Shady characters

If society condemns adult homosexuals, it may be using them as scapegoats, and it may be giving more consideration than is their due to those who extort, blackmail, or assault them. Some homosexuals are shady characters, but so are some heterosexuals, and the group cannot be condemned for the criminal and unstable behaviour of some of its members.

Homosexuals are not all alike. Those who are frequently convicted for offences with adults are different from those who are not convicted but seek treatment, and from those who assault children.

Those who fear that liberalising the law for consenting adults in private would lead to the contamination of minors may be reassured. Minors would still be properly protected by the criminal law.

Many people are earnestly concerned about some tolerant interpretations of the scriptural prohibitions against homosexuality.

This is an area in which eminent theologians are presenting liberal opinions while others who have not perhaps devoted such time and scholarship to the problem present more reactionary views.

In New Zealand, the Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian churches have expressed moderate opinions, urging for toleration rather than castigation, and opinion among Roman Catholics seems to be following this general trend. None has yet gone so far as Dr. Bailey, who suggests that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah has been quite misinterpreted and that the original texts are capable of other explanations.

Research into homosexuality must be pursued with objectivity and integrity without seeking to relegate homosexuals to the position of second class citizens in which they do not merit the serious consideration of their fellows.

On the matter of causation of homosexuality most of the myths are remarkably persistent. Many people declare that homosexuals "are born that way," and that their condition is due to some glandular disfunction, but what is the best available evidence on this subject?

Money, Hampson and Hampson, in their extensive study of hermaphrodites evolved seven variables of sexuality:

• Sex chromatin pattern.

• Gonadal sex (morphology).

• Hormonal sex and associated sex change.

• External genital morphology.

• Internal accessory reproductive structure.

• Sex of assignment and rearing.

• Psychologic sex or gender role.

Even with extensive biological incongruity, hermaphrodites do not display more aberrant sexual behaviour than one can expect from a normal sample of human beings. In fact, the researchers report that there is insignificant homosexual behaviour among those with marked genetic, hormonal and anatomical ambiguities.

The Hampsons comment:

"There does not seem to be a valid basis for the endorsement of any theory of a simple and direct hormonal determination of human sexual behaviour, either typical or atypical.

"In the past several years there is increasing evidence from psychiatric and psychological research to support a view that homosexuality and certain other disorders of psychologic sex have their origins in social learning."