Why are we gay?

The causes, consequences and cures of homosexuality have been debated on and off since before the subject first got its “scientific” name in 1869. Clearly same-sex relationships existed prior to that, but with the publication of Psychopathia Sexualis, the causes of homosexuality became scientific subject worthy of explanation. (It’s worth noting that the word heterosexual wasn’t coined until nearly 20 years later.)

For a long time, the explanation that held the most sway were the Freudian psychological theories about the unconscious influence of events in early life on behavior later in life. Since it was thought homosexuality was a mental disorder, people attracted to the same sex were considered treatable. This attitude led to the death of Alan Turing who was subjected to aversion therapy (being given electric shocks associated with photos of naked men to associate pain with same-sex arousal) and hormone therapies.

Although psychoanalysis is generally considered to be unscientific today, the Freudian theories still hold sway amongst some groups of people, particularly by evangelical groups who want to advocate the ability to change from being gay. However, the consensus of the psychological community today is that homosexuality is not a disease, it’s an example of normal variation in human behavior. Homosexuality was removed from the American list of mental health problems in the seventies although it wasn’t removed from the international list until 1990.  Read More