Erik Holland

The Nature of Homosexuality: Vindication for Homosexual Activists and the Religious Right Erik Holland

Few topics are as fascinating as homosexuality. The origin of homosexuality is perhaps the most interesting aspect of homosexuality. Given the prominence of homosexual issues, it is high time this issue were resolved. Some biological correlates of homosexuality can be dismissed with little difficulty but others are hard to explain away. Some specific family environments and childhood experiences have been reported as more common among homosexuals than heterosexuals. Homosexual behaviors or interests tend to be unstable in some individuals and this has been interpreted as suggesting that some people chose to be homosexual. Additionally, homosexuality in some contexts was socially tolerated and not extremely uncommon, as in classical Greece, Tokugawa Japan, and some other societies, i.e., homosexuality could be socially constructed. Given diverse potential sources of homosexuality, is a parsimonious explanation of what makes one a homosexual possible? Yes, it is. Several homosexual activists will be pleased to learn that homosexuals are born that way. However, the religious need not despair; homosexuality is not part of human design. Sounds hard to believe? It gets more interesting. The contents of this book agree with the American Psychiatric Association's decision to stop considering homosexuality as a mental illness in 1973. Intrigued? Look inside