Missing the Point on Gays

Washington Post ^ | September 5, 2003 | Alan Simpson

[kuma]

Impeach judges that engage in judicial activism and this Federal Marriage Ammendment will fade away like a sunset.

[punster]

There is considerable evidence that homosexuality and gender identity problem (no, they are not identical) have biological causes, which are most probably related to the hormonal environment in the womb.

A good example would be intersexual conditions.

1. Androgen insensitivity syndrome. XY (genetic male) individual, female phenotype, vagina, but no uterus. Female gender identity and female sexuality.

2. Adrenogenital syndrome. XX (genetic female) individual. Varying degrees of masculinization of the genitals. Varying degrees of masculinization of behavior. Some studies have suggested they have a much greater chance of being lesbian.

3. Gonadal agenesis (failure to develop gonads). Genotype may be either XX (female) or XY (male). The phenotype is invariably female, with vagina and uterus. There is one case (XY genotype) reported (in India), where the individual was artificially implanted with a fertilized ova and she carried the baby to term.

Current medical research suggests that it is the presence of testosterone (male sex hormone) that causes the infant to develop male genital structure. Furthermore, that same testosterone is responsible for masculinizing the brain, including developing the male sex drive. Anti-Muellerian hormone is responsible for suppressing the internal female organ development.

Female is the default developmental pattern. No testosterone, the infant will develop as a female and have a female gender identity. Greatly reduced testosterone levels may have a similar effect. Some researchers believe the timing for the hormonal environment is also critical, if the fetal testes shut down too soon, the fetus may not have it's brain structure masculinized.

It is a really difficult question to answer.

[lambo]

Former Senator Simpson is the one missing the point here. This is not simply a matter of being a good federalist and allowing "laws affecting family life [to fall] under the jurisdiction of the states, not the federal government".

The constitution's Full Faith and Credit Clause will require gay marriages entered into legally in one state to be recognized with the full force of law in all the other states. Homosexuals will travel to, say, Massachusetts, get married, go back to, say, Alabama, and, under the constitution, have a marriage that must be legally recognized in the latter state. That is what the Defense of Marriage Act and the proposed constitutional amendment are intended to prevent.

I'm as much of a federalist as the next Freeper, but leaving this matter to the states would be nothing more than a sneaky, back-door way of imposing the values of Massachusetts on the rest of us.

[kuma]

It's only difficult if you totally ignore ex-gay groups. Same Sex Attraction Disorder. It only takes a moment of honesty to examine under what conditions homosexuality was removed from the diagnostic list of mental illnesses by the APA. A clue: it happened in the 70's amidst homosexual protesters and the lead proponent, Dr. Spitzler(sp?), reasoning was based on the point that it should be removed so as to help remove the stigma of homosexuality. In other words make a mental illness acceptable & mainstream. They have since moved on to attempting to remove Gender Identity Disorder & talks have begun about Pedophilia as well.

Starting in the 60's forces have taken hold of America in an attempt to change everything to their view of reality and most of them are DemonicRats. It's commonly referred to as the culture war.

[thegreatbeast]

What has happened to this old man? Is it Gerry Ford syndrome, dementia praecox or his simply sucking at the liberal teat for too long?
He claims that he wouldn't argue for gay marriage but that is exactly what he does.
He best go back to the Kennedy School and live out his days as a curiosity on the Harvard campus.

[edchambers]

It is not OK to be a homosexual/lesbian. These people need to be demonized for the perverts they are.

You know Psycholigists for years have connected "homophobia" with people who are not comfortable or confident in thier own sexuality.I live in CA and you can't sling a dead cat without hitting a homosexual.So far these people have done nothing to harm me or anyone else I know.The only thing I really fear from them is that somewhere down the road this domestic partnership agenda is going to be a fiscal nightmare.You see "spouses" are entitled to "benefits" both public and private.So we are rapidly creating a new entitlement class with a dangerous lifestyle that has not payed it's fair share into the system.Will they be taxed like hetero married couples?Expect medical and life insurance to go up,Social security/ssi and private retirement plans to be depleted, palamony and gay adoption lawsuits bogging down the judicial system....did I miss anything?

[kuma]

Please do look up the true definition of phobia. Try thinking of people who suffer from claustrophobia. The majority of people that are called homophobes do not lock up in fear and start to hyperventilate or cry when near someone who is attracted to the same sex.

You have fallen for a classic leftist slur. Interestingly enough the term homophobe popped up around say the 60's & 70's. It's called the culture war.

[weegee]

A desire to wear a dress and makeup is cultural. We are born naked. Some cultures have men who wear robes, kilts, dashikis, etc. It has no origins in genetics.

[weegee]

He'd have a hard time making the case that the ammendments to add and then repeal prohibition on alcohol both ensured liberty.

I'm sick of hearing the silly notion that the Supreme Court is more infalible than the Pope. I know that the SC doesn't make Constitutional ammendments but they are appointed to interpret the Constitution.

[roderick]

I agree. Lawyers continually rank near the bottom of respected professions, yet most of the public think they miraculously become virtuous, apolitical philosopher-kings once they don the black robe.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Did you put all those keywords under that thread? Sheesh..

[Pietro]

Essentially there are three reasons why homo marriages are a very bad idea and any move at any/every level of government that prevents it is a good move. My three reasons:

1) Overturning 2,000 year old traditions that are the foundation stones of all civilized society would be a societal disaster. Traditions evolve for a reason and the father/mother, man/women partnership is THE fundemental building block of society. We should be doing everything practical to strengthen traditional marriage and certainly nothing to weaken it.

2) Homos are more promiscuous than rabbits/minks. The most promiscuous hetero comes no where near the number of partners in any given time period that the average homo does. Even so-called "committed" couples very often invite over-night guests into their relationship. Marriage under these circumstances devolves merely into a convenient method for attaining societal freebies like health insurance, paid leave, and other benies that society typically provides to man & wife.

3) Anal intercourse is the most unhealthy practice on the planet. Its more dangerous than smoking, drinking, or drug addiction. Even if one discounts AIDS, the transfer of STDs (see 2 above) in the homo community dwarfs anything in the hetero community. And its not merely STDs, as if that weren't enough, but colon cancer and diseases carried in fecal matter are rampant in the homo community. How can any practice that is so inherently unhealthy be considered normal?

For these reasons homo activity can never be placed upon the same plain as traditional man/woman relationships. That we are even having to point out this obvious truth reflects the level of damage that moral relativism has had on our sex-saturated society.

Here then is the reason that Holy Scripture so clearly warns against these deadly practices; we ignore them at our own peril.

[Always Right]

There is considerable evidence that homosexuality and gender identity problem (no, they are not identical) have biological causes, which are most probably related to the hormonal environment in the womb.

You are trying to use evidence that applies to the .01% and apply it to the 5%. The evidence for the people truely born with gender problems are a rare exception. Homosexuality by itself has a strong environment and self-determination element that is undeniable.

[punster]

"It's only difficult if you totally ignore ex-gay groups."

However, human sexuality is not a discrete phenomenom. There are a number of bisexual individuals in society. Those individuals can develop a sexual attraction to members of either sex. It is entirely possible that those are the ex-gay individuals to whom you are referring.

Of course, what is needed is a lot of hard biological research results. Whenever cadavers are available for autopsy and tissue examination, do analysis of brain structure.

[No Dems 2004]

Don't pay any attention to this Alan Simpson. I've read things that he's said elsewhere and he was just chortling with joy when the USSC ruled on Lawrence vs. Texas. He's a pro-homosexual RINO and doesn't speak with credibility.

Why doesn't he go and analyze some of the American viewpoints in the South and Midwest (not to mention the Rocky Mountain West) and see if his views are 'mainstream'. Sounds like he'd make a good compadre for Schwarzennegger.

[punster]

"A desire to wear a dress and makeup is cultural. We are born naked. Some cultures have men who wear robes, kilts, dashikis, etc. It has no origins in genetics."

It is not that simple. What the prenatal hormonal environment does is fix some vary basic behavior characteristics, such as sexual response pattern: Will the individual be sexually agressive or sexually passive? There is good reason to also believe that it determines other emotional response patterns, such response to agression. For examples, watch children playing.

The problem may come, when a child who has been exposed (in utero) to an anomalous hormonal environment. That child will exhibit some contrary basic basic behavioral traits.

There is some probability they will imprint on individuals who exhibit those same behavioral traits. In other words, you may have a boy who starts to realize he is more like the girls than the other boys.

Since that individual identifies with girls, it seems they might well start behaving the same way in all aspects of their existance, including clothing.

The same situation could happen to a girl.

There is one case, published in the medical literature, that illustrates the immutability of whatever the child considers themself to be. In the early 1970's there was a circumsion accident. The infant boy had is penis burned off, and the medical establishment persuaded the family to raise the child as a girl.

It did not work. She always insisted that she was really a boy. Furthermore, she had constant social problems because the other children would not accept her as a girl. The net result was that on reaching adulthood, she reverted to the male role.

[punster]

"You are trying to use evidence that applies to the .01% and apply it to the 5%."

What we need to do is do more research. In 1995, a study was published in the scientific journal Nature. That study concluded there was a definite difference in the brain structure of individuals with gender identity problems. The difference seemed to be quite significant (p=0.005), but the sample size was limited because of the lack of specimens.

This research paper suggests a biological cause. Research is needed for verifying those results. That means finding more lab specimens: Deceased individuals, with a history of gender identity problems, who have given their permission for autopsy and tissue dissection.

[WillowyDame]

It is not OK to be a homosexual/lesbian. These people need to be demonized for the perverts they are..

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a lesbian is a pervert???
one what ground???

the funny thing is that a lot of straight married "family men" are usually out having disgusting sex with men. molesting kids etc. now that is what i call "perverts".

how can you group gay men with lesbians??
gay men are having dangerous liasons!

lesbians have the lowest incidence of STD(almost non-existence) and LOVE, not sex is their #1 agenda.

a man calling a woman a pervert?? PLEASE!

[WOSG]

"What has happened to this old man? Is it Gerry Ford syndrome, dementia praecox or his simply sucking at the liberal teat for too long? "

Yes, sad. Same thing happened to Goldwater in his sunset years.

Simpson's logic is shallow and hollow. The USSC decision was wrong and Conservatives should be appalled at any decision that uses the same faulty Constitutional construction as Roe v Wade to reach any result.

If he doesnt understand the militant gay assault on cultural mores, he doesnt get out much.

[Recourse]

I put 2 keywords. Others have added the plethora of keywords.