Why was homosexuality in the USA removed as a mental illness?

Question

Some time in the 1970's, America's Mental Health professionals removed it as a mental illness from their manuals (DSM), Was that politically motivated? because I disagree.

Answer 1

Whatever the cause they're correct. It isn't a mental illness. Eventually you may go mad, but it is an acquired perversity which can be dropped. When you introduce into the body toxic poisons and waste fluids in the body as with the type of activity that kind of life is known for, it attacks the entire body. Total breakdown. That's why it's called Acquired Immune Deficency Syndrome. You flooded the body with poison by that activity. It is not a sex act. You're not designed that way. The colon/rectal area is, simply put, the body's sewer system. Read what happened to Marat during the French Revolution. He escaped his enemies by hiding in the Paris sewers and contracted an incurable skin disease.

Answer 2

It was motivated by the scientific fact that homosexuality is not a mental illness, therefore, it makes no sense for it to be categorized as a mental illness

Answer 3

because homosexuality, like most other diseases, is not understood.

for example, nowadays, children can be diagnosed with ADD, and ADHD. when i was in elementary school, it was called plain BAD. people havent realized yet thet their child's misbehavior is triggered by a lack of disipline; if more parents would just spank their kids, we wouldnt need to drug them up for acting out in class.

in regards to homosexuality, the feds had no idea why people would choose to like someone of the same sex. they thought, "hey. why dont we try to find out why harry likes fred instead of thelma?" thus, they came up with the whole "chemical imbalance" thing.

to this day, scientists have found absolutely no real support for their whole theory on homosexuals. therefore, one can more freely believe in the other reason for homosexuality-choice.

in example, harry can choose to be attracted to fred, the same way he can decide that thelma has a nice rack.

i wish i knew the exact website where i got all this information from, but all i can tell you is i typed in "homosexual behavior" in a google toolbar.

oh, and to answer the other part of your question, no, it wasnt politically motivated. to this day, homosexuality remains a topic of discussion between politicians. removing it from a mental illness guide hasnt made life any easier.

Answer 4

it was removed from the DSM because homosexuality is NOT a mental illness. it is not perverse or wrong. homosexuality is just another way that human beings are different. classifying homosexuality as a mental illness would be just like classifying being african-american or asian-american or male or female as a mental illness. you can't help to whom you are attracted, be it someone from the same sex or the opposite sex. homosexuality is not deviant, or a disorder to be diagnosed. anyone who believes that does not understand humanity.

Answer 5

The reason I believe is that we can't prove it is a mental illness. Right now, I think the general accepted scientific view is that it is something you are born as.

Personally, I don't know why people are strait or gay. What makes us that way? We may not know for sure for some time.

Answer 6

First of all, have you ever heard of the Bonobo Chimpanzee? They are one of the few other species on this planet who exhibit homosexual behavior, and this is completely normal for them. Go to this site and educate yourself:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_n735/ai_20164884

Also, have you ever read about the androgen studies and how they affect the sexuality of an individual? Visit this site as well:

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper2/Bodian2.html

Read these and then make a decision regarding homosexuality and whether or not it is a "mental illness."

Answer 7

I guess defining homosexuality as a mental illness would clash with the First Amendment Liberties - which are interpreted as covering this issue now also.

Answer 8

Probably because it offended gays to be said to have an 'illness'.

It really should be classified as one. It is not the way our minds are supposed to work. If someone's mind is that different than it's supposed to be, it is a mental disorder/illness.

Answer 9

I have to agree with Vanamont. I don't believe you are born with it, I don't believe for a second that there is some gene that says you will be attracted to people of the same sex.
I think that we are designed to work with the opposite sex, i mean just look at our sexual organs they are made for one another.

Also, i believe it has alot to do with a persons upbringing. I personally know many gays who have been sexually molested growing up so I know that that has something to do with it. Also I believe it is a product of our society, that of a fatherless generation, where the majority of children a left without a father figure in there life.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.....

Answer 10

homosexuality is not a mental illness it is a choice. I know gays that were married and have kids and decided one day to be gay. If it was genetic you'd be able to trace it back without science. There would be old weird uncle harry, or someones great grand father was a light in his loafers. People are born with free will animals are not. Try this: take a bunch of male dogs, leave them together for awhile, a long while........they will eventually start to look at each other, smile, wink, and attempt to have sex. But with that same group of dogs toss in a female and they will try to kill each other for some of that booty. It's just natural for them to want to have that female dog. Some guys in jail may have sex with one another....there too toss in a female and watch what happens. Some will want her and others may not.....free will, choice, un-natural for a male to want another male, un-natural for a male not to want a female.........lesbians they can practice all the free will they want and I will not argue one bit!!!!!!