Relevant to your interests ping.
Posted on 01/22/2010 12:54:36 PM PST by presidio9
A social psychologist testified Friday in a trial challenging California's gay marriage ban that leading mental health associations stopped thinking of homosexuality as a mental illness decades ago.
Lawyers for two same-sex couples suing to overturn the voter-enacted ban called University of California, Davis researcher Gregory Herek as an expert witness to bolster their argument that sexual orientation cannot be easily changed.
Herek said leading mental health groups also take a dim view of therapies aimed at making people heterosexual.
The point is central to the plaintiffs' effort to show that gays deserve the same judicial protection as racial and ethnic minorities.
The trial, now in its ninth day, is the first in a federal court to consider whether state bans on gay marriages are unconstitutional.
The plaintiff's were expected to end their case later in the day, with the defense beginning next week.
Chief U.S. Judge Vaughn Walker said he would delay closing arguments for two weeks after the defense rests so he can have time to review the testimony.
Herek said he recently conducted a survey asking people if they decided to be gay, lesbian or bisexual. Eighty-eight percent of the gay men who responded said they had no choice at all about their sexual orientation. The figure was 68 percent for lesbians.
"The vast majority of lesbians and gay men and bisexuals as well, when asked how much choice they felt they have ... say they have experienced no choice or very little choice about that," Herek said.
Herek also said it's clear that gay men and lesbians are looked down upon and even regarded with disgust because of long-standing social stigmas.
"If two men were to walk down the street holding hands in many places, that would elicit a
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
where is the “gay” gene then?
Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t.
One does not choose one’s temptations. But one does choose one’s actions and behaviors.
Relevant to your interests ping.
Humans can reason, our conduct is a choice.
“A social psychologist testified Friday in a trial challenging California’s gay marriage ban that leading mental health associations stopped thinking of homosexuality as a mental illness decades ago.”
Only from pressure of pro-homosexual groups, not because of anything legitimate.
The real argument these nihilists are making is that western morality must be deconstructed and destroyed. Perhaps if there was no social stigma related to adultery, Tiger Woods might not have the mental anguish he has. THAT is the argument they are making, and its not legitimate by any standard.
Fine, but tell me exactly what this has to do with the Constitution? This whole trial is an immense farce.
That is pretty close. about 1% of male population is very homosexual, and as you move to about the 4% they are less so, and that is where some choice is involved. It is mostly genetic.
So it’s a genetic error rather than a choice? Well why do those who exhibit genetic mistakes deserve special rights?
In fact leftists excel at show trials.
Its an interesting contrast that the judge presiding over the abortion doctor murder trial in Kansas City made a big point of saying his trial won't be used as a platform for the pro-life movement. Only liberal causes can be showcased in the courtroom.
They are losing the plot in this trial.
It’s supposed to be about a constitutional issue and/or the right of the people to amend it.
Instead we’re getting Dr. Drew episodes.
Human sexuality is flexible, otherwise homosexuals, particularly men, wouldn’t be so keen to recruit youngsters.
There has been a concerted effort to prove that homosexuality is biologically or genetically driven but to no avail. Such a basis does not exist.
Homosexuality, on some level, is an acquired behavior. The only exception is a hermephrodite, a person possessing both male and female sex organs.
Maybe we should worry more about how to protect innocent people from them, and worry less about accomodating their desire to play house with each other. If this "born gay" thing is true, that is.
“BEING” gay and “ACTING” gay are two separate things.
If you believe you are ‘born’ gay, BUT don’t act on that belief (”in the closet”)—that is a choice.
If you believe you are gay, AND act on that belief (”out of the closet”)—that is a choice.
Being gay IS a choice. No two ways around it.
If Bill was heterosexual, he was born that way but if he decided he is now gay, he was born THAT way but if he later decides he is really a heterosexual, he was born THAT way.
Oops I missed your post but great minds think alike:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2434997/posts?page=13#13
What kind of “proof” is that? Asking people who engage in the behavior doesn’t seem very objective, to say the leaast.
What kind of “proof” is that? Asking people who engage in the behavior doesn’t seem very objective, to say the least.
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