Dr. Stanton Jones' reply to this article is in chapter 11.

 

 

A review by Johnny Skeptic of Homosexuality, the Use of Scientific Research in the Church’s Moral Debate, copyright 2000. The authors are Stanton L. Jones, Ph.D., and Mark A. Yarhouse, Ph.D. 

 

My article is quite lengthy, but it need not be read at one sitting. The clickable links provide readers with quick and easy access to the topics that interest them the most. Of course, some readers will choose to read the entire article.  

 

1. Introduction

 

2. Is homosexuality a psychopathology?

 

3. Public opinion regarding homosexuality

 

4. The predominant factors that influence physical and mental health are not sexual preference specific.

 

5. Promiscuity among homosexuals 

 

6. AIDS

 

7. Pedophilia  

 

8. What causes homosexuality? 

 

9. Can homosexuality be changed?

 

10. Conclusion

 

11. Dr. Jones' reply to my article.

 

1. Introduction

 

Stanton L. Jones has a Ph.D. in psychology. As of the year 2000, he has been provost of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, a private, non-denominational Christian college. Mark A. Yarhouse also has a Ph.D. in psychology. As of the year 2000, he has been an assistant professor of psychology at Regent University, Virginia, a Christian school that was founded by Pat Robertson in 1978.

 

It is my intention in this article to show that Jones and Yarhouse have made numerous questionable claims and assumptions that overstate and misrepresent the general   results/consequences of homosexuality to homosexuals and to society. Incredibly, in chapter 2 I show that using the authors’ OWN general statistics, the statistics do not apply to tens of millions of homosexuals, and in some cases the statistics do not apply to well over 100 million homosexuals. 

 

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2. Is homosexuality a psychopathology?

 

The authors claim that homosexuality is a psychopathological disorder. Merriam Webster’s 11^th Collegiate Dictionary defines “psychopathology” as “the study of psychological and behavioral dysfunction occurring in mental disorder or in social disorganization.” 

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“It is widely known that in 1974 the full membership of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) followed the 1973 recommendation of its board by voting to remove homosexuality as a pathological psychiatric condition as such (or “in itself”) from the DSM, which is the official reference book for diagnosing mental disorders in America (and through much of the world). The removal of homosexuality from the DSM was in response to a majority vote of the APA.

 

“The original APA vote was called at a time of significant social change and was taken with unconventional speed that circumvented normal channels for consideration of the issues because of explicit threats from gay rights groups to disrupt APA conventions and research. (Ronald Bayer, Homosexuality and American Psychiatry: The Politics of Diagnosis – New York: Basic books, 1981).” 

 

Johnny: The real truth about the removal of homosexuality from the DSM can be found at  http://rainbowallianceopenfaith.homestead.com/TVC_APA.html. Following are some excerpts:

 

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) removed homosexuality as a mental disorder from the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-II).

 

The Traditional Values Coalition makes the following claim about the decision:

 

"[Activists] have continued to claim that the APA based their decision on new scientific discoveries that proved that homosexual behavior is normal and should be affirmed in our culture. This is false and part of numerous homosexual urban legends that have infiltrated every aspect of our culture."

 

As you will see, their claim is an outrageous distortion of the long process undertaken by the APA to study the research available to them before they made their decision. In fact you will see that although the TVC claims to have used the Ronald Bayer book, Homosexuality and American Society, as a reference, it appears that they didn't bother to read it.

 

Anyone who actually reads the Bayer book will know that the work of numerous individuals was reviewed by the APA. Charles Socarides and Irving Bieber presented their theories.  The research studied by the APA included the work of Seymour Halleck, Dr. Wardell Pomeroy, Alfred Kinsey, Alan Bell, Evelyn Hooker,

Charles Silverstein, Sigmund Freud, Ford and Beach, Judd Marmor, Richard Green, and Martin Hoffman.  

 

Johnny: Jones and Yarhouse criticize some of the experts that I mentioned, but the point is that whether or not the conclusions of the experts were valid, there was a deliberation process, and  without the testimonies and writings of experts, homosexuality would not have been removed from the DSM. Protests from gay rights groups resulted in accelerating an already ongoing process in certain sectors of the community of mental health professionals.

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“However, it appears that in contrast to the results of the vote, the majority of the APA membership continued to view homosexuality as a pathology. A survey four years after the vote found that 69% of psychiatrists regarded homosexuality as a ‘pathological adaptation.’ A much more recent  survey suggests that the majority of psychiatrists around the world continue to view same-sex behavior as signaling mental illness.” 

 

Johnny: The footnote regarding the survey says “American Psychiatric Association, ‘Psychiatrists’ View on Homosexuality,’ Psychiatric News, September 1993, a survey conducted by the APA’s Office of International Affairs.”

 

Consider the following:

 

http://www.afec.org/issues/homosexuality/facts.htm

 

In 1992, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Office of International Affairs along with the APA Committee of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Psychiatrists conducted a survey of psychiatric associations around the world. They found that out of 125 countries, 97.6% consider homosexuality a mental illness, only three (United States, Denmark, South Africa) regard homosexuality as anything other than a mental illness. ("U.S. Psychiatrists’ Views on Homosexuality Differ from Colleagues’ in Other Countries," Psychiatric News, Vol. 28, No. 17, 3 September 1993.)

 

Well, there is much more to the story than that. Consider the following:

 

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/Toc_views.asp?TOCName=J236v07n01_TOC&desc=Volume%3A%207%20Issue%3A%201%2F2

 

2003 - The Haworth Press, Inc., publisher of scholarly professional books and journals

 

During the past 10 years, theoretical models of homosexuality have changed in Switzerland from a pathological view to one in which homosexuality is a nonpathological orientation equivalent to heterosexuality. Although it is a rarely discussed topic in the professional literature, there is a growing number of courses and lectures about homosexuality in the universities and schools of social sciences in Switzerland. Pathologizing therapists are usually members of religious groups and they are not psychologists and psychiatrists with professional qualifications. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societal_attitudes_towards_homosexuality  

The Chinese Psychiatrists’ Association removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses in April 2001. 

http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep98/china.html  

While American conservatives, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R–Miss.), have drawn criticism for likening homosexuality to alcoholism and kleptomania, China’s medical community - not to mention its general public -widely brand gay men, lesbians and bisexuals as mentally ill. Chinese mental health specialists, in various journal articles, argue that homosexuality disrupts societal harmony and increases sexual crimes. Although homosexuality isn’t a crime there, in the past authorities have used antihoo-liganism laws (recently removed from Chinese criminal law) to arrest gay men in bars and parks. 

But now, China’s gay community is encouraged by the fact that Chinese psychiatrists and other segments of Chinese society are openly debating the way sexual orientation should be classified in the profession’s diagnostic manual, which is undergoing a revision. An increasingly vocal group argues that it’s a normal, although relatively rare, phenomenon and in no way constitutes moral corruption. And in the United States, a group of scholars and students, many of them Chinese, are trying to change the Chinese society’s attitudes toward gay men, lesbians and bisexuals. At a meeting in Los Angeles last year, they formed the Chinese Society for the Study of Sexual Minorities (CSSSM), an organization of researchers and activists from various disciplines, including psychology.  

http://www.psych.org/pnews/96-10-18/wpa.html  

While gay and lesbian psychiatrists in the United States are a large and influential segment of the psychiatric community, in other nations they are nearly invisible in the face of societal attitudes that allow no place for homosexual doctors. 

An international group of gay and lesbian psychiatrists took a major, and for some, risky step toward increasing their visibility in August at the World Psychiatric Association's 10th World Congress in Madrid, Spain.  

For the first time ever, the WPA's scientific program included a symposium devoted entirely to the unique aspects of being a gay or lesbian psychiatrist and treating gay and lesbian patients.  

Johnny: Although there is much more additional information regarding the views of psychiatrists in many parts of the world, suffice it to say that in general, the worldwide community of psychiatrists is moving towards a more conciliatory position that homosexuality is not a mental disorder. 

 

Psychiatrists are not the only group who deserve to be heard. Consider the following: 

 

http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/answers.html

 

American Psychological Association 

“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.”   

Johnny: Readers, I hope that you noticed that the American Psychological Association did not just rubber stamp the American Psychiatric Association’s removal of homosexuality from the DSM. Their resolution for removal was passed two years after the American Psychiatric Association’s removal, obviously as  the result of extensive research. 

 

http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/policy/archive.html,

 

American Psychological Association

 

“Adopted by the APA Council of Representatives on August 16, 1998. Superseded by Sexual Orientation & Marriage adopted by the APA Council of Representatives on July 28 & 30, 2004.

“WHEREAS there is evidence that homosexuality per se implies no impairment in judgement, stability, reliability, or general social and vocational capabilities (Conger, 1975) for individuals;

“WHEREAS the scientific literature has found no significant difference between different-sex couples and same-sex couples that justify discrimination (Kurdek, 1994;1983; Peplau, 1991);

“WHEREAS scientific research has not found significant psychological or emotional differences between the children raised in different-sex versus same-sex households”  (Patterson, 1994).       

 

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/109/6/1193

 

Joseph F. Hagan, Jr., FAAP, Chairman, AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family  

Our technical report reviewed the growing body of scientific literature regarding children who grow up with gay or lesbian parents. Only studies published in peer-reviewed journals were considered. And while some criticize the inclusion of journals from the psychology, sociology and social work literature that specifically address issues regarding homosexuality, all the journals cited are commonly found in conventional medical school or university libraries.

The technical report recommends caution in interpreting these data, as the majority of these studies are of short duration and small numbers. But these studies dispute and disprove the commonly held prejudice that homosexual parents are poor parents. Rather, the literature suggests that children who grow up with gay or lesbian parents fare just as well in emotional, cognitive, social, and sexual functioning as children whose parents are heterosexual.”  

 

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/cate....html#H-60.940

American Medical Association

H-60.940 Partner Co-Adoption

Our AMA will support legislative and other efforts to allow the adoption of a child by the same-sex partner, or opposite sex non-married partner, who functions as a second parent or co-parent to that child. (Res. 204, A-04)

 

http://familydoctor.org/739.xml

 

American Academy of Family Physicians

 

Is homosexuality a disease?

 

No, homosexuality is not a disease. All major mental health organizations, including the American Psychological Association (APA), have stated that homosexuality is not a mental disorder.

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“Psychopathology is often accompanied by personal distress, as is the case with depressive disorders and sexual dysfunctions. However, personal distress is not a necessary aspect of psychopathology. Some problems that we all recognize as pathological are also characterized by patterns of denial and minimization of distress, as is the case with some experiences of alcoholism or drug addiction. Think of the alcoholic who refuses treatment and adamantly claims to have his or her drinking under control. The alcoholic may not report personal distress, and some alcoholics will be able to manage their various responsibilities, at least for the time being, which is why some professionals refer to them as ‘functional alcoholics.’ Some disorders, such as Antisocial Personality Disorder, are actually characterized at a fundamental level by a failure to be distressed about the patterns of behavior one manifests,"

 

Johnny: What Jones and Yarhouse are surely implying is that OVERT personal distress among homosexuals + COVERT personal distress among homosexuals = a much larger, but conveniently unstated percentage of distressed homosexuals than documented clinical research has found. However, this approach is not scientific. These unknown statistics are just that, unknown. Regarding covert distress, whether among homosexuals OR heterosexuals, what do the authors suggest that distressed people and society do about it? They are quick to criticize, but slow to offer credible solutions.

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“The best estimate we can obtain of lifetime psychiatric hospitalization comes from Robins, Locke and Regier………” 

 

“The authors reported that 37% of the lesbians surveyed had experienced significant depression in their lifetime, that 11% were experiencing depression at the time of the survey, and that 11% were currently in treatment for their depression. The best estimate for the general female population are 10.2% lifetime incidence of major depression, 3.1% current major depression.......” 

 

Johnny: But that leaves 63% who did not  experience significant depression in their lifetime.

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“Related to depression, Bradford and colleagues reported that 57% of the lesbians surveyed had experienced thoughts about suicide in their lifetime,……” The best estimates for the general population are that 33% of women report lifetime “death thought” (a category much milder than thought about suicide, as it included answering yes to having “thought a lot about death” at any point in life, something that you can do when a grandparent dies) while the frequency of suicide attempts was so infrequent that it was not reported.”   

 

Johnny: But 43% did not experience thoughts about suicide.

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“……and that 18% had attempted suicide at

least once.”

 

Johnny: But 82% did not attempt suicide.

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“Finally, Bradford and colleagues reported that 30% of the lesbians surveyed currently abused alcohol more than once a month, 8% abused marijuana more than once a month and 2% abused cocaine, tranquilizers or stimulants more than once a month. In contrast, Robins and Regier estimated that for the general population that 4.6% of women had abused alcohol in their lifetime and 1% in the last month, while 4.4% reported lifetime abuses of marijuana and less than 1% reported current abuse and abuse of other substances was very infrequent. These comparisons are consistent in suggesting over 300% increases in incidence of serious personal distress among lesbians.”

 

Johnny: But 70% did not currently abuse alcohol. In addition, many lesbians who abuse alcohol more than once a month are not alcoholics.  

 

I was suspicious about the statistics on alcohol that the authors cited, so I conducted some Internet research. Consider the following:

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14582576&dopt=Abstract

 

NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information)

 

PubMed - U.S. National Institutes of Health  Lesbians’ drinking patterns: beyond the data.

Hughes TL.

Public Health, Mental Health, and Administrative Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. thughes@uic.edu

Early studies report very high rates of "alcohol abuse" and alcoholism among lesbians. However, serious methodological problems, including nonrepresentative samples that were often recruited in lesbian or gay lesbian bars, limit the validity of findings from these studies. In this article, I briefly review the literature on lesbians' use of alcohol and present findings from a recent study conducted in Chicago (USA). This study recruited a race and age-diverse sample of lesbians and a demographically matched group of heterosexual women. Rates of "heavy" alcohol use and alcohol-use-related problems among lesbians were much lower in this study than in early studies. However, lesbians were more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to be in recovery and to have been in treatment for alcohol-use-related problems. Further, high rates of childhood sexual abuse, depression, and suicidal ideation reported by lesbians suggest that at least some groups may be at heightened risk for "heavy" drinking and drinking-related problems. Nevertheless, results of this and other studies suggest that reports of heavy drinking and drinking-related problems among lesbians may have been inflated in earlier studies, or that heavy drinking and drinking-related problems may have declined among lesbians.

 

Johnny: Suffice it to say that “checking things out” is a good idea. Who knows how many of the other statistics that the authors mention are contested by experts?

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“8% abused marijuana more than once a month,……”

 

Johnny: But 92% did not abuse marijuana.

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“……and 2% abused cocaine, tranquilizers or stimulants more than once a month.”

 

Johnny: But 98% did not abuse cocaine, tranquilizers or stimulants.  

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“We should note that some pro-gay authors do not deny…….levels of elevated distress....They move the argument, perhaps rightly so, (at least in part), in a different direction. Perhaps, they suggest, distress is not the result of homosexuality itself, but the result of the way society treats homosexuals; perhaps elevated levels of distress among homosexuals are a reality but occur not because of any discomfort inherent to the orientation itself but rather in response to the interaction of gays and lesbians with a rejecting and punitive society. They liken these responses to those of other persecuted or rejected minority groups. Although this explanation is a post hoc interpretation of research, there is an important point here: few heterosexuals know the stress of living under persecution of their sexual feelings, and social hostility toward homosexuals is bound to be an influencing factor in any measure of emotional stability.”

 

Johnny: The truth is quite to the contrary.   Consider the following:

 

http://www.royy.com/pap.html  

There is a good deal of alcoholism and addiction in the gay community, but newer studies suggest that the incidence among younger homosexuals may be no greater than in the population at large. This article suggests that gay liberation in the 1970's may have spared male homosexuals now under 30 some of the misunderstanding, discrimination and hatred that drove older homosexuals to drink and drugs. It also suggests that older homosexuals may abuse drink and drugs to dull the pain of aging in an especially youth-oriented, beauty-driven homosexual culture. This article discusses some of the treatment issues specific to homosexuals who abuse alcohol and drugs, and suggests the use of gay special-interest 12-Step groups to assist in treating internalized homophobia and in making some of the lifestyle changes beneficial to homosexuals in recovery.  

Johnny: I suggest that interested readers read all of the article that I just quoted. The author really did his homework.  

 

Consider the following:

 

http://www.thebody.com/sowadsky/lesbians.html  

Gay bashing and lesbian domestic violence

Although these are often not viewed as health concerns, they should be. Physical violence can lead to bodily harm, trauma, hospitalization, etc. Many gay/lesbian "hate crimes" never get reported, due to victims’ fear of further discrimination, shame, intimidation by police or similar concerns. Lesbian domestic violence can also lead to significant bodily harm, and is very rarely reported, due to the victims' fears of discrimination, intimidation by police, etc. Due to the lack of reporting, the rates of gay bashing and lesbian domestic violence are likely much higher than statistics indicate.  

Mental health issues  

Mental-health issues cannot be ignored. Lesbians live in a world where they are often told they are "bad." Some lesbians are abandoned by their families. Discrimination against lesbians is all too common. The way that society often treats lesbians can lower their self-esteem and lead to depression. Suicide rates, for example, are higher among lesbian youth than among heterosexual youth. When a person has low self-esteem, they tend to value their life (and their health) less seriously.  

http://www.mun.ca/the/research/straightsocwork.html

 

Various testimonials at a conference:

 

Gays and Lesbians found that living in rural Newfoundland generally means being "in the closet", and that isolation increased their risk for mental health difficulties. As one said, "living in rural Newfoundland is like drowning".

When they found their posters defaced or removed, gays and lesbians reported feeling discounted and even physically threatened. This was not good for their health and well-being.

Gay and lesbian young people found that heterosexism and homophobia in their schools encouraged them to drop out. If they stayed in school, they found themselves more vulnerable to mental health difficulties and even suicide.

 

Heterosexist (and sexist) T-shirts were being worn on our university campus, creating a hostile and therefore unhealthy working and studying environment.

 

Anti-gay jokes and humor on campuses and in work places created a hostile environment in which students and workers were afraid to disclose their minority sexual orientation. Being closeted is not good for your mental health.

[Regarding] anti-gay graffiti,…….for example, the word "faggot" spray painted on a house and mail box in a gay man’s neighborhood in St John’s made him feel very vulnerable and physically unsafe.

 

http://www.now.org/issues/lgbi/stats.html

 

Students who describe themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered are five times more likely to miss school because of feeling unsafe. 28% are forced to drop out. --National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, "Anti-Gay/Lesbian Victimization," New York, 1984.

 

The vast majority of victims of anti-lesbian/gay violence - possibly more than 80% - never report the incident, often due to fear of being "outed." --New York Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project Annual Report, 1996.

 

75% of people committing hate crimes are under age 30 - one in three are under 18 - and some of the most pervasive anti-gay violence occurs in schools. --New York Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Report, 1996.

 

Lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are at a four times higher risk for suicide than their straight peers. --Gibson P., LCSW, "Gay Male and Lesbian Youth Suicide," Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1989.

 

A survey of 191 employers revealed that 18% would fire, 27% would refuse to hire and 26% would refuse to promote a person they perceived to be lesbian, gay or bisexual. --Schatz and O'Hanlan, "Anti-Gay Discrimination in Medicine: Results of a National Survey of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Physicians," San Francisco, 1994.

 

Johnny: Obviously, Jones and Yarhouse are misinformed regarding the non-justifiable  physical and emotional perils that many homosexuals face.

 

It is reasonable to assume that in cases where homosexuals enjoy considerable support from family and friends, they are much less likely to abuse alcohol, abuse drugs, or attempt suicide. This would be an excellent research study for Jones and Yarhouse to conduct, but you can bet that they won’t.   

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“The scientific evidence points to a correlation of homosexuality with personal distress, though not all homosexuals are distressed.”

 

Johnny: That IS NOT an adequate representation  of the facts. The current world population is about 6.6 billion people. Regarding the percentage of homosexuals in society, the authors say:

 

“…….we can accurately say, based on the scientific findings available to date, that the rate of homosexuality as a stable life orientation in our culture is certainly not 10%. There is good evidence to suggest that less than 3%, and perhaps less than 2%, of males are homosexually active in a given year. The rate of males who engage in sustained homosexual practice over a significant period of adult life is probably less than 5% of the male population. The rate of men who manifest a sustained and exclusive commitment to homosexual practice is certainly less than 3%. Female homosexuality has not been studied as extensively and continues to be estimated at approximately half or less than the male rates. Female homosexuality appears to characterize less than 2% of the female population. So when males and females are combined, homosexuality almost certainly characterizes less than 3% of the population, and the correct percentage combining men and women might be lower than even 2%.”

 

Johnny: Assuming 6.6 billion people in the world and 2.5% homosexuals, there are 165 million homosexuals. If we use Jones’ and Yarhouse’s OWN general statistics for various kinds of distress and 165 million homosexuals as a basis, the authors must concede that in a number of cases, there are tens of millions of

homosexuals, and in some cases well over 100 million homosexuals, whom their  statistics DO NOT apply to. This is much more accurate and scientific than saying “not all homosexuals are distressed.”

 

Jones and Yarhouse say that "......there has never been any definitive judgment by the fields of psychiatry that homosexuality is a healthy lifestyle," but actually, they need to tell us why homosexuality was included in the DSM in the first place.

 

Regarding the issue of homosexuality as a  psychopathology, Jones and Yarhouse could easily conduct a poll among the department heads of psychiatry and the faculty of the top 20 medical schools in the U.S., but you can bet that they won’t because they know that the results will not go their way. The same goes for the departments of psychology and pediatrics.

 

The Haworth Medical Press publishes a book that is titled The Mental Health Professions and Homosexuality, International Perspectives, © 2003, edited by Vittorio Linqiardi, M.D., and Jack Drescher, M.D. The book is a MUST READ for people who wish to become well-informed regarding international perspectives among mental health professionals. It provides extensive bibliographies.

 

Consider the following:

 

“EXTRAORDINARY …….Will support increased understanding of the international mental health community’s training and acceptance of gay and lesbian mental health professionals.” (Edward A. Wierzalis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Counselor Education, University of North Carolina, Charlotte)

 

“The third section of this volume is dedicated to international, mental health organizations from the perspectives of two insiders. In The Emergence of an International Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Psychiatric Movement, Gene Nakajima tells the story of organizational efforts slowly developing outside of North America. Changes are taking place in both the World Psychiatric Association, and elsewhere, with the help of the Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists (AGLP). Although only seven percent of AGLP is made up of psychiatrists outside the US and Canada, its members have helped intervene in depathologizing homosexuality in both Japan and China. They are also working to eliminate the diagnosis of egodystonic sexual orientation in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). 

http://www.apsa.org/ctf/cgli/position.htm  

American Psychoanalytic Association  

Committee on Gay and Lesbian Issues  

Position Statement on Homosexuality  

Adopted May, 1991, amended May, 1992 

The American Psychoanalytic Association opposes and deplores public or private discrimination against male and female homosexually oriented individuals. 

It is the position of the American Psychoanalytic Association that our component institutes select candidates for training on the basis of their interest in psychoanalysis, talent, proper educational background, psychological integrity, analyzability and educability, and not on the basis of sexual orientation. It is expected that our component institutes will employ these standards for the selection of candidates for training and for the appointment of all grades of faculty including training and supervising analysts as well. 

Johnny: Based upon the contents of this chapter, there should be no doubts whatsoever that homosexuals continue to enjoy increased support from scientists and the general public in the U.S. and in many other parts of the world, a much different picture than Jones and Yarhouse have attempted to paint. If the majority of psychiatrists in the American Psychiatric Association actually believe that homosexuality is a mental disorder, they would surely make an issue out of it at meetings of the American Psychiatric Association, but as far as I know, that has not happened. If it has happened, you can bet that Jones and Yarhouse would have mentioned it in their book, which of course they didn’t.

 

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3. Public opinion regarding homosexuality  

 

Jones and Yarhouse

 

“Annual studies of public opinion have shown  that for over two decades, up to the 1990s, almost 80% of the general public continued to view all instances of homosexual behavior as immoral.”  

But Jones and Yarhouse are not really concerned about public opinion. Elsewhere,  they say the following:  

“Christians must recognize that neither societal consensus itself, nor societal judgment of a pattern as unhealthy, disturbed or abnormal bears any necessary relation to moral judgment in the Christian tradition. The Old Testament Hebrews were often in the substantial minority in asserting and living by their moral, civil and ceremonial codes. New Testament Christians were certainly out of step with Jewish and Roman understandings of what constituted the ‘good person’ and the ‘good life.’ Morality is not usually conceived as determined by democratic vote in the Christian tradition.”  

Johnny: I must thank Jones and Yarhouse for refuting their own position. The simple truth is that they use science and public opinion whenever it suits their purposes to do so, only to quickly reject either or both whenever science and/or public opinion disagree with the Bible. It seems to me that the authors are mostly “preaching to the choir”, hoping that Christian readers will use their faulty research to influence unwary, uninformed people.  

Jones and Yarhouse  

“This has been true even while support for equal civil rights for homosexuals grew. The majority of Americans are exclusively heterosexual, and there is unquestionably a social stigma attached to being homosexual with a predominantly heterosexual culture. That stigma is, however, slowly eroding; the percentage of Americans each year who report that homosexual behavior is immoral steadily, if slowly, declines.” 

Johnny: The stigma is most certainly not slowly  eroding. It is quickly eroding. Consider the following:

 

http://www.yawningbread.org/apdx_2004/imp-142.htm

 

Source: Los Angeles Times, 30 March 2004
By James Ricci and Patricia Ward Biederman

 

While 30 years’ worth of surveys consistently show a majority of Americans against same-sex marriage, they also reveal some remarkable shifts in attitudes.

 

That gays are more widely accepted in American society is readily apparent in everything from television sitcoms to corporate anti-discrimination policies to recent U.S. Supreme Court opinions. 

 

Johnny: Consider the following:

 

http://bad.eserver.org/editors/2004/2004-4-14.html

Wednesday, April 14, 2004

In defense of traditional marriage, President Bush has expressed his support for an amendment to the US Constitution, calling the union of a man and a woman "the most fundamental institution of civilization." Much of the rest of civilization begs to differ. 

Under Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights, "men and women of marriageable age have the right to marry and to found a family, according the national laws governing the exercise of this right." In 2003, the European Parliament, in its annual European Union human rights report, recommended that homosexuals be allowed to legally marry and adopt children. It urged the EU to abolish all forms of discrimination against homosexuals, both legislative and de facto, including prohibition from entering into same-sex marriages and adopting children. The Parliament recommended that Member States more generally recognize non-marital relationships, both heterosexual and homosexual, adopt a broader legal definition of the family, and confer the same rights on partners in such relationships as to those who are married. Further, it stated that Member States should recognize persecution on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in the definition of the status of refugees and asylum seekers. Sweden has already extended its legislation, which makes racial hatred a crime, to cover victimization on grounds of sexual orientation. 

http://www.bjreview.com.cn/En-2005/05-51-e/editor-51.htm  

The changing attitude of Chinese people toward homosexuals reflects the profound change in the country. One day while I was studying at university in 1982, an American friend of mine went out shopping with me. He noticed two young men with their arms around each other and said to me “Look! They are out of the closet.” I explained to him that we had a big difference in culture. 

http://www.legermarketing.com/documents/spclm/010716eng.pdf

 

When asked if they felt like homosexuals were just like everyone else, more than three quarters of the [Canadian] population said they thought so.

 

Three out of four Canadians feel that homosexuals should have the same rights as heterosexuals.

 

http://www.gaytimes.co.uk/gt/default.asp?topic=country&country=216

 

Brazil is becoming ever tolerant of homosexuality and flourishing gay scenes exist in most of the main cities. In 2005 Sao Paulo hosted the world’s biggest gay pride event with an estimated 2 million marchers!

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4081089.stm

 

December, 2004

 

NZ recognises same-sex unions

 

New Zealand's parliament has passed controversial legislation to recognise civil unions between gay couples. The Civil Union Bill, which passed by 65 votes to 55, also recognises unions between men and women who do not want to marry.

 

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4. The predominant factors that influence physical and mental health are not sexual preference specific. 

Consider the following:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm

 

Leading causes of death - 2002

 

1 - Heart disease: 696,947

 

2 - Cancer: 557,271

 

3 - Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 162,672

 

4 - Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,816

 

5 - Accidents (unintentional injuries): 106,742

 

6 - Diabetes: 73,249

 

7 - Influenza/Pneumonia: 65,681

 

8 - Alzheimer's disease: 58,866

 

9 - Nephritis, nephritic syndrome, and nephrosis: 40,974

 

10 - Septicemia: 33,865

 

Johnny: The majority of those premature deaths could have been prevented. Consider the following: 

 

http://myhealth.barnesjewish.org/healthnews/healthday/051112HD529099.htm

 

Better lifestyle habits -- think less junk food, more fish and more exercise -- can help prevent 80 percent of coronary heart disease and 90 percent of type 2 diabetes.

 

That's the thrust of a report scheduled to be presented Saturday by Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the Harvard School of Public Health's department of nutrition, at the American Society of Nephrology's annual meeting, in Philadelphia.

 

There is a huge potential for reducing the major causes of death, from cardiovascular disease and diabetes," said Willett, whose report was titled "Diet and Optimal Health: A Progress Report."

 

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5114a2.htm

CDC (Centers For Disease Control)

Annual Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Economic Costs --- United States, 1995--1999

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and produces substantial health-related economic costs to society. This report presents the annual estimates of the disease impact of smoking in the United States during 1995--1999. CDC calculated national estimates of annual smoking-attributable mortality (SAM), years of potential life lost (YPLL), smoking-attributable medical expenditures (SAEs) for adults and infants, and productivity costs for adults. Results show that during 1995--1999, smoking caused approximately 440,000 premature deaths in the United States annually and approximately $157 billion in annual health-related economic losses. Implementation of comprehensive tobacco-control programs as recommended by CDC could effectively reduce the prevalence, disease impact, and economic costs of smoking.

 

http://www.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/html/fact15.html

 

Cigarette smoking is linked with a wide range of psychiatric diagnoses including anxiety, agoraphobia and panic disorder but especially with depression. Many epidemiological studies have reported an association between clinical depression and smoking.  Some have concluded that the effects of long-term nicotine exposure on the brain may have a causal influence on major depression while others suggest that shared environmental or genetic factors may predispose to both smoking and major depression.  A longitudinal study by Breslau et al found that a history of daily smoking increased significantly the risk of major depression. This was consistent with earlier reports which suggested that previous smoking history increased the risk of depressive symptoms and increased the risk of attacks of major depression. 

 

http://www.wvdhhr.org/bph/oehp/obesity/mortality.htm

According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity and overweight together are the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, close behind tobacco use. An estimated 300,000 deaths per year are due to the obesity epidemic. 

 

Johnny: The evidence is clear. Regardless of one’s sexual preference, people who eat proper diets, do not smoke cigarettes, do not abuse alcohol, do not abuse drugs, are not obese, and who practice safe sex, will on average live a good deal longer than people who people who do not eat proper diets, smoke cigarettes, abuse alcohol, abuse drugs, are obese, and who practice unsafe sex.

 

Bearing this chapter in mind, I previously quoted Jones and Yarhouse as saying “The alcoholic may not report personal distress, and some alcoholics will be able to manage their various responsibilities, at least for the time being…….” Would the authors also say “The smoker, the obese person, or the person who eats lots of foods that are high in saturated fats will be able to manage their various responsibilities, at least for the time being…….”? Would Jones and Yarhouse call such behavior immoral? If so, then they will be saying that millions of Christians are immoral. If not, then they are primarily concerned with what that Bible says about morality, NOT science, although the word “science” appears in the title of their book.

 

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5. Promiscuity among homosexuals  

Johnny: The authors cite some studies that show significantly higher rates of promiscuity among homosexuals. While   some of their statistics appear to be valid, arguments directed against promiscuity must be directed against promiscuous heterosexuals as well. In addition, statistics are irrelevant regarding individuals. What do the authors have to say about homosexuals who ARE NOT promiscuous? Consider the following:  

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/02/27/MNG1H59R5Q1.DTL  

…….Bill Maier, vice president of the conservative evangelical organization Focus on the Family, said "the research seems to indicate that (long-term relationships) are very rare [among gay men] and that promiscuity is still very common. ... Men tend to be less into commitment."  

Not so fast, said Darren Spedale, a law and business student at Stanford University, who studied divorce rates in Denmark in 1996-97, seven years after same-sex registered partnerships were legalized. He found that 17 percent of gay partnerships ended in divorce compared with 46 percent of the straight relationships. 

"Same-sex couples who enter into marriage-type relationships have obviously given it much more thought. ... A lot of them, in general, have had longer relationships previous to tying the knot," which decreases the likelihood of divorce, said Spedale, who is completing a book on the subject.  

Dale Bullock founded Bonds Limited, an organization devoted to bringing together gay couples seeking lifelong, monogamous relationships. Over the past decade, he's made 228 matches. One hundred sixty of his couples are male; all but seven are still together.

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6. AIDS 

 

The authors discuss significantly higher percentages of AIDS cases among homosexuals, but if a cure or vaccine were found for AIDS, or  if most homosexuals practiced safe sex, the authors would still be just as opposed to homosexuality as they are now. The vast majority of homosexuals do not have AIDS, and Jones and Yarhouse are well aware of this. In addition, homosexuals who practice safe sex are much less likely to get AIDS. Further, while  AIDS is a modern disease (it was discovered in Africa in 1930), general opposition towards homosexuality has been around for thousands of years.

 

Prevention and treatment of AIDS has improved substantially. The June 4, 2006 issue of Parade magazine says the following:

 

“Dr. [Tony] Fauci, a top AIDS expert, says there have been tremendous gains through research and anti-viral therapies. In 1983, the lifespan of someone with AIDS could be measured in months. ‘Today, [says Dr. Fauci], an infected person who begins treatment early may have a relatively normal life expectancy and existence.’ With new drugs, the transmission rate from mother to baby - once 25% - is less than 1% in the developed world.”

 

Johnny: Obviously, the authors’ case against AIDS is much less valid than it was in 2000 when their book was published. 

 

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7. Pedophilia

 

As expected, the authors discuss pedophilia. Consider the following:

 

“Calls for greater societal acceptance of sexual interactions between adults and the young have not been uncommon in popular and even scholarly venues for discussion of homosexuality. For example, one author urged over a decade ago that such value-loaded terms as ‘pedophilia’ and ‘child sexual assault’ be replaced by the more neutral ‘intergenerational intimacy.’ Concern about this issue reignited recently in response to a sophisticated research article published in an APA journal that urged the same change to ‘neutral’ terminology to describe freely chosen, nonharmful sex between adults and children. The article was applauded by pedophilic organizations, such as the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA). Following their meta-analysis of 59 studies of child sexual abuse victims (using college samples), the researchers reasoned that because not all child sexual abuse victims experienced the same extent of harm (and in some cases no harm was recalled) at the time of the abuse and at the time of the various studies, and because some reported the experiences to be pleasurable, that the name ‘child sexual abuse’ should be changed to ‘adult-child sex.’ In an attempt to separate morality, societal disapproval and science the researchers argued that ‘adult-child sex’ is a ‘value neutral term’ to be used in cases where there is a ‘willing encounter with positive reactions.’ Likewise, ‘adult-adolescent sex’ would be the preferred term for those sexual behaviors that adolescents want and to not report to be harmful. The issue here is that of how the seemingly greater openness of the gay community toward such ‘intergenerational intimacy’ influences our assessment of the relative adaptiveness or maladaptiveness of homosexuality. For traditional Christians who have regarded heterosexual marriage as the only appropriate venue for full sexual intimacy, this openness may be of some concern.”

 

Johnny: There is in fact NO evidence that the views of NAMBLA and other similar  organizations represent the views of even 10% of homosexuals, and we know for a fact that NONE of the numerous professional medical and mental health organizations that support homosexuals endorse pedophilia. Jones and Yarhouse conveniently do not offer ANY statistics at all regarding the percentage of homosexuals who are pedophiles, which is surely a good deal less than 10%, and you can bet that if there were any statistics that showed that a significantly high percentage of homosexuals are pedophiles, the authors would use them.

 

It is most embarrassing for opponents of homosexuality who mention pedophilia that only a very small percentage of sex crimes are committed by lesbians. Consider the following:

 

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IS02E3

 

Pedophiles are invariably males: Almost all sex crimes against children are committed by men.

 

Johnny: That was from a Christian web site.

 

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/wo.pdf

 

Violent crimes committed by males and females

 

1993-1997

 

Sexual assault

Percentage of female offenders  - 2%

 

Johnny: Obviously, of that 2%, lesbians comprised a much smaller percentage.

 

At

http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/Rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html, readers will find an informative article by Gregory M. Herek, Ph.D., whom I mentioned previously. The article is titled Facts About Homosexuality and Child Molestation. Herek adequately dispels the myth that a significantly disportionate percentage of homosexuals molest children.

 

Herek’s impressive bio can be read at  

http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/bio.html.

 

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8. What causes homosexuality?

 

Jones and Yarhouse:

 

“The biological theories (genetic/prenatal/hormonal) receive much more attention today. Some of the studies cited to support these theories have not been replicated, have been of small sample sizes or have serious methodological flaws. The best recent study of genetic causation, the new Bailey study, suggests that genetics may not be a significant causal factor. More research is needed in these areas to further our understanding of the viability of the biological theories for the origins of same-sex attraction.” 

 

Johnny: Consider the following:

 

http://www.thebody.com/apa/apafacts.html

American Psychiatric Association

What causes Homosexuality/Heterosexuality/Bixexuality?

No one knows what causes heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality. Homosexuality was once thought to be the result of troubled family dynamics or faulty psychological development. Those assumptions are now understood to have been based on misinformation and prejudice. Currently there is a renewed interest in searching for biological etiologies for homosexuality. However, to date there are no replicated scientific studies supporting any specific biological etiology for homosexuality. Similarly, no specific psychosocial or family dynamic cause for homosexuality has been identified, including histories of childhood sexual abuse. Sexual abuse does not appear to be more prevalent in children who grow up to identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, than in children who identify as heterosexual.

 

Johnny: Regardless of what causes homosexuality, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

 

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9. Can homosexuality be changed? 

 

Some Christians endorse so-called “reparative therapy.” A web definition for reparative therapy is “Reparative therapy, or conversion therapy, is any of several controversial religious or secular techniques that are aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation from homosexuality to heterosexuality (or ex-gay). Their efficacy has not been established, and most professionals warn that such attempts may be psychologically harmful.” Following are some of Jones’ and Yarhouse’s comments regarding reparative therapy:

 

“We do not share the optimistic and seemingly universal generalization of some conservative Christians who seem to imply that anyone with motivation can change, if change is taken to mean complete alteration of sexual orientation to replace homosexual with heterosexual erotic orientation. Even the most optimistic empirically grounded spokespersons for change by psychological means say that change is most likely when motivation is strong, when there is a history of successful heterosexual functioning, when gender identity issues are not present, and when involvement in actual homosexual practice has been minimal. Change of homosexual orientation may well be impossible for some by any natural means. Yet the position that homosexuality is unchangeable seems questionable in light or reports of successful change.”  

Johnny: Regarding “change is most likely when motivation is strong, when there is a history of successful heterosexual functioning, when gender identity issues are not present, and when involvement in actual homosexual practice has been minimal”, that is more accurately stated as “About 30% of homosexuals who seek psychotherapy successfully leave homosexuality. The largest factor in determining their success is religious commitment.   (Cameron, Paul. "What Causes Homosexual Desire and Can It Be Changed?" Family Research Institute, 1992.

 http://www.afec.org/issues/homosexuality/facts.htm  

Paul Cameron, Ph.D., psychology, is a conservative Christian, and he is an outspoken critic of homosexuality. If Cameron is correct about the importance of religious commitment, then I must ask if the supposed success rate of reparative therapy is more about science or about religion, and what the success rate is among homosexuals who are not religiously motivated?  index.htm 

There are definitely some homosexuals who became much happier after they went to reparative therapy clinics and gave up their homosexual lifestyles. Some of them have been able to have children. However, many, possibly most, admit that some of the old urges are still there to varying degrees.

 

I do not doubt that a sizeable majority of homosexuals who go to reparative therapy clinics are religiously motivated, which surely increases the chances of success. If a homosexual believes that God does not want him to practice a homosexual lifestyle, and will possibly send him to hell, in some cases that is distress enough on its own to cause a homosexual to go to a reparative therapy clinic. Therefore, if a homosexual is strongly religiously motivated to give up homosexuality, I do not object to reparative therapy.

 

Regarding non-religious homosexuals who are interested in reparative therapy, I suspect that many of those cases are the result of a lack of support from family, friends, and co-workers, and from a failure to seek standard treatment from mental health professionals who have a good deal of experience counseling homosexuals.

 

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10. Conclusion   

 

At http://www.bridges-across.org/ba/tidh/jones_yarhouse_response.htm, Jones and Yarhouse reply to a rebuttal of their book by Jeramy Townsley. The authors say that Townsley “characterizes us repeatedly in this review of being biased in our treatment of the subject and claims that we are arguing, despite our explicit claims to the contrary, for ‘the inherently flawed mental health state of homosexuals.’” Well, what ARE the authors arguing for? If they are arguing for reparative therapy, they said that there is not a positive outcome 70% of the time. If they are arguing for treatment of psychopathological disorders, I am not aware of any mental health professional who opposes treatment of psychopathological disorders for people of any sexual persuasion. If they are arguing for celibacy, given the human desire to engage in sex, such a recommendation will never become popular, especially among non-religious people. In addition, in many cases, celibacy would create frustration and distress. Further, celibacy would be much less effective unless it was accompanied by sensible lifestyle choices such as eating a proper diet, not smoking cigarettes, not abusing alcohol, not abusing drugs, etc. If the authors are arguing for safe sex, that would apply to people of any sexual persuasion. If they are arguing against alcohol abuse and drug abuse, that would apply to people of any sexual persuasion. If they are arguing against promiscuity, that would apply to people of any sexual persuasion. If they are arguing against pedophilia, that would apply to people of any sexual persuasion. 

 

Even if we take all of Jones’ and Yarhouse’s research at face value, at best all that they can claim is that psychopathological disorders are more common among homosexuals, most certainly not that a sizeable majority of homosexuals have clinically diagnosable psychopathological disorders. Since clinically diagnosable psychopathological disorders are not uncommon among heterosexuals, it is most embarrassing for the authors that they do not have any means of identifying WHICH  homosexuals have clinically diagnosable psychopathological disorders BECAUSE  they are homosexuals. I previously showed that the authors cited a study that said that “37% of the lesbians surveyed had experienced significant depression in their lifetime, that 11% were experiencing depression at the time of the survey, and that 11% were currently in treatment for their depression. The best estimate for the general female population are 10.2% lifetime incidence of major depression, 3.1% current major depression.......” Since the authors did not provide 1) the percentage of lesbians who experienced major depression in their lifetimes BECAUSE they were lesbians, 2) the percentage of lesbians who suffered from the harmful effects of homophobia and heterosexism, and 3) the percentage of lesbians who did not have support from family and friends, comparing 37% to 10.2% is unscientific and quite misleading. 

 

Jones and Yarhouse have provably misrepresented the case against homosexuality. It is a fact that 1) there is no evidence that homosexuality is anywhere near a necessary aspect of poor physical and mental health, that 2) there is no evidence that heterosexuality is anywhere near a necessary aspect of good physical and mental health, and that 3) homophobia and heterosexism are significant factors that contribute to distress among homosexuals.

 

Many homosexuals who have clinically diagnosable psychopathological disorders and have received standard professional help have enjoyed significantly improved states of physical and mental health. What do the authors recommend to those homosexuals? Many heterosexuals who have clinically diagnosable psychopathological disorders and have received standard professional help have not enjoyed significantly improved states of physical and mental health. What do the authors recommend to those heterosexuals? Many bisexuals practice same-sex behavior only rarely. What do the authors recommend to those bisexuals?    

 

Jones and Yarhouse quote lots of statistics, but statistics DO NOT apply to individuals. Each homosexual, and each heterosexual for that matter, must be judged on an individual basis. As judged on an individual basis, there is no doubt whatsoever that millions of homosexuals compare favorably with typical heterosexuals regardless of which standards of health, happiness, and well-being that the authors wish to choose.

 

I invite readers to also visit www.johnnyskeptic775.com, where I discuss  the absurd and easily refutable views of Dr. Paul Cameron regarding homosexuality. 

 

 

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