The Homosexuality Phenomenom - Essay Example

THE HOMOSEXUALITY PHENOMENON The arguments about homosexuality in the society started with the ancient Greeks. While presenting his symposium, Aristophanes investigated homosexuality. He termed it as yearning by men to establish a fountain for nourishment of the soul. He further noted that participants of this act relied on a stronger connection than that of sexuality. He explained that environment and culture contributed immensely towards the affiliation of homosexuality. Some cultures allowed for these relationships to thrive. For instance, in Greece, men publicly engaged in this practice. Often, the old men facilitated homosexuality as rite of passage for the young boys to manhood. In addition, cultures in Crete and New Guinea serve as causative agents for homosexuality. Here, some communities allow insemination of young boys aged between eight and fifteen by older male warriors from the same tribe. In these instances, homosexuality appears to be approved by the society. However, this could be argued as more of a forced practice and less of natural expression (Ekins & King 2006). The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community The question of whether genetics or hormones determine an individual’s sexual orientation tends to be widely debated. Exceptionally, the understanding of causes of divergent sexuality heavily influence the legal decisions concerning the rights of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) individuals. The law discriminates against the LGBT community despite them being tax payers. The Defense of Marriage Act also performs the role of the law currently denies marriage amongst the LGBT community. Additionally, sexual orientation could be the grounds for termination of work in many states. Many states forbid gay marriage out rightly. This prohibition applies even in state government where the adjusted constitution allowed for ‘one man, one woman’ marriage. Due to the discrimination against the LGBT community, the constitution faces challenges on both federal and state level (Berg, 2009). The role of family and parenting receives high intensity of studies conducted in many psychoanalytic theories. According to some behaviorists, variation in gender and sexual alignment arises from stereotypes. For instance, stereotypes of the roles masculinity and femininity as played by family tend to impact on the children. Contrastingly, lack of empirical evidence to contrast the outcomes on children raised from heterosexual and homosexual families shows no divergence in outcomes. In addition, with strengthening of gender alignment norms, an individual would logically presume that all the reinforcement of stereotypes would guarantee a heterosexual outcome (Bloch & Silverman, 2012) The Constitution and the LGBT Community The shadowy description of the LGBT individuals in the constitutional law provokes numerous question. While as sexuality remains to be vague in its description The Civil Rights Act of 1964 defines ethnicity, race and sex as explicitly protected by law. Laws that affect a sheltered group of people within the society tend to be subjected to high levels of strict scrutiny. By rendering particular groups of people as unconstitutional, the government shows interest in discriminating the particular group. Failure to protect a peculiar protection of the constitution to a protected community allows for rationality (Berg, 2009). Discussions held earlier failed to classify the LGBT individuals as a people of a protected class. Contrastingly, the Federal Courts seem to be unshaken to reverse this conception. However, other states concluded that the LGBT individuals need to be incorporated in the constitution. This would also include allowing gay marriage. Hawaii became the first state to do so following the outcomes of the Baehr v. Lewin court case of 1993.The court found out that prohibiting gay marriage equalized violation of equal constitutional protection. The court further described a protected class with a basis on sexuality (Ekins & King 2006). Any equitable logic that the policy promotes state welfares would be sufficient to reckon the law as constitutional. The identification of a protected community relies on four principles characteristically. These principles include history protection or lack of protection for the class, whether the contribution to society varies between protected class and the general public. Thirdly, the status of political power of the protected community and, lastly whether the protected community portrays immutable characteristics. The concept of immutability mainly arises from the biological facts of sexual orientation (In et al. 2015). Theories on Homosexuality Various aspects contribute towards the element of identification of gender. First, the strategies of upbringing as applied by parents; and Secondly, the development of oratory skills. Thirdly, approaches in naming sexual behaviors, as well as the processes related to sexual behaviors. Identification of gender develops gradually along with a combination of other aspects. These aspects include the robustness of play in childhood, patience of aggression levels and regularity of both paternal and maternal interactions. The Parental Manipulation Theory suggests that evolutionary fitness relies greatly on the ability of individual parents to control and neuter offspring. When parents select and uphold only the heterosexual practices, they would be attempting to ensure evolutionary fitness. Contrastingly, the Kin-Selection Theory states that genes can be passed in myriad avenues. For instance, notwithstanding a homosexual offspring, the very akin genetic composition of siblings still allows for the transfer of the genetics of the family onto the next generation (In et al. 2015). Predominant theorists of homosexuality present deeply contrasting ideas on homosexuality along with concrete social researches. Jean Foucault and David Halperin argue on parallel lines towards the impact of the environment on an individual’s alignment towards homosexuality. The Planophysical theory as put forward by Halperin argues that homosexuality occurs as an error of nature. He borrows from traditional psychological theories concerning this subject. Halperin, being a Freudian psychologist, places value on the ideas of Freud homosexuality that arises from the failure to solve oedipal matters. This theory grabs great attention from interest groups like Christians. On the other hand, the psychological community fails to acknowledge the Planophysical theory claiming that it only provides the result and not the cause. The theory, therefore, lacks the empirical background to qualify as scientific. He further explained that given a strong mother and a weak father both having unresolved Oedipus complex would sire a weak homosexual son. This would be so owing to the strong image of the mother. However, the Psychologists dispute the theory claiming that the parents illustrated above would sire a stronger son as a compensation for the weak father (In et al. 2015). On the other hand, Jean Foucault argues that the society takes the credit for creating homosexuality. He further noted that homosexuality made its debut on earth more than a century ago. He argues that a certain neologism of the Germans defined homosexuality. Foucault explains that the society derived homosexuality as a form of sexuality. He further explains that, sodomy, as it was previously known as metamorphosed into an androgyny of the soul. The theorist acknowledged homosexuality as an aberration of human species that needed to thrive in the society on a different terminology (Corbett, 2008). Both Jean Foucault and David Halperin represent major concepts of beliefs of social, environmental theories. However, there are differences in the theories two theories presented by these theorists. The first difference arises in the complexity of desire. Foucault argued that the desire only encompassed topical preferences and tastes since it mainly involves sexual preferences. Contrastingly, Halperin argues that the roots of homosexuality go deeper than casual preferences of sexuality. He further associates homosexuality with psychological conditions. Secondly, Foucault failed to divide the society into categories. On the other hand, Halperin, acknowledged three classifications of people in the society according to their individual sexuality. These categories include the gay men, lesbians and heterosexual. The third variation arises from the different points of view held by the two theorists. According to Halperin, views homosexuality as a symmetrical association between equal minded people. On the other hand, Foucault argues that with reference to history of the Greeks, homosexuality appears to be an unequal relationship. He stresses that even before the term “homosexuality” came to be, homosexuality occurred in inequalities of age, race, social status and education. These differences influenced the preference of those already under the influence of homosexuality (Corbett, 2008). Could Homosexuality be reversed? As stated at the beginning of the paper, homosexuality could be attributed to biological or social attributes. Although the discovery of homosexuality remains to be a catchy debate, no scientific theory gives a definitive answer to the dilemma. Anything could be used to justify this alignment of sexual orientation. Some believe in existence of an elusive gay DNA in the genetics of homosexuals. One way to justify alignment to homosexuality would be embedded in comprehending the difference in the orientation of sexuality among individuals (Ekins & King 2006). Following the disapproval of homosexuality in the society, various therapies to alter sexual orientation arose. However, these therapies resulted in a reduction in homosexual behavior but failed to induce heterosexual sexuality and attractions. Instead, these therapies led to the deprivation of individual ability to portray sexual response amongst peers. Characteristically, these therapies exposed their participants to nausea-inducing medication while displaying images of fellow homosexuals (Bloch & Silverman, 2012). Nonetheless, two papers on therapies of conversion presented in 2001 at the American Psychiatric Associations annual convention reported contrasting findings. Dr. Robert Spitzer reported on data collected from telephone interviews with one-hundred and forty-three men and fifty-seven women. The forty-five minute interview held among individuals who sought assistance to alter their sexual alignment indicated success. He reported that sixty-six percent of the men and forty-four percent of the women reported a successful heterosexual functioning. The doctor attributed these results to change therapies (Bloch & Silverman, 2012). Conclusion The debate on homosexuality may never be resolved. Maybe sexual orientation of individuals-whether homosexual or heterosexual-does not rely on the individual’s upbringing, environment of culture. However, individuals need to acknowledge the LGBT in the society as peculiar people. References Berg, B. J. (2009). Sexism in America: Alive, well, and ruining our future. Chicago, Ill: Lawrence Hill Books. Bloch, L. F., & Silverman, K. K. (2012). Manopause: Your guide to surviving his changing life. Carlsbad, Calif: Hay House. Corbett, K. (2009). Boyhoods: Rethinking masculinities. New Haven: Yale University Press. Ekins, R., & King, D. (2006). The transgender phenomenon. London: SAGE. In Rupp, L. J., & In Freeman, S. K. (2015). Understanding and teaching U.S. lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history. Read More