Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site proper.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!hou3c!hocda!houxm!houxz!vax135!floyd!cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!hpda!fortune!amd70!dual!proper!gam From: gam@proper.UUCP (Gordon Moffett) Newsgroups: net.motss Subject: Re: A thought on the nature of homosexuality Message-ID: <1339@proper.UUCP> Date: Sun, 10-Jun-84 01:44:10 EDT Article-I.D.: proper.1339 Posted: Sun Jun 10 01:44:10 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 14-Jun-84 23:44:41 EDT References: <753@bbncca.ARPA>, <909@ihuxi.UUCP> Organization: Proper UNIX, Oakland, CA Lines: 40 > From: cher@ihuxi.UUCP Mike Musing* (ihuxi!cher) > Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL > > Homosexuality appears to be a perversion > (no negative or any other connotation here) of one of the basic human > instincts. Object of the sexual drive (and its ultimate purpose) differs > from original. > I am *not* discussing need for love (communication), just the sex aspect. > Since the original nature of a basic impulse is superceded, the phenomenon > in question seems to be similar to some eating deviations (anorexia, bulimia, > overall reverse direction of digestive tract movements). BF Skinner makes an interesting comment about sexuality in his book "Notebooks" (pg 331): "... Heterosexual behavior is closely related to contingencies of survival, but natural could not be too specific. Strong personal affection, various forms of sexual stimulation, and possibly some built-in susceptibilities to particular visual forms and particular modes of stimulation -- these are about the closest nature could come. But they produce homosexual and autosexual behavior, which are not otherwise related to survival. "For an anatomical parallel, compare the male breast. No great harm done and possibly safer in preserving the genes responsible for the female breast." What he is saying is, the behavioral system is set up to encourage sexual behavior, but it is not specific enough to say how that behavior should manifest itself. Clearly it is sufficient that enough individuals reproduce for the species to survive, and not that every indidual should take part in reproduction, and certainly "no great hard" is done there! Your assumption that sexual behavior MUST be a means to reproduce suggests that masturbation and birth control are also perversions. I do not agree. [ PS -- where is net.psych when we need it? ]