 60 percent reported a pattern to the abuse, and 71 percent said it grew worse over time."

Homosexuality and pedophilia studies

The abstract for the journal article The proportions of heterosexual and homosexual pedophiles among sex offenders against children: an exploratory study published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy indicates:

Previous investigations have indicated that the ratio of sex offenders against female children vs. offenders against male children is approximately 2:1, while the ratio of gynephiles to androphiles among the general population is approximately 20:1. The present study investigated whether the etiology of preferred partner sex among pedophiles is related to the etiology of preferred partner sex among males preferring adult partners. Using phallometric test sensitivities to calculate the proportion of true pedophiles among various groups of sex offenders against children, and taking into consideration previously reported mean numbers of victims per offender group, the ratio of heterosexual to homosexual pedophiles was calculated to be approximately 11:1. This suggests that the resulting proportion of true pedophiles among persons with a homosexual erotic development is greater than that in persons who develop heterosexually. This, of course, would not indicate that androphilic males have a greater propensity to offend against children.

The American Family Association reported:

And the Journal of Sex Research found that homosexual pedophiles commit about one-third of the total number of sex offenses against children.

This fact is particularly disturbing. Homosexuals comprise just two percent of the population, yet are responsible for 33% of all child sexual abuse. They offend against children at 16 times the rate of the normal population.

The Archives of Sexual Behavior, in a study of 229 convicted child molesters, found that “eighty-six percent of offenders against males described themselves as homosexual or bisexual.”

Thus it comes as no surprise to discover that research into the priesthood scandal in the Catholic Church reveals that 81% of the victims of clergy abuse are young boys.

Now this is most certainly not to say that every priest or even most priests are pedophiles. The great majority, of course, are not. But some, in fact too many, are and that’s the problem.

There are notable instances of prominent homosexual organizations being permissive towards pedophilia or condoning/promoting pedophilia. For example, the Journal of Homosexuality is a academic journal which has featured material that looks upon pedophilia in a generally approvingly manner. For example, an article by Dr. Brongersma stated that parents should not view a pedophile "as a rival or competitor, not as a thief of their property, but as a partner in the boy's upbringing, someone to be welcomed into their home..."

The International Lesbian and Gay Association was founded in 1978 and is a world-wide network of national and local homosexual groups has more than 620 member organizations. In 1993 the ILGA obtained consultative status on the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) but in 1994 they lost their status due to groups within their membership, most notably the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) and Vereniging MARTIJN, advocating pedophilia or expressing solidarity with pro-pedophilia groups. ILGA expelled the groups associated with pedophilia but they were denied ECOSOC decided against restoring ILGA’s consultative status in 2002 and once again in January 2006. NAMBLA had been a member of the ILGA for a decade before it was expelled by the ILGA. NAMBLA calls itself a homosexual organization.

Homosexual behavior in animals

Some forms of homosexual behavior have been observed in some animal species, but exclusive or predominant homosexuality is rare in nature. In some cases, such behaviors are due to a lack of available opposite sex partners. It has even been argued that there are no clear examples of exclusive homosexuality in non-human wild animal species, if there are available partners of the opposite sex.

Endocrine disruptors affecting behaviors are possible causes of homosexual behaviors in animals and humans. Thus, homosexual behaviors in some animals that have been observed today are not necessarily typical and may not have occurred in earlier times with less impact from endocrine disruptors of human origin.

Public perceptions of the prevalence of homosexuality

Homosexual activists have been accused of often deliberately citing misleading numbers regarding the prevalence of homosexuality (such as 10%), in order to gain more political influence. There has also been a greatly expanded presence of homosexuals in the mass media. Such propaganda may explain why surveys in the US have found that the general public greatly overestimates the prevalence of homosexuality and that these overestimates have become increasingly larger over time.

Furthermore, the media has been stated to stereotypically and incorrectly describe homosexuals as high income, highly educated, and White. The previously mentioned very large US study found the opposite of this media stereotype.

Treatment

Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy or Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE), consists of counseling or treatment to change someone's sexual attraction from homosexuality to heterosexuality. Perhaps because of its effectiveness, homosexual activists have sought laws prohibiting conversion therapy in many states, and liberal California, Oregon, New Jersey, Illinois and the District of Columbia have banned this therapy for minors. But on February 24, 2015, an Oklahoma House committee passed a bill to protect the right to conversion therapy, and the therapy remains fully lawful in the vast majority of the United States. Governor Andrew Cuomo has tried to ban it for minors by issuing an unusual executive order in New York.

See also

• Deviance (sociology)
• Gender dysphoria
• Homosexual agenda
• Mental illness
• Nature versus nurture
• Pederastry
• Pedophilia
• Perversion
• Political correctness

External links

• The Alt-Right and the Homosexual Question — Part 1
• The Alt-Right and the Homosexual Question — Part 2
• The Alt-Right and the Homosexual Question — Part 3
• Family Research Institute
• Homosexuality and the scientific evidence: Summary
• [4] on Conservapedia.
• Homosexual serial killers
• Homosexualism and Mental Health Problems
• Myth of the Acceptance of Homosexuality in Ancient Hellas
• Report: Paedophilia More Common Among ‘Gays’