New Study Finds Homosexuality to be a Mental Illness
For years there has been a great divide between those in our society who believe sexuality is determined at birth and those who insist homosexuality is a conscious election made by the individual. But findings from a study conducted by doctors at Oxford University in the United Kingdom have finally put this argument to rest.
The determinants of homosexuality it seems are neither based on genetics nor free will. Homosexuality can actually be classified as an “Impulse Control Disorder” or in other words, a mild mental illness. Conservative organizations such as Family First, the Chalcedon Foundation and Americans for Truth about Homosexuality initially praised the medical team’s findings as they seemed to add credence to the notion that homosexuality can be reversed, but upon delving further into the investigation’s results, anti-gay groups slowly began to rescind their support.
Dr. Iain Buttlesworth, the lead scientist and head of the Human Sexuality and Explorations in Modern Relationships Department at the famed English university explained in greater detail what his team had found: “Some politically charged organizations have jumped the gun in concluding that since homosexuality is indeed a mental illness that there must be a cure. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While impulse control disorders are categorized as a type of mental illness, homosexuality is 100% incurable.”
In the United States, a spokesperson for the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) had this to add, “As a gay rights organization we fully understand the apprehension many people will have towards accepting homosexuality as a mental illness. We are confident, however, that those who read through the entire Oxford study will be capable of reading between the lines and seeing the underlying theme of the results. Dr. Buttlesworth has proven once and for all that being gay is not a choice, and this is precisely the reaffirmation that our community needs.”
While it may sound counter intuitive for gay rights activists to be embracing the idea that homosexuals suffer from a mental illness, political analysts note that the new distinction will bring about an entirely new era of gay rights.
Following statutes under 42 U.S. Code Chapter 114 – Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness, homosexuals living in conservative states that do not currently allow for gay marriage will be able to marry legally through a loophole that does not permit discrimination against sufferers of mental illness.
Tom Edwards, a resident of Pecos, Texas plans on using the ambiguity to marry his long-time partner Dallas Hernandez. “You know, this isn’t how I’d exactly planned it all to go down,” Edwards explained, “but living in Texas I guess we all just got to take what we can get.”
Members of the gay and lesbian community will also now have access to a number of government grants and assistance programs aimed at aiding the mentally ill.