Englands Royal College of Psychiatrists recently presented a report on homosexuality for the Church of Englands Listening Exercise on Human Sexuality. The report prompted prominent American theologian and author, Bishop John Shelby Spong, to circulate the summary of their findings widely to the media and others.
The report reaffirms previous professional findings that homosexuality is not a psychological illness or condition and those reparative therapies to try to turn gays to straight have no proof of working. There is now a body of research evidence that indicates that being gay, lesbian or bisexual is compatible with normal mental health and social adjustment, the Royal College reported. However, the experiences of discrimination in society and possible rejection by friends, families and others, such as employers, means that some LGB people experience a greater than expected prevalence of mental health and substance misuse problems.
Spong said the psychiatrist bodys findings are not new, but it was reported systematically and with the full scholarship and authority of their offices. He has been perhaps Americas most enduring clergyman voice for full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the life of faith communities and American society.
When a prejudice is being debated, there is a necessity for both sides of the debate to possess facts, not just opinions, said Spong, whose books have included Why Christianity Must Change or Die and Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism: A Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture. Facts, he said, are often missing when religious people debate homosexuality. He asserted that pious homophobia is not a substitute for truth and that it was time for church leaders at all levels to be confronted by competent scholarship and for weak and fearful bishops, who believe that unity in ignorance is a legitimate goal for the Christian Church, to be told that it is not.
Here are statements from the British report:
- Opposition to homosexuality reached a peak in the 19th century. What had earlier been regarded as a vice, evolved into a perversion or psychological illness. Official sanction of homosexuality both as illness and (for men) a crime led to discrimination, inhumane treatments and shame, guilt and fear for gay men and lesbians. (The change in attitudes began with the American Psychiatric Associations 1973 statement that there was no scientific evidence that homosexuality was a disorder. Others health groups followed.)
- there is no substantive evidence to support the suggestion that the nature of parenting or early childhood experiences play any role in the formation of a persons fundamental heterosexual or homosexual orientation.
- It would appear that sexual orientation is biological in nature, determined by a complex interplay of genetic factors and the early uterine environment. Sexual orientation is therefore not a choice, though sexual behavior clearly is.
- LGB people have exactly the same rights and responsibilities concerning the expression of their sexuality as heterosexual people.
- Although there have been claims by conservative political groups in the USA that this higher prevalence of mental health difficulties is confirmation that homosexuality is itself a mental order, there is no evidence whatever to substantiate such a claim.
- There is already good evidence that marriage confers health benefits on heterosexual men and women and similar benefits could accrue from same-sex civil unions. Legal and social recognition of same-sex relationships is likely to reduce discrimination, increase the stability of same-sex relationships and lead to better physical and mental health for gay and lesbian people.
