Is Homosexuality Normal?

Abstract

In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of diagnoses, thereby implying that it is a normal variant of sexual behavior. Since then, when homosexuals have sought professional help for emotional problems, psychiatrists have tended increasingly to assist them to believe that their emotional discomfort is the result of society's bias and intolerance and to accept and enjoy their preference for individuals of the same sex. The World Health Organization, however, still includes homosexuality as a medical diagnosis in the International Classification of Diseases. Normally, a child can be expected to develop into an adult with its genetically determined sex. When a boy who is physically and hormonally normal develops a preference for sex with another male, it is an indication that something is amiss. A pathologic family environment is often present in the family of homosexuals. Yet not all boys exposed to a pathologic family during early development become homosexuals. Because of this, the role of disturbed relationships in causing homosexuality is questioned. However, psychoanalyses of male homosexuals have convincingly revealed the existence of a fear of heterosexuality in individuals with genetically predisposed personalities.