Homosexuality
Essay Preview: Homosexuality
Report this essay
Homosexuality is believed by many to be a natural occurrence present in the gene pool, while others feel it is a choice that can be derived by influence and is also a completely reversible state of orientation. Sigmund Freud tackled these two arguments and aimed to find whether homosexuality was indeed innate within our genetics or acquired through experiences.
During Freuds studies, homoeroticism was thought to be a degeneracy of the nervous system; it was believed to be a disease coupled with multiple sclerosis, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and others. By this assumption being gay meant that homosexuals had physical abnormalities within their brains. However, to be classified as having a degeneracy it is required to have a multitude of these diseases together, whereas many gays showed no other forms of degeneracy other than their sexual preferences. Being gay also did not inhibit the intellectual faculties of an individual nor hinder their survivability compared to heterosexuals, unlike persons with actual physical abnormalities within their brain. Freud exclaims that homosexuality is commonly found in persons with no psychological disorders and these persons are no different from heterosexuals aside from their inverted sexuality. Homoeroticism can also be found in highly intelligent and gifted individuals; such incidences caused a belief known as Uranism where it is a held view that homosexuals are people with extraordinary talents. These findings lead Freud to believe that homosexuality could not be a degeneracy and also pointed to the fact that in ancient times homoeroticism was “almost an institution charged with important functions.” The prevalence of homosexuality in indigenous societies and importance of homoeroticism to ancient Greece are also examples of how homosexuality could not be considered a degeneracy.
While Freud believed homosexuality could occur due to innate uncontrollable forces he believed this could not explain all instances of homoeroticism. Sigmund Freud has three classifications for homoerotics including the absolute homoerotics, the amphigenic inverts, and contingent inverts. The sexual object of absolute homoerotics is of their same sex and experience repulsion from opposite sex members. Amphigenic inverts are known as bisexuals who are attracted equally to both sexes. Contingent inverts are people who turn to homoerotic behaviors under certain conditions such as an inaccessibility for the sex object to fall under the opposite sex. An example of contingency occurs in prisons where ordinarily heterosexual persons will engage in homoerotic behaviors due to the absence of the opposite sex. This can also occur when a person feels rejected or dissatisfied with their experiences with the opposite sex and change preferences to same-sex persons. The belief that homoeroticism is strictly innate cannot explain the behaviors of contingent inverts thus homosexuality is not purely innate. Freud also believes that for many homoerotics, including some absolute homoerotics, a specific experience left a permanent impression in their sexual tendencies. Some even argue that homoeroticism is purely acquired from early experiences during childhood and can be removed through therapy. Freud eventually concludes that homoeroticism is most likely not purely innate nor is it purely acquired but falls somewhere between in order to satisfy all classifications of homoerotic behavior.
Views of homoeroticism during Freuds studies and views of homoeroticism now have not greatly changed since then. While it is probably true more people now believe homosexuality is something you are born with that cannot be changed the other most commonly held view is that it is simply a lifestyle choice; these are views that fall in line with the origins of homoeroticism being innate or acquired. Of these two contemporary views, the belief that homosexuality is a condition one is born with that cannot be changed, is more correct.
This view is more or less correct depending on how encompassing the word homosexual is. While Freud includes contingent inverts as homoerotics