FACING THE TRUTH

I have been pondering about posting about this for a while, partly because I know it will certainly raise some eyebrows and ruffle some conservative feathers. Nevertheless, I feel that most of our readers are adults( or nearly) and, hence, are mature enough to understand the gravity of the subject I will be writing about. I am talking about, of course, homosexuality and its wider implications in our society.

Many of us feel very uncomfortable and even offended when the subject is bought up. The reasons for this are many: The social stigma associated with it, which is the product of our own prudishness and Victorian morality imposed upon us by the British, vestiges of which still remain. The fact is that in our supposedly "liberal" society, more and more people are coming out with the truth. Obviously, in a country like India, where just word 'sex' tends to raise the hackles of the moral police, this is a very delicate and consequential decision to be taken. The economic rise of India and the rise of the educated middle class has further hastened this process. Even so, in such an orthodox country as ours, homosexuality raises ambivalent feelings.

For example: The Delhi High Court verdict overturning the IPC section 377 attracted both greetings and brickbats. The surprising matter is that some of the criticism came, not from religious circles, but from the upper educated crust. Even while human rights organizations were celebrating, there were deep concerns elsewhere.

I am not trying to debate the 'right' or 'wrong' nature of homosexuality. That differs from individual to individual, from one culture to an other. I am, merely, trying to open up the stigma of the subject so that more people talk and debate about it- something that is vastly important in our society. Breaking the ice is only the first step. Here are some of the facts about the subject. Chew on it and let us know your thoughts( Be warned, we strictly do not entertain comments containing abusive and foul language)

• Same-sex sexual attractions, behavior, and orientations per se are normal and positive variants of human sexuality; in other words, they are not indicators of mental or developmental disorders.
• Homosexuality and bisexuality are stigmatized, and this stigma can have a variety of negative consequences (e.g., minority stress) throughout the life span (D’Augelli & Patterson, 1995; DiPlacido, 1998; Herek & Garnets, 2007; Meyer, 1995, 2003).
• Same-sex sexual attractions and behavior can occur in the context of a variety of sexual orientations and sexual orientation identities (Diamond, 2006; Hoburg et al., 2004; Rust, 1996; Savin-Williams, 2005).
• Gay men, lesbians, and bisexual individuals can live satisfying lives as well as form stable, committed relationships and families that are equivalent to heterosexual relationships in essential respects (APA, 2005c; Kurdek, 2001, 2003, 2004; Peplau & Fingerhut, 2007).
• There are no empirical studies or peer-reviewed research that support theories attributing same-sex sexual orientation to family dysfunction or trauma (Bell et al., 1981; Bene, 1965; Freund & Blanchard, 1983; Freund & Pinkava, 1961; Hooker, 1969; McCord et al., 1962; D. K. Peters & Cantrell, 1991; Siegelman, 1974, 1981; Townes et al., 1976)

The American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and National Association of Social Workers stated in 2006:

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Currently, there is no scientific consensus about the specific factors that cause an individual to become heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual — including possible biological, psychological, or social effects of the parents’ sexual orientation. However, the available evidence indicates that the vast majority of lesbian and gay adults were raised by heterosexual parents and the vast majority of children raised by lesbian and gay parents eventually grow up to be heterosexual.

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The Royal College of Psychiatrists stated in 2007:

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Despite almost a century of psychoanalytic and psychological speculation, there is no substantive evidence to support the suggestion that the nature of parenting or early childhood experiences play any role in the formation of a person’s fundamental heterosexual or homosexual orientation. It would appear that sexual orientation is biological in nature, determined by a complex interplay of genetic factors and the early uterine environment. Sexual orientation is therefore not a choice.

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Source: Wikipedia

I do hope that the above information goes some way in clearing the myths and misinformation. I also hope that our readers take this in the right spirit. I realize that this, being a sensitive topic, may offend or hurt certain people. To all of them, I offer my humble apologies.

Yours sincerely,

Shreyas