Research Paper on Homosexuality

Introduction

The subject of focus in the research is homosexuality. Homosexuality refers to sexual attraction or romantic relationship between members of the same gender. Even though one might view homosexuality as the attraction between the same sexes, another way to perceive it is people who are attracted to their sex. Men who have sexual relationships or attractions between one another are called gays while females who have sexual attractions between themselves can be referred to as gays as well, but are mostly called lesbians. Generally, homosexuality is a sexual orientation. The other categories of homosexuals are bisexuals who are attracted to both males and females as well as transgender people who are males who transition to being females and vice versa. Together, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender are part of the LGBT community. All cultures have homosexuals within them. Homosexuals who have not revealed themselves to the public are known to be "in the closet," while those who have made their orientation public are known to be "out of the closet." Despite all the facts about homosexuality, public acceptance has been a major issue as people have expressed their differed views on the concept. Homosexuality is mostly evident in humans but there have been cases of the same in animals.

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The reason for a discussion on the topic of homosexuality is due to the unexplained dynamics and to clarify conflicting views on the subject. A myriad of people around the world do not agree with homosexuality. On a broader perspective, people do not understand the causes of homosexuality. The causes of homosexuality can be genetics, environment, and parental hormones. Even though most homosexuals end up falling in love and getting married, some religious groups view homosexuality as a taboo. In fact, religious leaders often attempt to oust homosexuals from their churches or find some sort of way to "cure" them. Besides that, some governments do not allow their citizens to be homosexuals. On the topic of having kids, most homosexuals decide to stay together without any children while others opt for adoption.

Before I embarked on a research on homosexuality, some questions lingered in my mind. For example, why do homosexuals face discrimination? Moreover, at what point in life do people do people decide to become homosexuals? More so, if homosexuality has been seen in animals, why do governments deny human beings their rights yet animals are not discriminated against? Additionally, why do religious groups views homosexuals as incompetent members of the society? More to the point, what are some of the problems that homosexuals face? Furthermore, what are some of the rights of the LGBT community?

Current Research

Current Views on Homosexuality

It is apparent that public acceptance of homosexuality has been intense. The Pew Research Center (p.1) indicates that the partisan divide on homosexuality has grown broader. As the center explains, seven out of ten affirm that homosexuality should be accepted by the society compared to 24% who express opposite views. More so, it notes that in regards to same-sex marriage, 62% of Americans favor the regulation (p.1). Additionally, the center indicates that regarding political parties, democrats are more likely than republicans to affirm that the society should accept homosexuality (p.1). Among democrats, the center points out that 83% are in favor of homosexuality while 13% are in denial (p.1) On the contrary, among republicans, 54% accept homosexuality compared to 13% who are discouraged by it (p.1). In essence, the center claims that there has been a growing acceptance of homosexuality over the years (p.1). Besides that, the center shows that age is a factor in acceptance as people aged 29 and below say homosexuality should be accepted while those aged 30 years and above indicate that it should be discouraged by the society. Concerning morality, the center indicates that Americans claim belief in God is unnecessary to be moral and have good virtues.

There has been recent research on HOCD (homosexual Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Worldwide, many people are in fear of being homosexual. According to Bhatia & Kaur (p.1), people who fear being homosexuals experience intrusive and unwanted mental image of homosexual behavior. The authors indicate that about 63% of patients who go through HOCD have severe impairments. Based on the authors' views, homosexuality falls in the spectrum of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The authors add that some of the common manifestations of HOCD include hoarding symptoms, taboo thoughts, contamination, doubt, and checking (p.1). More so, they add that males experience HOCD compared to females. Besides Bhatia & Kaur's research, many researchers have delved in the research of HOCD. From my view, several studies have been done because many people globally tend to question their sexuality and reassure themselves that they might not be homosexuals. In their explanation, when people conceptualize their sexual obsessions, people who have sexual obsessions find their thoughts immoral and feel the urge to cut them out (p.1). They explain that these obsessions and fantasies make homosexuality develop into an obsessive compulsive disorder (p.1).

It is apparent that the LGBT community is under fierce attack under Donald Trump's administration. Human Rights Watch (p.1) indicates that in the US state laws are threatening the equality of the LGBT. The organization claims the religious exemption laws discriminate the LGBT against adoption, foster care, health care, and access to goods and services. As the organization explains, exemption bills in 2018 have been filed in states such as Washington, Illinois, Oklahoma, Florida, and Georgia. Even so, Hale (p.1) affirms that on his statement on LGBT community, Pope Francis affirmed, "If someone is gay and searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" Even though his statement shocked the Catholic Church, the author asserts that due to that, the Church became more accepting to the LGBT community. Miller (p.1) indicates that according to a survey, many Americans are displeasured with the LGBT community in 2017. As the author adds, the Accelerating Acceptance report in 2016 revealed that 49% of non LGBT adults expressed that they felt "somewhat" comfortable around LGBT in certain situations.

Since his election to the white house, the president, Donald Trump, has been against the LGBT people serving in the military. According to a transcript from Aljazeera (p.1), in 2017, president Trump signed a memo that directed the US military to disallow transgender people from reassignments. The news agency indicates that the president directed the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense received instructions to deny people funds for sex-assignment procedures. Ever since the release of the memo, people on social media, especially Twitter, expressed different views. One user claimed that the president's decision was not about transgender people in the military, but about normalizing hate. More so, another defended the transgender people by indicating that they are not unruly.

Some of the conclusions that I draw from the review is that people accept homosexuality. However, when they think of what the Bible teaches on the issue of morality, their views change dramatically. The review highlights different points. Regarding HOCD, even though homosexuality is not a disease, research contends that it is obsessive because both men and women are fixated by it. Regarding the view on the military, my conclusions are that despite the issue of morality, transgender people should be allowed to serve in the military because their sexual orientation has nothing to do with their service. I believe that every individual in the society should be treated equally. All in all, the idea that public acceptance towards homosexuality is rapidly changing towards a positive side despite the sharp divide. I believe that more research need to be done on the issue of homosexuality in regards to HOCD.

Summary

Having completed my review, my views on homosexuality have not changed. Ever since I came to hear about the LGBT community, I have always been in support of their rights. From a personal perspective, the society should not discourage homosexuality. Besides that, the messages, which most religious leaders put across in churches is purely negative. Even though the God condemns the issue of homosexuality as evident in Sodom and Gomora in the Bible, church leaders should be more understanding because of its dynamics in relation to genetics. Based on interactions with other people as well as stories heard in documentaries on TV, many parents report that their children began showing signs of homosexuality at a tender age of 2. If it was in my power, I would allow homosexuals to live their lives the way they please because they are human beings who have rights.

Despite my unchanged views of homosexuality, I understand the subject of homosexuality regarding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The triggers associated with OCD are severe and explain how people deal with their internalized homophobia and minimize their fixation. There are some people across different cultures who continue to doubt their sexual orientation. By now, I understand the fears that straight people have towards homosexuals. For example, people avoid interaction with homosexuals because they believe that it will make them act out by triggering their homosexual tendencies. I understand homosexual OCD in association with separation anxiety. Some people tend to quit their jobs and separate themselves with members of their sex because they are afraid they might turn out to be more like them.

In summary, homosexuality is a natural phenomenon that people need to accept. No human being enjoys having sexual relationships with their gender unless they feel as if they are part of that sex. Apparently, the LGBT community appears to be the oppressed and vulnerable community. They are more susceptible to violence and hate crime. The Catholic Church has to heed to Pope Francis' statement that religious leaders have to be more welcoming of the LGBT community. Nevertheless, when other Churches and the society object to the issue of homosexuality, their erroneous opinions do not change the fact that homosexuals will continue to exist, but rather their selfish ways only oppress the freedom and dignity of those groups. Since the government is responsible for setting a country's law, they should understand that some people do not find members of the opposite sex appealing. For that reason, they ought to consider the freedom of people and their sexual orientation. The society has to understand the dynamics of homosexuality and treat each of them equally. Overall, there needs to be a public awareness of homosexuality and its manifestations to encourage widespread public acceptance.

Works Cited

Aljazeera. Trump signs memo banning transgender military recruits. 2017. Accessible at https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/trump-signs-memo-banning-transgender-military-recruits-170826003421108.html

Bhatia, Manjeet, & Kaur, Jaswinder. Homosexual Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (HOCD): A Rare Case Report. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, Vol-9(1): WD01-WD02. 2015.

Hale, Christopher. The Pope Francis Statement That Changed the Church on LGBT Issues. Time. 2015. Accessible at http://time.com/3975630/pope-francis-lgbt-issues/

Human Rights Watch. United States: State Laws Threaten LGBT Equality. 2018. Accessible at https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/02/19/united-states-state-laws-threaten-lgbt-equality

Miller, Susan. Tolerance takes a hit: Americans less accepting of LGBT people in 2017, survey shows. USA Today. 2018. Accessible at https://...