Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cybvax0.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh From: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) Newsgroups: net.motss,net.religion Subject: Re: Gay Rights Message-ID: <135@cybvax0.UUCP> Date: Sat, 22-Sep-84 11:11:51 EDT Article-I.D.: cybvax0.135 Posted: Sat Sep 22 11:11:51 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 26-Sep-84 02:36:33 EDT References: <174@usfbobo.UUCP>, <1136@pyuxn.UUCP> <180@usfbobo.UUCP> Organization: Cybermation, Inc., Cambridge, MA Lines: 39 David Brunson writes that homosexuality is a personal/spiritual disease that can be cured, and not unchangeable characteristic such as being "black". That position is clearly based on religion and ignorance, and certainly is not scientific in basis. One of the basic ideas of sociobiology (which Dave will probably reject out of hand as "evolutionary") is that behavior may be partly determined by the genes. Genetic regulatory mechanisms can control the balances of hormones and other substances in our bodies, which subsequently control our behaviors. One example, which is not yet fully understood, is schitzophrenia. Many schitzophrenics have a chemical imbalance that when treated by drugs, returns them to normal behavior. In addition, it's been established that schitzophrenia is far more likely to occur among those with schiotzophrnics in their families, which is strong evidence for heritability. (And I think that those statistics were controlled for the alternative hypothesis of learned schitzophrenia.) This week, I read an article describing differing responses to hormones between men, women, and homosexuals. (Note that these differences were in statistical means, and do not imply any individual would display those characteristics.) Thus it is possible that some homosexuality is chemical in origin, which means that it could also be genetic. If that's so, then with the current state of medical technology, genetic homosexuals would be as "incurable" as "blacks". This is not inconsistant with reports of "cures". For all we know, homosexuality displays as much continuity of expression as schitzophrenia: ranging from none apparent to severe. This also implies that there are many heterosexuals out there who could be as easily cured of their heterosexuality, just as there are many normal people who could be driven to schitzophrenia. (Apologies to homosexuals for using schitzophrenia (with its bad connotations) as an analogy to homosexuality.) In conclusion, Dave, please spare us your ignorant and bigoted theological assumptions about the nature and cause of homosexuality.