Position Statements

CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION
1) SAME SEX MARRIAGE
2) ADOPTION/PARENTING
3) EX-GAY/CONVERSION/REPARATIVE THERAPIES
4) MILITARY SERVICE

INTRODUCTION

What is this webpage about?

This web page details the evidence-based position statements/policies of a large number of reputable scientific associations and organisations concerning the suitability of homosexuals for inclusion in various personal and societal roles.  It includes position statements on Marriage, Adoption, Attempts to change sexual orientation and Military service, in that order.  Please click any of the contents sections to be taken to that section, though this will refresh the page.

SAME SEX MARRIAGE

The American Psychological Association (APA), 2004:
"The benefits, rights, and privileges associated with domestic partnerships are not universally available, are not equal to those associated with marriage, and are rarely portable... The APA believes that it is unfair and discriminatory to deny same-sex couples legal access to civil marriage and to all its attendant benefits, rights, and privileges".

The American Anthropological Association (AAA), 2004:
"The results of more than a century of anthropological research on households, kinship relationships, and families, across cultures and through time, provide no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies.
The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association strongly opposes a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual couples".

The American Sociological Association (ASA), 2004:
"A constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman intentionally discriminates against lesbians and gay men as well as their children and other dependents by denying access to the protections, benefits, and responsibilities extended automatically to married couples... we believe that the official justification for the proposed constitutional amendment is based on prejudice rather than empirical research, and... sociological research has repeatedly shown that systems of inequality are detrimental to the public good".

The American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2005:
"In the interest of maintaining and promoting mental health, the American Psychiatric Association supports the legal recognition of same-sex civil marriage with all rights, benefits, and responsibilities conferred by civil marriage, and opposes restrictions to those same rights, benefits, and responsibilities".

The American Medical Association (AMA), 2009:
"(The) American Medical Association: (1) recognizes that denying civil marriage based on sexual orientation is discriminatory and imposes harmful stigma on gay and lesbian individuals and couples and their families; (2) recognizes that exclusion from civil marriage contributes to health care disparities affecting same-sex households".

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 2006:
"There is ample evidence to show that children raised by same-gender parents fare as well as those raised by heterosexual parents. More than 25 years of research have documented that there is no relationship between parents' sexual orientation and any measure of a child's emotional, psychosocial, and behavioral adjustment. These data have demonstrated no risk to children as a result of growing up in a family with 1 or more gay parents. Conscientious and nurturing adults, whether they are men or women, heterosexual or homosexual, can be excellent parents. The rights, benefits, and protections of civil marriage can further strengthen these families."

The American Bar Association (ABA), 2010:
"(The ABA) urges state, territorial and tribal governments to eliminate all of their legal barriers to civil marriage between two persons of the same sex who are otherwise eligible to marry".

The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), 2006:
"The literature (including the literature on which opponents to marriage of same-sex couples appear to rely) indicates that parents’ financial, psychological and physical well-being is enhanced by marriage and that children benefit  from being raised by two parents within a legally-recognized union".
"CPA is concerned that some are mis-interpreting the findings of psychological research to support their positions, when their positions are more accurately based on other systems of belief or values".
"CPA further asserts that children stand to benefit from the well-being that results when their parents’ relationship is recognized and supported by society’s institutions".

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), 2012:
"The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) supports full legal equality for same-gender families to contribute to overall health and longevity, improved family stability and to benefit children of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) families".

The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), 2013:
"The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) endorses full local, state, and federal recognition of same-sex and same-gender civil marriage with all the rights, benefits, and responsibilities it confers. Civil marriage confers important social, legal, and psychological benefits. Limitations on access to marriage and the invalidation of marriages unjustly deprive same-sex and same-gender couples and their families of these benefits."

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), 2009:
"The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry rejects all public and private discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity of persons of any age particularly in the areas of employment, military service, housing, public accommodations, membership, licensing, promotion or assignment, education, training, marriage, adoption, parenting, foster care, or qualification as an expert in a court of law".

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 2005:
"NASW encourages the adoption of laws that recognize inheritance, insurance, same-sex marriage, child custody, property, and other relationship rights for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people".

ADOPTION/PARENTING

Full copies of many reputable association's position statements can be found here.

The American Psychological Association (APA), 2004:
"There is no scientific evidence that parenting effectiveness is related to parental sexual orientation: lesbian and gay parents are as likely as heterosexual parents to provide supportive and healthy environments for their children".

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), 2006:
"The AAFP establishes policy and supports legislation that promotes a safe and nurturing environment, including psychological and legal security, for all children, including those of adoptive parents, regardless of the parents’ sexual orientation".

The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA), 2009:
"South African-based as well as other international research has found that there is no difference between children who are raised by homosexual versus heterosexual parents regarding matters such as sexual orientation, gender identity, sex-role behaviour, likelihood of being sexually abused, self-concept, intelligence, personality characteristics, behaviour problems, peer relations, parental separation and divorce, general adjustment and accomplishment of developmental tasks."

The American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2005:
"The American Psychiatric Association supports initiatives which allow same-sex couples to adopt and coparent children and supports all the associated legal rights, benefits, and responsibilities which arise from such initiatives".

The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), 2012:
"Accumulated evidence suggests the family factors that are important for children’s outcomes and well-being are family processes and the quality of interactions and relationships. Evaluation of an individual or family for these parental qualities should be determined without prejudice regarding actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. There is no credible evidence that shows that a parent’s sexual orientation or gender identity will adversely affect the development of the child".

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), 2009:
"There is no evidence to suggest or support that parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender are per se superior or inferior from or deficient in parenting skills, child-centered concerns, and parent-child attachments when compared with heterosexual parents".

The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), 2005:
"The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) affirms that lesbian, gay, and bisexual parents are as well suited to raise children as their heterosexual counterparts".

The National Association of Social Workers, (NASW), 2005:
"LGB people must be granted all rights, privileges and responsibilities that are granted to heterosexual people, including but not limited to inheritance rights, insurance, marriage, child custody, employment, credit, and immigration".

The American Medical Association (AMA), 2004:
"(The) 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".

The Australian Psychological Society (APS), 2007:
"It is family processes (such as the quality of parenting and relationships within the family) that contribute to determining children’s wellbeing and ‘outcomes’, rather than family structures, per se, such as the number, gender, sexuality and co-habitation status of parents. The research indicates that parenting practices and children’s outcomes in families parented by lesbian and gay parents are likely to be at least as favourable as those in families of heterosexual parents, despite the reality that considerable legal discrimination and inequity remain significant challenges for these families".

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych), 2007:
"The Royal College of Psychiatrists holds the view that LGB people should be regarded as valued members of society who have exactly similar rights and responsibilities as all other citizens. This includes equal access to... the rights and responsibilities involved in procreating and bringing up children".

The American Bar Association (ABA), 1999:
"Supports the enactment of legislation and the implementation of public policy providing that adoption shall not be denied on the basis of sexual orientation".

Barnardo's, UK Children's Charity, 31/01/2011:
"Children in the care system are continuing to lose out on potential parents. Society’s attitude plays a pivotal role in discouraging people from considering adoption. The idea that gay parents are second best must be challenged. To suggest that a same sex couple is not as able to raise a child as a heterosexual couple is at once absurd and unsubstantiated. To continue to discourage potential adopters simply because of their sexual orientation is severely diminishing the chances of securing loving, stable homes for the children who are waiting".

The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), 2006:
"A review of the psychological research into the well-being of children raised by same-sex and opposite-sex parents continues to indicate that there are no reliable differences in their mental health or social adjustment and that lesbian mothers and gay fathers are not less fit as parents than are their heterosexual counterparts".

EX-GAY/CONVERSION/REPARATIVE THERAPIES

The American Psychiatric Association (APA), 1998:
"There is no published scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of reparative therapy as a treatment to change ones sexual orientation. The potential risks of reparative therapy are great, including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior, since therapist alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient. Many patients who have undergone reparative therapy relate that they were inaccurately told that homosexuals are lonely, unhappy individuals who never achieve acceptance or satisfaction".

The UK Council for Psychotherapy & The British Psychoanalytic Council, 2014:
"Conversion therapy is the umbrella term for a type of talking therapy or activity which attempts to change sexual orientation or reduce attraction to others of the same sex. There is no good evidence this works and we believe it has the potential to cause harm. Often these approaches are based on religious interpretations about sexuality rather than on a researched and informed understanding of sexual orientation."

The American Psychological Association (APA), 2009:
"There are no studies of adequate scientific rigor to conclude whether or not recent SOCE (Sexual Orientation Change Efforts) do or do not work to change a person’s sexual orientation. Scientifically rigorous older work in this area (e.g., Birk, Huddleston, Miller, & Cohler, 1971; James, 1978; McConaghy, 1969, 1976; McConaghy, Proctor, & Barr, 1972; Tanner, 1974, 1975) found that sexual orientation (i.e., erotic attractions and sexual arousal oriented to one sex or the other, or both) was unlikely to change due to efforts designed for this purpose".

The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA), 2009:
"While “causes” for any of these sexual orientations remain unclear, they are highly resistant to change. Further, there is no reliable evidence that sexual orientation is subject to redirection, “conversion” or any significant influence from efforts by psychological or other interventions."

Pan American Health Organization & World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), 17/05/12:
"Services that purport to "cure" people with non-heterosexual sexual orientation lack medical justification and represent a serious threat to the health and well-being of affected people".

The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), 2012:
"Psychoanalytic technique does not encompass purposeful attempts to “convert,” “repair,” change or shift an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.  Such directed efforts are against fundamental principles of psychoanalytic treatment and often result in substantial psychological pain by reinforcing damaging internalized attitudes".

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 1993:
"Therapy directed specifically at changing sexual orientation is contraindicated, since it can provoke guilt and anxiety while having little or no potential for achieving changes in orientation".

British Psychological Society (BPS), 2012:
"The BPS believes that people of same-sex sexual orientations should be regarded as equal members of society with the same rights and responsibilities. This includes freedom from harassment or discrimination in any sphere, and a right to protection from therapies that are potentially damaging, particularly those that purport to change or ‘convert’ sexual orientation. Recent publicised efforts to repathologise homosexuality by claiming that it can be ‘cured’ are rarely guided by rigorous scientific or psychological research, but often by religious and political forces opposed to full civil rights for people of same-sex sexual orientations."

The American Counseling Association (ACA), 2006:
"The ACA Ethics Committee strongly suggests that ethical professional counselors do not refer clients to someone who engages in conversion therapy or, if they do, to proceed cautiously only when they are certain that the referral counselor fully informs clients of the unproven nature of the treatment and the potential risks and takes steps to minimize harm to clients".

The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), 2004:
"The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy takes the position that same sex orientation is not a mental disorder. Therefore, we do not believe that sexual orientation in and of itself requires treatment or intervention".

The American Medical Association (AMA), 2004:
"(The) AMA opposes, the use of "reparative" or "conversion" therapy that is based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that the patient should change his/her homosexual orientation".

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 2000:
"Proponents of reparative and conversion therapies, such as the most commonly cited group NARTH, claim that their processes are supported by scientific data; however, such scientific support is replete with confounded research methodologies... Media campaigns, often coupled with coercive messages from family and community members, has created an environment in which lesbians and gay men often are pressured to seek reparative or conversion therapies, which cannot and will not change sexual orientation".

The Australian Psychological Society (APS), 2000:
"The validity, efficacy and ethics of clinical attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation have been challenged.  To date, there are no scientifically rigorous outcome studies to determine either the actual efficacy or harm of therapies or  treatments that attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation".

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych), 2007:
"Although there is now a number of therapists and organisation in the USA and in the UK that claim that therapy can help homosexuals to become heterosexual, there is no evidence that such change is possible".

The American Psychological Association (APA) on NARTH, 2006:
"The APA’s concern about the position’s espoused by NARTH and so-called conversion therapy is that they are not supported by the science. There is simply no sufficiently scientifically sound evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Our further concern is that the positions espoused by NARTH and Focus on the Family create an environment in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish".

"Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation and Youth", 2008, endorsed by the following organisations, makes the points below:
American Academy of Pediatrics,
American Association of School Administrators,
American Counseling Association,
American Federation of Teachers,
American Psychological Association,
American School Counselor Association,
American School Health Association,
Interfaith Alliance Foundation,
National Association of School Psychologists,
National Association of Secondary School Principals,
National Association of Social Workers,
National Education Association,
School Social Work Association of America:
"The terms reparative therapy and sexual orientation conversion therapy refer to counseling and psychotherapy aimed at eliminating or suppressing homosexuality. The most important fact about these “therapies” is that they are based on a view of homosexuality that has been rejected by all the major mental health professions".
"Efforts to change sexual orientation through therapy have been adopted by some political and religious organizations and aggressively promoted to the public. However, such efforts have serious potential to harm young people because they present the view that the sexual orientation of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth is a mental illness or disorder, and they often frame the inability to change one’s sexual orientation as a personal and moral failure".
"The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American School Counselor Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Association of Social Workers, together representing more than 480,000 mental health professionals, have all taken the position that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and thus is not something that needs to or can be “cured”".

MILITARY SERVICE

The American Psychological Association (APA), 2004:
"Empirical evidence fails to show that sexual orientation is germane to any aspect of military effectiveness including unit cohesion, morale, recruitment and retention... and... comparative data from foreign militaries and domestic police and fire departments show that when lesbians, gay men and bisexuals are allowed to serve openly there is no evidence of disruption or loss of mission effectiveness... and... when openly gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals have been allowed to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces..., there has been no evidence of disruption or loss of mission effectiveness".

The American Psychiatric Association (APA), 1990:
"APA opposes exclusion and dismissal from the armed services on the basis of sexual orientation. Furthermore, APA asserts that no burden of proof of judgment, capacity, or reliability should be placed on homosexuals which is greater than that imposed on any other persons within the armed services".

The American Bar Association (ABA), 2010:
"On behalf of the American Bar Association, I write to express our strong support for repeal of 10 U.S.C. §654, the statute commonly known as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”".

The American Medical Association (AMA), 2010:
"(The) American Medical Association will advocate for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the common term for the policy regarding gay and lesbian individuals serving openly in the U.S. military".

The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), 2009:
"It is the position of APsaA that sexual orientation is not germane to any aspect of military effectiveness".

Response to "The Truth About Homosexuality" Part 4

Response to "The Truth About Homosexuality", "Homosexual Parenting/Homosexual Adoption #67-82".


Acronym Key:

TIM = ThisIsMarriage
MSM = men who have sex with men
WSW = women who have sex with women
SS = Same sex
(p240) = page 240

See response part 1 (link below) for details concerning why newspaper articles, books and Paul Cameron studies are dismissed. It is recommended that first-time readers start there.
http://homoresponse.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/response-to-truth-about-homosexuality.html

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59) A Paul Cameron Study.
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60) Bronstein et al. 1993, Family Relations, 42(3), 268-276:
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/585556

TIM's insinuation: Children raised in "traditional" families fare better than those from other family types.

This study is not on SS parents at all and its use by TIM simply demonstrates the dearth of evidence that TIM is able to find to support its claims. The study was conducted prior to the legalization of SS adoption in any U.S. state and does not even appear to refer to "traditional" families. If anything about the study could be extrapolated to SS couples it would be that SS marriage legalization would likely benefit SS couples and their children.

The study's findings, as summarised by the authors:
"Biologically or adoptive parents in maritally intact families tended to show more positive parenting and coparenting practices than did parents in other family configurations, and children in intact families showed higher levels of adjustment".

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61) Golombok & Tasker, 1996, Developmental Psychology, 32(1), 3-11:
http://psycnet.apa.org/?&fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/0012-1649.32.1.3

TIM's insinuation: Being raised by a homosexual parent increases the chances of becoming homosexual.

As is often the case, TIM's own study refutes TIM's claim:
"In terms of sexual identity, the large majority of young adults with lesbian mothers identified as heterosexual. Only 2 young women... identified as lesbian... This group difference did not reach statistical significance" (p7).

The idea that 5 daughters and 1 boy can be used to accurately gage the effect TIM is describing is absurd and converting such small numbers in to percentages is simply an attempt to inflate them. That there were no homosexuals among the offspring of the heterosexual parents itself proves this point because generalising this tiny sample population to the whole populace as TIM does would require us to conclude that no heterosexuals ever have LGBT offspring. This is clearly incorrect.

Further points:
"There was no significant difference between adults raised in lesbian families and their peers from single-mother heterosexual households in the proportion who reported sexual attraction to someone of the same gender" (p7).

"It is important to point out that the mothers and children who participated in the research were genetically related to each other, and thus it is not possible to disentangle the influence of genetic and social aspects of the parent-child relationship" (p9).

"It should be noted that the young adults raised in lesbian households were no more likely than those from heterosexual households to experience mental health problems and both groups obtained scores on standardized measures of emotional well being that did not differ significantly from those of general population samples" (p9).

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62 + 63 + 64) These are examples of argumenta ad populum. Consider what portion of people thought that the Earth was flat during previous epochs and whether or not this was therefore true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum

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65) An unsubstantiated assertion from TIM's favourite hate group.
66) A book or news article.
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67.1) Golombok & Tasker, 1995, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65(2), 203-215:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7611338

TIM's insinuation: Female children with a lesbian parent are more likely to become lesbian themselves.

This is another study by the authors of TIM reference 61, on the exact same sample population. It therefore contributes no new information and TIM's use of it is foolish at best, deceptive at worst.

The abstract of the study directly and explicitly refutes TIM's claims:
"A longitudinal study of 25 young adults from lesbian families and 21 raised by heterosexual single mothers revealed that those raised by lesbian mothers functioned well in adulthood in terms of psychological well-being and of family identity and relationships. The commonly held assumption that lesbian mothers will have lesbian daughters and gay sons was not supported by the findings."

67.2) Stacey & Biblarz, 2001, American Sociological Review, 66(2), 159-183:
http://faculty.law.miami.edu/mcoombs/documents/Stacey_Biblarz.pdf

TIM's insinuation: More children raised by lesbians consider having SS relationships than those raised by heterosexuals.

This is a review I.E. it did not introduce a new sample population.  The claims that TIM is referring to (Stacey & Biblarz, 2001, p170) are actually based upon Golombok & Tasker's 22 lesbian and 18 heterosexual parents (TIM references 61 and 67.1).

That a higher portion of children raised by lesbians considered the possibility of having a SS relationship compared to those raised by heterosexual parents is not only unsurprising but seemingly irrelevant.  As previously established, only two actually identified as lesbian, a disparity which "did not reach statistical significance" (Golombok & Tasker, 1996). Entry in to any relationship is governed by whether or not the participants wish to, not whether or not they consider the possibility of it.

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68) This is reference 67.2 (Stacey & Biblarz, 2001).

TIM's insinuation: Girls raised by lesbian mothers are more sexually adventurous.

Regarding chastity the review noted that:
"Relative to their counterparts with heterosexual parents, the adolescent and young adult girls raised by lesbian mothers appear to have been more sexually adventurous and less chaste, whereas the sons of lesbians evince the opposite pattern-somewhat less sexually adventurous and more chaste" (p171).
Note that this is still Golombok & Tasker's sample population.

Once again TIM's own reference contradicts its position (Stacey & Biblarz, 2001):
"We unequivocally endorse (the) conclusion that social science research provides no grounds for taking sexual orientation into account in the political distribution of family rights and responsibilities... Researchers must overcome the hetero-normative presumption that interprets sexual differences as deficits" (p179).

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69) Demo & Cox, 2000, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62(4), 876-895:
http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/D_Demo_Families_2000.pdf

TIM's insinuation: Most studies on homosexual parents rely on white, middle class families and so their generalizability is limited.

This isn't actually a review on SS parenting, it is on "families with young children", though it does briefly mention SS parenting. Fortunately, in the context of SS adoption, most people who apply for adoption are white and middle class. More importantly however, we have over a decade more of research since the review was published in 2000, back when, as described by the authors (Demo & Cox), this topic was a "relatively new line of inquiry".

Demo & Cox note that, even at the time of the study:
"There is evidence that children reared in lesbian and gay households fare very well and in some cases better than children in two-heterosexual-parent households." (p899).

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70) A link to a web forum.
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71) Koepke et al. Family Relations, 1992, 41(2), 224-229:
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/584837

TIM's insinuation: "Even individuals who believe that same-sex relationships are a legitimate choice for adults may feel that children will suffer from being reared in such families."

TIM use this reference to make an irrelevant point. It is merely the authors acknowledgement of the existence of prejudice... just as with the argumentum ad populum fallacies used earlier by TIM, the existence or prevalence of an opinion does not itself justify or substantiate that opinion.

The quote TIM uses is actually part of a section where the study authors are cautioning against such prejudice attitudes and how they may interfere with future research:
"(START TIM) Even individuals who believe that same-sex relationships are a legitimate choice for adults may feel that children will suffer from being reared in such families (END TIM). Recognizing negative attitudes and stereotypes may help the practitioner avoid projecting these stereotypes onto the lesbian family. For example, if a teacher perceived the child as coming from an "abnormal" home, that teacher may provoke problems where none exist” (p228).

The study concludes that:
"Overall, this sample reflected well-adjusted and happy couples in both groups" (p228).

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72) Three books, which incidentally appear to be referring to comparisons of single parent homes, not SS couples, with married couples.
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SECTION FIVE SUMMARY:

This section of TIM's essay is particularly weak, with at least 3 of it's references all based upon the same study of 25 children raised by a homosexual parent (Golombok & Tasker, 1996) and used by TIM to draw conclusions that the authors explicitly disagreed with. Other than a study not on homosexual's parenting ability at all but on the benefits of marriage, the rest of the references appear to be a mixture of books, web-forums, hate groups and of course the obligatory Paul Cameron study.

Further discussion of SS adoption can be found at the following URL:
http://homoresponse.blogspot.com/2011/05/countering-heterosexist-arguments.html#18


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Response to "The Truth About Homosexuality", "Genetics and Homosexuality #83-90".

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73) A book.
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74) TIM's insinuation: Homosexuality would have disappeared long ago due to natural selection were it genetic.

Just like how no men or women are ever born sterile...
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75) TIM's insinuation: Homosexuality results from a combination of genetic and environmental impacts.

The quote notes that homosexuality has a genetic component therefore seemingly being in disagreement with TIM's claim in reference 74. All scientific disciplines have advanced somewhat since 1966, the year TIM's source was published. However, the current scientific consensus is that sexual orientation is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental impacts.

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76) Scott Richards, 1993, AMCAP Journal
https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/IssuesInReligionAndPsychotherapy/article/viewFile/369/347

TIM's insinuation: Specific environmental causes of homosexuality include; atypical childhood gender expression, unloving fathers or dominant mothers.

TIM's use of this study is highly deceptive. The quote provided by TIM is prefaced with the following:
"Reparative therapists make several assumptions about homosexuality and therapy with homosexual clients".

As the title of the paper indicates (see below), it is simply noting down various perspectives and the quotation provided by TIM is merely an outline of the perspective of reparative therapists:
"The Treatment of Homosexuality: Some Historical, Contemporary, and Personal Perspectives".

AMCAP (TIM's source) does not actually appear to be a peer-reviewed scientific journal, given that it doesn't have an impact factor... and that it stands for "The Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists"... and that its self-stated purpose starts "With an eye single to the glory of God and centered in Christ"...

Scientific journals attempt to decipher reality objectively, free of dogma and preconceived ideologies. This "journal" does the exact opposite. Any one of the above reasons would be sufficient to reject TIM's use of the quotation. Actual scientific organisations reject TIM's insinuations.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists on Homosexuality's Origin:
"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".
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/Submission%20to%20the%20Church%20of%20England.pdf

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77) TIM's insinuation: The declassification of homosexuality as a mental disorder involved discarding many studies that conflicted with this decision.

This is reference 76 and quotes the opinion of Charles Socarides, perhaps the most famous proponent of ex-gay therapy.

The Rosenhan experiment was likely far more of a "disheartening attack upon psychiatric research" than the declassification of homosexuality ever could be and additionally served to undermine whatever studies Socarides was referring to. The declassification was also based upon multiple studies, details of which can be found here:
http://homoresponse.blogspot.com/2011/05/countering-heterosexist-arguments.html#2

If TIM have "hundreds" of research papers supporting their position then they should provide their full texts and they can be evaluated. Until then, references to them are as useless as unsubstantiated claims of "hundreds" of research papers to the contrary.

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78) A book... used to make a vague and unverifiable statement.
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79) No reference given.

TIM's insinuation: A 2001 study found that most of the 200 participants had been able to change their sexual orientation slightly.

It almost certainly refers to Robert Spitzer's study.  This study has been criticised on multiple grounds but particularly on the basis that there was no reliable means of determining the truthfulness of the participant's statements, which were likely to be heavily biased. Dr Spitzer now wishes to retract his study, as detailed below.

Dr Spitzer quoted regarding his study by Gabriel Arana in The American Prospect, 11/04/2012, page 3:
"“In retrospect, I have to admit I think the critiques are largely correct,” he said. “The findings can be considered evidence for what those who have undergone ex-gay therapy say about it, but nothing more.”"
http://prospect.org/article/my-so-called-ex-gay-life

A video of Spitzer's retraction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIifMxPcRnI

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80.1) Yarhouse & Throckmorton, 2002, Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 39(1), 66-75:
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pst/39/1/66/

TIM's insinuation: People can change sexual orientation.

A response to this review was published in the same journal by several authors (Glassgold et al. 2002, Psychotherapy, 39(4), 376-378) stating that:
"The current authors were disappointed in the approach taken by the authors in their discussion and review of the empirical research, scholarly literature, and ethical concerns. The authors assert that Yarhouse et al failed to represent the issues accurately and comprehensively."
http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2003-06066-010

Another study published in the same year also contradicts Yarhouse and Throckmorton's claims (Shidlo & Schroeder, 2002, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33(3), 249-259):
"The results indicated that a majority failed to change sexual orientation, and many reported that they associated harm with conversion interventions. A minority reported feeling helped, although not necessarily with their original goal of changing sexual orientation."
http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2002-01066-003


80.2) Warren Throckmorton, 1998, Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 20(4), 283-304:
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1999-13888-001
http://www.drthrockmorton.com/effortstomodify.htm

This is another review by one of the two authors of TIM's reference 80.1. The quote provided by TIM does not appear to be in the full version of the review, located on the author's website (see URL above). It is therefore not possible to identify what study that the alleged quote refers to or comment further on it.

Dr. Throckmorton additionally no longer believes that most people can change their orientation:
"Gay and bisexual people who change their behavior infrequently lose their same-sex attractions, no matter how earnestly they pray. In my work as well as other studies, heterosexually married gay and lesbian people do not demonstrate change in attractions on average, even as they demonstrate devotion to their marriages."
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2011/11/04/a-new-test-of-orthodoxy/

__________________________________________________________________________________________

81) A book. "Dysfunction" here is simply a word with an unjustified negative connotation attached and represents nothing more than an attempt to stigmatize abnormality by pathologizing it. This quotation, much like all of those above concerning reparative therapy, are additionally nothing to do with genetics, despite TIM's title for this section. The point made is additionally predicated on the notion that homosexuality or asexuality are inherently incompatible with human procreation, which is clearly not the case.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

82) Warren Throckmorton, 2002, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33(3), 242–248:
http://wthrockmorton.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/242.pdf

Note that this is the same author as TIM references 80.1 and 80.2. TIM deceptively suggests that the APA endorse views that sexual orientation is changeable when in fact the opposite is true.

American Psychological Association:
"There are no studies of adequate scientific rigor to conclude whether or not recent SOCE do or do not work to change a person’s sexual orientation. Scientifically rigorous older work in this area (e.g., Birk, Huddleston, Miller, & Cohler, 1971; James, 1978; McConaghy, 1969, 1976; McConaghy, Proctor, & Barr, 1972; Tanner, 1974, 1975) found that sexual orientation (i.e., erotic attractions and sexual arousal oriented to one sex or the other, or both) was unlikely to change due to efforts designed for this purpose."
http://www.apa.org/about/policy/sexual-orientation.aspx
Note: SOCE = "sexual orientation change efforts".

A few quotations from TIM's own article indicate a similar sentiment (Throckmorton, 2002):
"Research in which the term ex-gay is used is sparse. I could locate only 11 reports in the professional literature or under review for publication concerning individuals involved in ex-gay ministries. The extent and degree of impact, positive or negative, of these ministries is currently impossible to gage. Other authors have provided anecdotal accounts of individuals harmed or disillusioned as a result of their involvement in ex-gay ministries (Bennett, 1998; Haldeman, 1994, 1999; Human Rights Campaign, 2000; Martin, 1984; Stein, 1996). Shidlo and Schroeder (2000) made a more rigorous study of those who report harm from ex-gay or change efforts."

Throckmorton also notes that:
"To limit the scope of this article, I do not consider sexual reorientation therapies in depth."

__________________________________________________________________________________________

83) A Paul Cameron study.
__________________________________________________________________________________________


Response to "The Truth About Homosexuality", "Incidence of Homosexual Behavior #98-104".

__________________________________________________________________________________________

84-90) Irrelevant.
__________________________________________________________________________________________


SECTION SIX SUMMARY:

It should be noted that the scientific consensus is that sexual orientation is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The idea of a "gay gene" is an oversimplification and genetics aren't the only possible realm of a pre-natal cause of homosexuality. Furthermore, acquiring a homosexual orientation post-natally does not equate to it being a choice.

There is insufficient evidence for anybody to conclude that they were "born this way" those doing so are likely suffering from a very similar form of stupidity as the average heterosexist. That is, they know they did not choose to be homosexual and so assume that it must be pre-natally caused. The mistake they share with the heterosexist is to assume that only pre-natal causal origins can be involuntary.

The changeability of sexual orientation remains to be established and TIM's over-reliance on one author, who's conclusions have been heavily criticised and contradicted in the same journal of his original publication serves to reinforce this fact.

The abundance of a characteristic (I.E. homosexuality) within a population does not mediate whether or not it is morally acceptable to prejudicially discriminate against those in possession of that characteristic. Heterosexists typically pick a selection of the lowest percentages when trying to diminish the prevalence of homosexuality.

CDC, National Survey of Family Growth:
"Percent of males 15-44 years of age who have had oral or anal sex with another male in the last 12 months, 2006-2008: 4.3%."
"Percent of females 15-44 years of age who had a female sexual partner in the last 12 months, 2006-2008: 11.7%."
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/abc_list_s.htm#sexualfemales

The statistic above is for sexual behaviour, which is where the 10% statistic is typically derived from. The statistic for homosexual/bisexual orientation is typically slightly lower and is ~8% in the CDC's National Survey of Family Growth.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/abc_list_s.htm#sexualorientationandattraction

Further discussion of the biological component of sexual orientation determination can be found here:
http://homoresponse.blogspot.com/2011/05/countering-heterosexist-arguments.html#05


__________________________________________________________________________________________


Response to "The Truth About Homosexuality", "Homosexuality and Marriage #105-115".

__________________________________________________________________________________________

91) TIM's insinuation: Most people agree that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Irrelevant, particularly given that words and definitions always change over time. This is perhaps especially true of legal definitions, such as with legal marriage. Another argumentum ad populum fallacy.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

92) TIM's insinuation: A 2000 Gallup poll showed most Americans are against SS marriage.

Again irrelevant. As previously explained, what people believe does not dictate what is true, correct or right. Incidentally, the 2011 Gallup poll found that 53% of Americans support SS marriage.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

93) TIM's assertion: The purpose of marriage is for procreation only and this cannot change.

An unsubstantiated assertion that 1) fails to account for marriage between infertile people and 2) erroneously suggests that marriage has not been redefined for centuries. Even without marriage between infertile people, it would still be nothing more than a baseless, intellectually vacuous assertion.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

94) TIM's assertion: Procreative potential constitutes the sole state interest in the legislation of marriage.

1) Infertile couples. 2) Marriage between those that don't want children. 3) Marriage is not necessary or sufficient for procreation. 4) SS marriage legalization would not impact upon heterosexual marriages. 5) The "most imperative of all government objectives" is to treat citizens justly and equally.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

95) Unsubstantiated lies from TIM's favourite hate group.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

96) TIM's insinuation: The major religions consider homosexuality to be immoral, so it must be.

Yet again, what people think is irrelevant to what is actually true. Buddhism does not necessarily condemn homosexuality, nor do many denominations of Christianity.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

97) TIM's insinuation: Societies that stray from purely heterosexual marriage disintegrate.

A book from 1933... making another unjustified assertion. A quote from the American Anthropological Association should swat aside this pernicious myth.

American Anthropological Association:
"The results of more than a century of anthropological research on households, kinship relationships, and families, across cultures and through time, provide no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies.
The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association strongly opposes a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual couples."
http://www.aaanet.org/issues/policy-advocacy/Statement-on-Marriage-and-the-Family.cfm

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Response to "The Truth About Homosexuality", "Homosexuality and Hate Crimes #116-119".

__________________________________________________________________________________________

98-99) The point made is of no clear relevance.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

100) TIM reference 35 uses the same references and makes the same point as is made here. See response to TIM reference 35.
__________________________________________________________________________________________


Response to "The Truth About Homosexuality", "Homosexual Activism #120-134".

__________________________________________________________________________________________

101 + 102) Newspaper article. Both make apparently irrelevant points.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

103) A Book. TIM's insinuation: Homosexual activists want homosexuality to be viewed as being normal.

Proof that "homosexual activists" don't care whether homosexuality is viewed as normal or not: Homosexuality is abnormal, just as athletes are abnormally athletic and lottery winners are abnormally lucky.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

104) A book providing anecdotal opinion. Were this quote of a "homosexual activist" to claim that the secret "homosexual agenda" was to kidnap heterosexual's children and murder them, this would be just as unsubstantiated and anecdotal and therefore just as irrelevant.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

105) Appears to be another book. Nothing requires moral "justification" until it has successfully been shown to typically be "unjustified" I.E. "wrong".  This is yet to occur with homosexuality. Homosexuality is additionally not limited to a "sex act" any more than heterosexuality.
__________________________________________________________________________________________


Response to "The Truth About Homosexuality", "Homosexual Activism in the Schools #135-145".

__________________________________________________________________________________________

106) Another alleged fact for which the relevance remains to be established by TIM.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

107) More irrelevant, anecdotal information, with TIM's references to "deluding" the legislature being the only apparent inflammatory part of the paragraph.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

108) A conservative website making unsubstantiated assertions.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

109-113) More anecdotal nonsense. Reference 113 in particular seems to make an especially benign point.
__________________________________________________________________________________________


SECTION SEVEN SUMMARY:

The last few sections of TIM's essay consist almost entirely of anecdotal opinion, the rationale behind which is frequently demonstrably fallacious.

Further discussion of SS marriage can be found here:
http://homoresponse.blogspot.com/2011/05/countering-heterosexist-arguments.html#17


PART 1
PART 2
PART 3

Response to "The Truth About Homosexuality" Part 3

Response to "The Truth About Homosexuality", "Child Abuse #47-66".


Acronym Key:

TIM = ThisIsMarriage
MSM = men who have sex with men
WSW = women who have sex with women
SS = Same sex
(p240) = page 240

See response part 1 (link below) for details concerning why newspaper articles, books and Paul Cameron studies are dismissed. It is recommended that first-time readers start there.
http://homoresponse.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/response-to-truth-about-homosexuality.html

__________________________________________________________________________________________

41) Newspaper article.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

42) Garofalo et al. 1998, Pediatrics, 101(5), 895-902:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/101/5/895.abstract

TIM's insinuation: Homosexuals are more likely to have sex prior to 13, have 4+ lifetime partners and be sexually assaulted.

This is TIM's reference 3 and the response to that can therefore equally serve as a response here. A study published in the same journal, by one of the authors of TIM's Reference 23, providing a comparison of LGB people with other LGB people, found the following;

Ryan et al. 2009, Pediatrics, 123(1), 346-352:
"Higher rates of family rejection were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes. On the basis of odds ratios, lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection."
tinyurl.com/LGBTstudy

It is additionally worth noting that in TIM's study (Garofalo et al. 1998): 
"Sexual orientation was determined by the following question: “Which of the following best describes you?” A total of 104 students self-identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual (GLB), representing 2.5% of the overall population".

Many people, perhaps as part of self-denial, assume that they need to have a sexual experience to confirm their orientation and due to heteronormative pressure, "heterosexual", or at most, "unsure", would likely be the categories that such people would feel most comfortable classifying themselves as prior to sexual experience. LGBT self-identification among "students in public high schools" is therefore likely to be biased towards those who have had sexual experiences. 2.5% self-identified as GLB, while 1.5% were "unsure", 3.7% ticked "none of the above" and 9.3% did not answer the question at all. Consistent with the minority stress model, "GLB youth were more likely than their peers to have been victimized and threatened" in TIM's study.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

43) Lemp et al. 1994, JAMA, 272(6), 449-454:
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=377566

TIM's insinuation: 41.4% of young MSM report forced sex, 18.5% had anal sex prior to age 14 and 15.2% of those 18.5% were HIV+.

The study is of minimal relevance to the general gay male population given that all of its participants were recruited from areas associated with the solicitation of sex and homelessness:
"Setting - Public venues in San Francisco and Berkeley, including street corners and sidewalks, dance clubs, bars, and parks."

The survey method used in the study was the "Young Men's Survey" (YMS) and as described:
"YMS findings are generalizable only to the population of young men who attend venues included in YMS sampling frames".
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1382056

Of further note, TIM's "seventy nine of the boys" statistic translates to the fact that 81.5% of the study participants didn't have sex before the age of 14. The 18.5% that had had sex prior to age 14 is not a particularly shocking statistic given the locations that the study population were obtained from and that the general prevalence of child molestation is not substantially different from this (E.G. Johnson, 2004, DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)16771-8 or Fikelhor, 1994, http://tinyurl.com/finkcsa).

__________________________________________________________________________________________

44) Cameron & Cameron, 1996, Adolescence, 31(124), 757-776:
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1996-07024-001

TIM's insinuation: Homosexual parents molest their children ~50 times more than heterosexual parents, with 29% of adult children of homosexuals molested by that parent.

This is another Paul Cameron (anti-gay hate-group founder) study. Kirk Cameron is an evangelical Christian evangelist and TV actor with no apparent qualifications of any kind beyond high-school. Their sample population involved "17 of 5,182 randomly obtained adults from 6 US cities (who) answered questionnaires indicating that they had a homosexual parent."

TIM's 29% parent-child incest claim is based upon a minuscule total sample population of 17 (with 5 cases of molestation), making it statistically irrelevant. Given that even when answering the study's survey in 1983, let alone when these respondents were children, SS adoption was not legal anywhere in the U.S., all respondents would be offspring of heterosexual relationships, not SS parents.

The 29% statistic likely fails to distinguish between childhood molestation (by a parent of the same gender) and teleiophilic bi/homosexuality. Those 5 reporting that they did have a bi/homosexual parent were likely drawing that conclusion specifically because they were molested by a parent of the same gender, which would erroneously lead to the inclusion of all victims of same-gendered parental molestation in this sample population of 17 offspring with a "homosexual/bisexual" parent.

In contrast, all bisexual/homosexual parents who did not molest their children would undoubtedly have been considered "heterosexual" by their offspring given that parents would be even less likely to discuss or disclose their sexual orientation to their children pre-1983 than today.

In summary, all bisexuals who didn't have a sexual relationship with their children would be classified as "heterosexual", while all who did would be classified as "homosexual". These factors substantially skew the already grossly inadequately sized sample population.

Paedophiles/hebephiles have a significantly lower degree of gender-distinction in their attractions than teleiophiles due to the absence of secondary sex characteristics which distinguish the genders and often have no sexual interest in adults at all.

Those willing to respond to what Cameron describes as a 500+ question survey on "sexual issues" may have further skewed findings:
"(In) 1983 we gave an extensive self-administered questionnaire on sexual issues consisting of 500+ questions".
http://www.questia.com/library/1G1-19226135/homosexual-parents

"Adolescence", in which Cameron's study was published, (not to be confused with the "Journal of Adolescence") has a very low impact factor and is ranked among the worst of the journals of its type.
Cameron himself once criticized it as "obscure", as detailed at the following URL:
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_cameron_journals.html

__________________________________________________________________________________________

45) An anti-gay hate group.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

46) A book from over 30 years ago.

TIM's insinuation: 73% of MSM have had sex with boys aged 16-19 years or younger.

The "gay report" is commonly used by heterosexists and so will receive a brief response, despite it being a book. TIM's claim here is hardly shocking given that it simply indicates that many homosexuals have sexual relationships as teenagers, just as with those in the general population, where 65-70% have had sex by the age of 19 (according to the CDC's National Survey of Family Growth).
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/abc_list_t.htm#teenagers

A full refutation of it's accuracy and scientific validity can be found here:
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/Articles/000,005.htm

__________________________________________________________________________________________

47) Silverthorne & Quinsey, 2000, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 29(1), 67-76:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/v62110uu62655691/

TIM's insinuation: Disproportionate numbers of MSM seek adolescents or boys for sex.

TIM's study has nothing to do with "child abuse" or seeking out "boys" given that the study only involved those of 18 years or older:
"Participants rated the sexual attractiveness of pictures of 15 male and 15 female faces arranged into five apparent average age categories ranging from 18 to 60 years."

Ironically the study actually refutes a key rationale behind this section of TIM's essay, in that it identifies the independence of attraction based upon gender and attraction based upon age:
"Results suggest that age and sex preferences develop independently."

__________________________________________________________________________________________

48) Cameron & Cameron, 1995, Psychological Reports, 76(2), 611-621.
http://www.amsciepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/pr0.1995.76.2.611

TIM's insinuation: Less than 0.8% of heterosexual men experience incest with a brother, while 12% of MSM have had sex with a brother.

Diana E.H. Russell, 1983, Child Abuse & Neglect, 7(2), 133-146 (a random sample of the general population):
"16% of these women reported at least one experience of intrafamilial sexual abuse before the age of 18 years".
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0145213483900650

This is another Paul Cameron study published in a backwater journal (0.44 5-year impact factor). Any suggestion that gender is relevant here would only serve to transfer TIM's intended criticism of homosexuals on to all members of whatever gender is considered to be more incestuous. It would be unsurprising that when incest does occur between members of the same sex, that at least one of them is more likely to be gay. Cameron's suggestion that incest may cause homosexuality seems inconsistent with the fact that the vast majority of LGB people, even in his study, had not had incestuous relationships.

Researcher, Dr. Herek describes the numerous critical flaws in Cameron's data collection:
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/faculty_sites/rainbow/html/facts_cameron_survey.html

__________________________________________________________________________________________

49) Elliot et al. 1995,  Child Abuse Neglect, 19(5), 579-94:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0145213495000173

TIM's insinuation: "42% of male pedophiles engaged in homosexual molestation".

As detailed in reference 47, TIM's use of reference 49 involves the misconception that those paedophiles who molest children of the same gender are somehow representative of teleiophilic homosexuals. This is no more the case than the average heterosexual male being comparable to a male molester of girls.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

50) This reference is actually just TIM reference 47 again.  It is used to reiterate the same irrelevant point with a few added (equally irrelevant) details and what appears to be a lie, given that, as previously stated, the study involved pictures of people aged "ranging from 18 to 60 years", not 15, as stated by TIM.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

51) Erickson et al. 1988, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 17(1), 77-86:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/nn47702590175u90/

TIM's insinuation: 86% of 229 child molesters self-identified as bi/homosexual.

TIM's claim about this study was not a primary aim of the study and no details are therefore given about how the information was procured (I.E. the wording of the question and/or the offender's understanding of the terms involved), which unfortunately makes it impossible to discern how reliable it is. The statistic is however for male offenders against boys, excluding girls. A homosexual paedophile does not = a homosexual ephebophile/paedophile, just as is the case among heterosexuals.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

52) Helmut Graupner, 1999, Journal of Homosexuality, 37(4), 23-56:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J082v37n04_03

TIM's insinuation: Author Graupner considers consensual sex between 14 year olds and SS adults to be a gay rights issue and that such relationships are a gay rights issue and "constitute an aspect of gay and lesbian life".

The general age of consent in Austria, where study author Graupner is based, is 14. Section 209 of the Austrian criminal code placed additional age restrictions on same-sex relationships at the time that Graupner constructed his study (1999). It should therefore be unsurprising that Graupner would indicate it to be a gay rights issue because Section 209 involved unequal treatment of heterosexuals and homosexuals. Section 209 was repealed in 2002.

Regarding man/boy and woman/girl relationships, ephebophilic relationships between teenagers (E.G. a 14 year old "boy" and an 18 year old "man") clearly are part of both heterosexual and homosexual "life". Austria is far from unique in its AoC legislation, with 14 the AoC in many other countries, such as Germany, Italy, China, Japan and Brazil.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

53) Tomeo et al. 2001, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 30(5), 535-541:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/u10022r778788010/

TIM's insinuation: Far more homosexuals have a history of childhood molestation by a SS adult than do heterosexuals.

Skewed Sample Populations

The study's sample population consisted of:
"675... graduate or undergraduate students currently enrolled and attending classes in colleges and universities" (heterosexual control group) and 
"Two hundred sixty-seven additional participants... obtained at the homosexual pride events" (homosexual group).

How the homosexual cohort were recruited:
"The principal investigator rented a booth at the event and asked individuals who approached the booth to participate in the research. All of the participants who accepted questionnaires completed and returned them."

Self-selection bias:
Those currently in education, such as the "graduate students attending the California School of Professional Psychology" may feel more obligated to contribute to academic research, while outside of education, no such obligation would exist, potentially making personal bias (a personal history of molestation) a more prominent feature of sample self-selection.

While "The vast majority of the students who received questionnaires completed and returned them", it is unclear what proportion of people who passed the gay pride booth accepted questionnaires or how they were encouraged to do so. This could skew results for the self-selecting cohort used in this study. For instance, if the booth had been emblazoned with a logo such as "help end child abuse", this would significantly skew the sample population. Other sexual minorities, such as prostitutes, may have also been overrepresented at a march associated with sexual liberation.

The Homosexual cohort involved more participants with lower education levels, which could further skew results given that in another molestation study:
"Participants reporting a history of sexual abuse were more likely to be less well-educated" (Senn et al., 2007, DOI: 10.1007/s10508-006-9109-4)
In TIM's study (Tomeo et al. 2001):
"The total years of education of the college students ranged from 12 to 15".
"The total years of education of the homosexual pride attendees was 8–26".

As TIM's study authors themselves state:
"The differences between the molestation rate of homosexual and heterosexual participants have to be viewed with great caution because of the differences in the sampling methods for each population" (p539). "It must also be borne in mind that the present homosexual participants may not be representative of homosexual persons" (p541).

"Molestations" Not Necessarily Molestation

Tomeo et al.'s criteria for "molestation" were:
"These criteria require that the victim be under the age of 16 at the time of molestation, the perpetrator being at least 16 years of age and at least 5 years older than the victim" (p538).

It is worth noting that the age of consent is below 16 in many countries, such as China, Brazil, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Poland etc. Furthermore, no part of the questionnaire enquired about whether the sexual contact was voluntary, forced or coerced. All who at the age of 15 had any sexual contact with 20 year olds would be classified as victims of molestation for instance, despite the fact that they may well have invited or initiated these sexual relationships.

Another study has found that such relationships are in fact usually not abusive. B. Rind, 2001, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 30(4), 345-368, DOI: 10.1023/A:1010210630788
"Of the 129 men in the study, 26 were identified as having had age-discrepant sexual relations (ADSRs) as adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age with adult males. Reactions to the ADSRs were predominantly positive, and most ADSRs were willingly engaged in. Younger adolescents were just as willing and reacted at least as positively as older adolescents. Data on sexual identity development indicated that ADSRs played no role in creating same-sex sexual interests, contrary to the "seduction" hypothesis."

TIM's statistic from this study is for same-gender molestation, not total molestation. A greater proportion of SS "molestations" among the homosexual group than the heterosexual one is therefore highly unsurprising given their criteria for molestation include many homosexual's first sexual experiences... which are likely to be with members of the same sex. In contrast, the heterosexual's first sexual experiences that were counted as "molestations" would all be opposite-gendered.
I.E. The same-gender "molestations" for;
homosexuals = Actual forced sex + Many voluntary first sexual experiences.
heterosexuals = Actual forced sex (only).


Other reasons to suggest that many voluntary sexual experiences may have been misclassified as "molestations" include that:

Table 2 (p 539) shows that 20% of the heterosexual men in the study were "molested" by women, which is shockingly high, given that "most sexual abuse is committed by men (90%)" (Finkelhor, 1994, The Future of Children, 4(2), 31-53). Similarly, 22% of lesbians were "molested" by women in TIM's study.

The decreased availability/identifiability of same-age partners for homosexual teenagers, relative to heterosexual teenagers (largely due to heterosexism/heteronormativism) would likely also predispose homosexual adolescents towards first sexual contact with those of greater age difference than heterosexuals. As Tomeo et al. note, "perhaps children or adolescents with a higher potential for homosexual behavior are more likely to enter a situation that leads to same-sex molestation." (p541).

Table 2 of Tomeo et al. 2001 (p538) shows that about 65% of the "victims" reported that they knew they were homosexual prior to the "molestation" even occurring. The other 35% may well have been unsure of their sexual orientation prior to the "molestation" and their first sexual encounter simply clarified it. Among the female molestation victims, "68% of them were at least 12 years of age" (p540) at the time of molestation.


Final Points:

Atypical gender expression may increase the probability of molestation due to 1) a molester's perception that the child has a detectable sexual orientation and is therefore a sexual being and 2) molesters may suspect that the child is less likely to report molestations out of fear of being accused of being homosexual (Watkins & Bentovim, 1992).

Watkins & Bentovim, 1992, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33(1), 197-248:
"A variety of explanations have been advanced to explain the apparent under-reporting or under-detection of the sexual abuse of boys. Prominent among them have been the boy's fears of disbelief and of being labelled homosexual."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1737828


Evangelical Christian Psychology Professor, Warren Throckmorton, identified inconsistencies in the results reported in TIM's study (detailed at the below URL), which were of such a magnitude as to make the true data indiscernible:
"Without the actual surveys, there is no way a reader can figure out the results from the journal article and/or the dissertation."
http://tinyurl.com/wthrock02

TIM's own study directly contradicts a key rationale of this entire section of TIM's essay, Tomeo et al. 2001, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 30(5), 535-541:
"In this study, we do not know the adult sexual preference of the women who molested. Most men who molest boys and most men who molest girls are heterosexual in their adult sexual preference (Groth and Birnbaum, 1978). In fact,we do not know to what extent these women are attracted to adults of either gender and to what extent their orientation is pedophilic."

__________________________________________________________________________________________

54) Haverkos et al. 1989, JAMA, 262(4), 501-501:
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=378099

TIM's insinuation: ~50% of MSM report sexual contact with a male by age 16, and ~20% by age 10.

This study "review[ed] data collected by the Centers for Disease Control early in the AIDS epidemic". A group composed entirely of AIDS afflicted MSM clearly aren't representative of MSM in general.

Despite this, the alleged findings of the study do not appear to be particularly sensational. Even assuming that the "control group" was representative of MSM, that "more than half... reported a sexual act with a male by age 16 years" is no different than statistics for heterosexuals. According to the CDC's National Survey of Family Growth (Series 23, No. 31, Table 1) 1995 statistics, among males 15-17 years of age, 43.1% had had sexual intercourse... and the percentage would likely be significantly higher were it limited to "sexual acts" as TIM's statistic is.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/abc_list_t.htm#teenagers

TIM's pre-10 years old statistic is unlikely to be;
abnormal, given the 15-17 year old's statistic and that TIM provide no comparable statistics for heterosexuals,
or
representative, given the three or more decades old data used, the unspecified characteristics of the "control group" and that the entire MSM group had AIDS.
or
relevant, considering that there isn't any indication of the circumstances that the sexual contact arose in or why it should be considered relevant.

The statistic is actually insignificantly different from those for the general population. Finkelhor, 1990, Child Abuse & Neglect, 14(1), 19–28:
"This paper reports on the first national survey of adults concerning a history of childhood sexual abuse. Victimization was reported by 27% of the women and 16% of the men."

__________________________________________________________________________________________

55) This reference appears to be a book citing a study, which is citing another researcher...

TIM's insinuation: Male victims of childhood molestation by men are more likely to end up being MSM.

Watkins & Bentovim, 1992, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33(1), 197-248:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1737828

The study appears to have been revised by it's authors and a second version of it's abstract is as follows: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1992.tb00862.x/abstract

There is no reference to David Finkelhor in the freely available text, though the study cited by TIM appears to simply reinforce that the current state of research on childhood molestation of males is severely limited.

Watkins & Bentovim, 1992, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33(1), 197-248:
"The actual prevalence rate is difficult to determine, with a reported range of between 3% and 31%."
"Childhood sexual abuse is inherently difficult to research, because of the secrecy and shame which surround it... Research on sexually abused boys has clearly lagged behind that of girls... The purpose of this paper... (is)... to emphasise how little we know".
"Many of these studies suffer from one of the following limitations: Being anecdotal; having no or insufficient objective measures; being retrospective; and, most relevantly, failing to undertake gender analysis... All of these limitations restrict the generalizability of the findings".
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1992.tb00862.x/abstract

In summary, TIM's obscure and convoluted reference involves a study/review which emphasises how extremely limited the data on the subject is.

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56) It is unclear why this point about paedophiles (not homosexuals) is of any relevance.
57) Likewise.
58) Ditto.
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SECTION FOUR SUMMARY:

TIM's central claim throughout this section is that child molestation causes homosexuality and/or that homosexuals molest children more readily than heterosexuals. TIM's own studies however refute these assertions:

(47) Silverthorne & Quinsey, 2000, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 29(1), 67-76:
"Results suggest that age and sex preferences develop independently."

(53) Tomeo et al. 2001, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 30(5), 535-541:
"Most men who molest boys and most men who molest girls are heterosexual in their adult sexual preference (Groth and Birnbaum, 1978)."

Further discussion of heterosexist attempts to link homosexuality to child molestation can be found at the following URL:
http://homoresponse.blogspot.com/2011/05/countering-heterosexist-arguments.html#10


PART 1
PART 2
PART 4