Essay about Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality

HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVES PSY/265 Ana Diaz 10/20/1012 Kavita Kostek The way we view homosexuality has very much to do with how we were raised and taught depending on where we are from, our parents beliefs and what others around us tell us. Because of this we believe what we believe and will stand by them unless we ourselves come to a different conclusion as we grow older. I was raised a Catholic and was taught by the Bible teachings that homosexuality was wrong and will go to hell if that is what you practiced.

In this paper we will look a little at the historical and scientific perspectives of homosexuality. We will first be starting with the historical view which has much to do with what the bible teaches on homosexuality. When we look back at ancient Greece where homosexuality was really not that big of a deal, older men would have relationships with adolescent males’ right at the time when they grew their first beards (online text pg. 28). Then we can go to Rome where there were men that were very feminine and walked around certain parts of town looking for men to bed.

In Florence which was a very Christian city had many sodomites (this is a Jewish and Christian word that signifies the connection between sodomy and the city of Sodom in the Bible which supposedly God destroyed (Genesis 19). I remember watching a movie called “Caligula”. This movie depicted how free the Romans were with sexual favors and bedding with those of same sex was an all-time occurrence especially male with male (online textpg. 287).

Sodomy was such a natural thing but it bothered the governors at the time so they created a group called “The Office of the Night in 1437 to enable its citizens to be able to accuse others anonymously of sodomy (Human Sexuality pg. 287). Once the Roman Empire ceased to exist, throughout Western Europe Christianity spread and its beliefs were made part of secular laws. Next we can take a look at homosexuals through the cross-species perspective. Biologists have watched the male-male and female – female behavior of 450 species in every part of the world (Hird, 2006).

Through this study they monitored the behavior of baboons and learned that male baboons may present their rear to other male baboons and allow themselves to be mounted either because the other is dominant or for protection and favors. I think by this study they concluded that human beings are much more like the animal species than we want to be. We do have animal instincts. We will now look at the psychological views on homosexuality with looking into the psychoanalytic views of Sigmund Freud who is the originator of psychoanalytic theory.

He believed that children are all open to all forms of sexual stimulation. He says that once a boy lets go of the incestuous desire for his mother he will relate with his dad and will desire women as he reaches puberty and the same for girls when it comes to how they relate with their mothers. What Freud is saying here is that depending on the relationship between parent and child and how it manifests itself sexually has influence on what the person’s personal sexual preference they will have when they mature.

People are afraid of coming out and letting others know that they are gay because they are afraid of ridicule, personal injury or being ousted from their families. In the past it was much harder because there was much homophobia around. Now with all the gay activists and groups for support it is much easier. We have to be true to ourselves and if we feel that who we are physically is not who we really feel like then we should have to feel that we have to hide it. I grew up Catholic as I have stated and I grew up thinking that sex was between man and woman and not man-man or woman and woman.

Now as I am older I know that people are just people but have different likes and that is what. Scientific findings never stirred me one way or another as to my sexual orientation. What did do it was my religious beliefs and even though I have nothing against the LGBT community I still believe that sex should be between man and woman along with marriage but I would never deny anyone else right to live life as they feel is right for them. References: Human Sexuality online text .