The Cincinnati Enquirer |
TEMPO
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Dec. 9, 1998 |
| The October death of Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, occurred the same week that the U.S. Supreme Court chose not to review Cincinnati’s voter-approved ordinance against language offering protection for people based on sexual orientation.
The death of Mr. Shepard serves as evidence that homosexuals are targeted and discriminated against. The American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) have taken stands against defining homosexuality as an illness, personality disorder or deviance. Neither group recognizes any procedure as being successful at changing sexual orientation. In fact, the APA has determined it unethical for a psychologist to promote change in sexual orientation. First, doing so is inconsistent with the APA’s stance that homosexuality is not a disorder. And it’s unethical to offer "treatment" when there’s no evidence that any procedure can affect such a change. It’s common for teens to be confused about sexuality, but teens usually resolve this issue as they mature. At some point, some teens recognize they have a homosexual orientation. It’s extremely difficult for most teens to come to terms with. The biggest problem is the harshness abuse they expect if they are open about their homosexuality. It’s now widely believed that many teen suicides and suicide attempts are the result of gay teens being unable to face the issue. Societal attitudes about homosexuality serve to promote self-loathing and emotional pain. Why are we afraid of homosexuals? |
There is a myth that homosexuals are eager to promote homosexual behavior among young people. If there is no way to make homosexual people become heterosexual, however, there is no way for a homosexual person to change a heterosexual’s orientation.
There’s a misconception that homosexuals prey on children - a practice called pedophilia. But pedophilia primarily involves the abuse of girls and young women. Pedophilia is a largely heterosexual behavior, perpetrated by men who are immature, sociopathic or lack control. Humans often single out and isolate groups as scapegoats. In Hitler’s Germany, for example, Jews, gypsies, and homosexuals were blamed for society’s ills. Scapegoating has much to do with our own hidden conflicts and insecurities. It’s common to project what we find unpleasant and uncomfortable in ourselves onto others and then to attack them. By attacking others, we distract ourselves from feeling bad about ourselves. People with a homosexual orientation are among your neighbors, fellow students, teachers, doctors, and people who wait on you in restaurants and stores. Most people probably interact with at least one homosexual person daily without knowing it. Secrecy about homosexuality deprives the rest of us from seeing all the good things they do for us. In the absence of this information, we are left with only myths and stereotypes.
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