Date: 31 Jul 94 20:55:30 EDT
From: Eric Helmuth <74267.2505@compuserve.com>


	An American Psychological Association Statement on Homosexuality

The following is an excerpt from a published statement, January 26, 1990,
by Bryant Welch, J.D., Ph.D., Executive Director for Professional Practice
with the American Psychological Association.  Prior to joining APA, Dr.
Welch practiced in the mental health delivery system for 15 years. 

	The research on homosexuality is very clear.  Homosexuality is
neither mental illness nor moral depravity.  It is simply the way a
minority of our population expresses human love and sexuality.  Study
after study documents the mental health of gay men and lesbians.  Studies
of judgment, stability, reliability, and social and vocational
adaptiveness all show that gay men and lesbians function every bit as well
as heterosexuals.
	Nor is homosexuality a matter of individual choice.  Research
suggests that the homosexual orientation is in place very early in the
life cycle, possibly even before birth.  It is found in about ten percent
of the population, a figure which is surprisingly constant across
cultures, irrespective of the different moral values and standards of a
particular culture.  Contrary to what some imply, the incidence of
homosexuality in a population does not appear to change with new moral
codes or social mores.  Research findings suggest that efforts to repair
homosexuals are nothing more than social prejudice garbed in psychological
accoutrements.
	All targets of discrimination, be they blacks, women, handicapped,
or religious sects, have a uniquely horrible dimension to their suffering. 
This is true for gay men and lesbians as well.  Psychologically, sexuality
and sexual orientation represent life forces which form the most sensitive
bedrock of our being.  They not only shape our attitudes and our passions,
but they are so fundamental to our personality structure that they, in
large part, determine our sense of personal cohesiveness and our level of
comfort in the world.  They are the driving force with which we love,
work, and create.
	For patients (in psychotherapy), the societal assumption that
homosexuality (is) sick and/or immoral creates(s) an emotional, sensual,
and spiritual prison where self-expression, love, and the deepest forms of
human connectedness (are) stultified though anguishing guilt and
self-loathing.  For those of us in psychology who have had this kind of
experience working with gay men and lesbians, the impact has been quite
profound.  For over two decades now, the American Psychological
Association has advocated the elimination of discrimination against gay
men and lesbians.
	Finally, if one thinks about the vast real problems confronting
our society and attacking our family structure--problems such as family
violence, divorce, drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse, homelessness, and
isolation, it becomes clear that individuals who are obsessed with how a
minority of our citizens express love and sexuality have, indeed,
established a most peculiar set of priorities, both for themselves and for
others.
	Healthy and secure heterosexuals do not feel threatened by
homosexuality. Healthy heterosexuals don't need to oppress homosexuals. 
Healthy heterosexuals dont need to repair homosexuals.
	The real issue confronting our society today is not why people
seek love and understanding as they do, but why some seem so unable to
love and understand at all. 


Submitted by:

Eric Helmuth
Ph.D Student, Psychology
The University of Akron