Why is homosexuality considered a mental disorder (according to the Pentagon), but not racism?

Answer 1

The Pentagon is still working off the old 70's playbook, before the American Psychiatric Association took homosexuality out of the manual of mental disorders.

Why? Well, one could argue it one of two ways (and keep in mind I don't personally agree with either of them... I am trying to think like the Pentagon here!)

1. The typical enlisted man is an undereducated kid out of high school with no job prospects, so joining the armed forces sounds pretty good. Undereducated people tend to be homophobic. As people who start from here work their way up into higher and higher ranks, their homophobia goes with them, and has now permeated the entire organization.

2. Homophobia is a form of xenophobia, which is a fear of those that are different. Fear can easily be transformed into hate, and it is much easier to kill one's enemies if one hates them, and/or views them as less than human. Therefore, the pentagon encourages all forms of xenophobia, because it makes for a more effective front-line soldier.

Again, I absolutely do NOT agree with these philosophies, but I am hard-pressed to come up with another more reasonable answer for you.

Clinton tried his best to remove the ban on gays in the military, but ran into huge opposition from the establishment, which led to Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

It's a compromise, and far from a perfect solution, but it does show social progress. Hopefully, in time, the Pentagon and the servicemen it oversees will catch up to the APA, and the rest of educated, modern society.

Answer 2

It used to be considered a mental disorder by the psychiatric community, but was finally taken out of the Big Book of What's Wrong With Us. My guess is somebody at the Pentagon is still living in the (early) 70s.
Racism was never officially a mental disorder, yet, but maybe it could be in the future.

Answer 3

According to the latest study, the pentagon does not consider us (gay people) to have a mental disorder. Racism is a generalization about a group of people that allows the ignorant among us to treat a group unfairly and cruely.

Answer 4

Because its not a race..... Think about it, a homosexual can be every color and speak any language. If its not mental then what is it? Also they consider it a disorder because it does not operate in order with society. Dont believe it see what happens if over night everyone became homosexual, no more children, no more future. Also one could choose to become homosexual or bisexual as well. Read about prisons or the armies and navies of old, alot of people went in heterosexual and were bisexual or homosexual during and would come out and be heterosexual again or remain bisexual/homosexual. WIth that logic says its in the mind.

Answer 5

Because in a country where every major national organization having the least bit to do with mental health has come out saying that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality, yet that still has a ban on gays in the military, they needed an excuse for it to not be quite so glaringly discrimination.

Answer 6

The Pentagon NO LONGER considers being gay a mental disorder...and even if they did, who in the hell cares what the Pentagon thinks?

Answer 7

Good question! I don't believe that homosexuality is a mental disorder (I'm a lesbian and I'm perfectly sane and fairly intelligent), but racism is definitely a disease! It's like a plague that has spread world wide and there doesn't seem to be a cure.

Answer 8

That's freaking wrong. Homosexuality is NOT a mental disorder. It definitely is racism. I agree with you 100%.

Answer 9

Racism is discrimination against a person's race - or national origin, heritage - homosexuality is not race, therefore cannot be considered racisim. You are crossing two different things. But I see the point behind your question...and the answers is fear.

Answer 10

Because the people in the Pentagon are stupid homophobes.