Sex, Homosexuality, Marriage, Biology, Religion, and America
The American people have been in denial about the reality of human sexuality for far too long. The infant science of Sexology [the biological, neurological, and psychological study of human sexuality] has [in only the 50 years since it's beginning] provided undeniable evidence that the simplistic view of sexuality, gender roles, and gender identity proposed by Christianity and Western Society is just plain WRONG! There is a far more complicated and [in many ways] beautiful spectrum of sexual and gender behaviors, preferences, and identities.
The Christian Right continues to support only one kind of sexual behavior, sex between a married heterosexual couple for procreation only.
The Late Jerry Fallwell, again demonstrating his crass lack of respect and sophistication came up with a motto for his disciples on this issue:
"It was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve."
The ability to choose to remain abstinent until marriage AND to choose to be in a heterosexual marriage is fine as far as it goes... but once again... the Christian Right continues to ignore science and civil rights.
Dr. Alfred Kinsey became the father of sexuality research when he conducted several thousand interviews of individuals in the 50s. He published 2 books that would shock the world and send many conservatives flying into a rage. The first was "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male" and the second "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female."
Apparently much of the public [as usual] had issues with the truth.
20 years before the American Psychological Association removed homosexuality from their book of psychiatric disorders, Kinsey proclaimed that homosexuality was a normal behavior.
BTW... The Kinsey Institute - located at Indiana University - would be a very interesting place to visit for anyone interested in learning about Dr. Kinsey's research and the continuing research of scientists who practice at the institute.
Their website is quite facinating:
http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/
Kinsey showed that sexuality was not a set of 2 different categories [Heterosexual, and homosexual] but rather a spectrum with the vast majority of individuals falling somewhere in between.
He also demonstrated that pre-marrital sex and extra-marrital affairs were common among the subjects he interviewed.
We owe a huge debt to Dr. Kinsey. If not for his research it is doubtful that human sexuality would be as understood as it is today.
Kinsey demonstrated that homosexual encounters were common among males and females that identified themselves as "strait" as well. [What this means is that just because you "made out with" or "had sex with" someone of the same sex as you once on a whim... doesn't mean you're gay... ]
If you want to know more about kinsey's research, please read his books.
So what point am I getting to?
The religious right are holding on to archaic ideas about sexuality that are destructive to human culture.
1. It seems to make more sense to them for a couple that hates eachother to stay in a heterosexual marriage instead of a homosexual couple that loves eachother to get married at all.
2. They can't seem to live with the undeniable statistic that 90% of modern individuals are not virgins when they go to their marriage bed.
3. They can't seem to accept that women are sexual at all.
Anyone else think this is insane?
People that are as deluded about modern reality as these wack-jobs should NOT be allowed to dictate to the public by legislation what they can and can't do with their bodies and who can and can't get married.
The fact that "sodomy" is still illegal is insane... because many people do it... even straits.
And the fact that homosexuals only have 1 or 2 states left that will recognize a marriage between them is insane because their behavior is quite common and as natural as any heterosexual relationship.
So... I propose this to people against gay marriage... if you refuse to support gay marriage, then I demand that you outlaw heterosexual marriage as well! That makes as much sense as outlawing gay marriage... afterall.
Tags: , gay, marriage, sex, Dr., glbtq, homophobia, homosexuality, institute, kinsey, laws, research, truth
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mario Rodgers on -
Gender role stereotyping is the worst. Growing up, I never understood why a boy couldn't like My Little Pony or why a girl couldn't like G.I. Joe.
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Permalink Reply by Skycomet the Fallen Angel on -
I know! I wanted to play with action figures and play with my brother's castle. I liked dolls, but I REALLY wanted my parents to buy me play-mobile and legos, and superhero action figures, and [forgive me- i was 9] Pokemon cards. They got everything [except the playmobile] for my brother... and they dilligently worked on my brother's pokemon card collection [which ironically sat abandoned in the basement two years later] ... and I admit... they did conceed to giving me a few cards for a rather pathetic collection. But I ended up having to play with my brother's stuff... while still playing with my own. [I've always been a rather androgenous person]. I also remember being really jealous when my brother got a "build your own radio set" for christmas and I begged my parents for one. They kind of brushed me off with "whatever" and never got one... conveniently "forgetting" I asked later.
And meanwhile they continued to get me baby dolls, and stuffed animals until I had too many to keep up with.
Make no mistake... I love dolls. I collect porslein dolls [which my parents were eagar to give me for my birthday and christmas]. But I can't help but notice... that despite my love of legos...
the only lego package i ever got... was a tiny "put together a helicopter" one that came from the "boy toys" on the mcdonalds happy meal menu.
I think boys and girls go through the same sadness and frustration when their parents refuse to give them the toys they want [or worse reprimand them for playing with a sibling's toys] just because those toys "belong to the other gender."
And... to our society... it seems that if a kid wants to play with toys for the opposite gender that means he or she is a queer.
Okay... confession time... how many guys here have wanted to play with dolls as a little boy [any type]?
I babysat a kid who liked playing with his sister's barbie dolls... and his parents seemed uneasy about that. I wasn't bothered though. This kid was my friend. [And although he's 11 now so it's a bit early to tell if he falls into the glbtq category] he seems VERY well adjusted!
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Permalink Reply by Kris Feenstra on -
When I was little (before kindergarten) I had to go to a babysitter's house during the day while my parents worked. One of the baby sitters didn't allow 'boy toys' so I played with whatever was around. I had lots of stuffed animals as a kid anyway, and those were kosher.
The next babysitter had three daughters (actually, four, I guess), and in the mornings before school there was nothing to do but watch tv, play Nintendo, or play with whatever toys were around. I had no personal objection to playing with Barbie dolls or My Little Ponies, but I was probably already in grade one by this point in time, so the notion toys being engendered was already well established. What an awkward thing to put on kids. Sometimes we played Power Rangers and fought monsters, and sometimes we played things that would be considered more girly to some. Kids playing is kids playing. There isn't a wrong way to do it.
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Permalink Reply by Christopher McGuire on -
The only wrong way is when the priests do it...
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Permalink Reply by Skycomet the Fallen Angel on
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True. True.
That's when you need this:
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Permalink Reply by M on -
Does anyone remember He-Man? I was a He-Man, Master of the Universe FANATIC as a child! I had all the action figures, the Skeletor Castle, etc. Good times. And lot of Barbies and toy guns and My Little Ponies.
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Permalink Reply by Cara Coleen on -
I loved X-Men! And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! I didn't discriminate between my brother's GI Joes or my Barbies; I loved playing in the dirt, playing war, playing house or anything else that came in my head. I had a blast, too, and refused to let gender roles dictate my imagination.
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Permalink Reply by Kris Feenstra on
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There was never really that strong of a need to define relationships to begin with though. The definitions are usually based on seemingly arbitrary criteria.
Harm is something worth defining, and it can happen in any type of relationship whatsoever. If a gay man fondles you on the bus, you have to look at what part of that is wrong. Which part is causing harm? Him being gay, or him not respecting your space and your personal boundaries?
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Permalink Reply by Skycomet the Fallen Angel on
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In this particular case [of getting unwanted physical attention from another person - male OR female] you have the right to react the same way as a woman who is sexually harrassed [we get sexually harrassed all the time]. I would try "Cut it out!" and "Get your hands off me!" If he continues though... you CAN file a sexual harrassment claim... because that IS sexual harrassment.
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Permalink Reply by QM on -
Great post!
Sex for religious folks is more of a taboo in most of its forms that is how it is dealt with. Of course science has allowed us to understand other elements associated with it instead of simply procreational ones. You have rightly pointed towards the 3 very disturbing ideas of the religious bigots (and they are universally held amongst them).
Kinsey's work is no doubt a very important milestone and if his research work is made widely popular would play a very crucial role in changing the mindset towards sex, homosexuality and other human sexual behavior. I recently got hold of another very interesting book called 'Why Sex is Fun' by Jarred Diamonds which explores the evolution of human sexuality and it does form a very enlightening reading.
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Permalink Reply by Cynical Soldier on -
Certain people will always dwell in their ignorance. As for marriage, I say it's overrated anyway. Marriage has already been destroyed - ironically enough by the straights and not the gays. The divorce rates and incidents of cheating are through the roof. Christians aren't fairing well either. Marriage seems to me a trap at this point. If the homosexuals want to join the fray, let 'em.
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Permalink Reply by Skycomet the Fallen Angel on
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I agree that marriage seems a trap... I don't want to end up like my mother... becoming basically a house-slave and a working mom at the same time.
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