Searching for Causes of Homosexuality

By Kent Paris

One would think those working within the social sciences would share in common the answer to the question, “What is homosexuality?” but this is not the case. You would think the staggering volume of a century”s worth of published psychiatric literature detailing the common pathologies observed in tens of thousands of people suffering from homosexuality would convince everyone, even the skeptic, that it is a treatable disorder”“”“but that it is, indeed, a disorder.

This was the case until the 1970s. In a stunning, bloodless coup, gay activists pulled off an amazing overthrow within the American Psychiatric Association (APA) that changed the course of American psychiatry (and ultimately public policy) regarding homosexuality to this day.¹

Here is a little historical perspective. The seizure of power within the APA was a major victory for gay activists”“”“a watershed event, really. Ronald Bayer asserts that the outcome of the vote to remove homosexuality as a mental illness from the Diagnostic Statistical Manual used by professional clinicians “. . . was not a conclusion based upon an approximation of the scientific truth as dictated by reason, but was instead an action demanded by the ideological temper of the times.”²

This pressured decision by a sufficient majority within the APA laid the foundation for revolutionary change in American law, in our educational system, and in our churches. Within the field of psychology, the prevailing, medically established view of homosexuality for more than 80 years was that homosexuality was a treatable, psychosexual disorder, developing primarily as a result of identifiable environmental and relational influences. Terms like abnormal, deviate, and illness were commonly used to describe same-gender attractions and sexual acts.

Because of our cultural context, everyone in Christian ministry should know at least a summary overview of why and how this respected, collectively held perspective within the scientific community suddenly and radically changed. Lacking this overview, you will find yourself at a distinct disadvantage when trying to minister to people struggling with homosexuality, and with their loved ones. Having this overview will especially aid your ability to preach and teach from a balanced, well-informed position. Believe me, some of your clients will appeal to the psych-spin of the day to defend their positions as just another version of normal.

CHALLENGING COMPLEXITY

What is homosexuality? Most dictionary definitions generally agree that the term homosexual or homosexuality refers to an individual who experiences sexual proclivities toward members of his or her own gender. That seems simple enough, and yet, so brief a definition belies the challenging complexity of homosexuality as it manifests itself in many different ways in both genders.

Dr. Ruth Tiffany Barnhouse was the first author I read who used the term homosexualities in an attempt to acknowledge the wide range of experiences that frequently fall indiscriminately under the same all-inclusive label homosexuality. This “framing” of homosexualities has been borne out constantly throughout all my years of ministering to persons struggling with same-gender issues. Referring to homosexuality in its plural form is an effort to emphasize the fact that there are varying degrees to which people are affected and troubled in their thought life and behavior, as well as significant variance in their sense of identity, sexual orientation, and activities.

Homosexuality admittedly is a very complex, multifaceted, psychospiritual problem. Research has long indicated multiple factors (triggers) in the development of homosexuality. But the central component that appears most often is that of a troubled parent-child relationship during the early developmental stages. A strong, healthy relationship at this stage is critical in assisting the child to successfully grow in a secure and well-adjusted manner. If a child is not secure in the love of his or her same-gender parent (or both parents), he or she is more at risk of developing a problem with homosexuality.

I am sure most parents who understand that their relationship with their child is strained probably do not see the link to the child”s inability to achieve a strong, healthy, same or opposite gender-identification. Complex family interactions, plus a convergence of outside influences in each individual”s case, can make it very challenging to sort out. This is where professional counseling can be of such pivotal help.

Theorists over the decades have differed on clinical pathology in this area. Some attribute more responsibility on the part of the mother, while others point to the father as the primary source of the child”s developing disorder. In a significant percentage of my clients, while a particular parent may appear to bear more responsibility in a specific case, normally it becomes apparent that both share culpability for their child”s confusion. This is in keeping with the vast amount of research data collected over the past century.

EMOTIONAL TRIANGLE

Here we introduce the notion of an emotional triangle or triangulation. This relational pattern is common among people who struggle and is worth highlighting. Dr. Joseph Nicolosi writes: “The “˜triangular system” describes the theory that mother, father, and son together bring about homosexual development. It refers to an intensely affectionate, domineering, possessive mother combined with a distant, ineffectual, rejecting father.”³

Clearly, the same-gender void is the more potent factor. But the combination of an opposite-gender transference or projection must be overwhelmingly confusing for the child. For the purposes of this primer, though, let us continue with same-gender father issues. A father void, including a negative father presence, can cause a child or teenager more problems than just a homosexual proclivity. These kids who have experienced rejection, or perceive themselves as rejected by their fathers, are very likely to develop neurotic and compulsive behaviors contributing to an unstable self-identity (e.g., research studies on this subject in prison). We have found that this most basic relationship has far-reaching implications (positive and/or negative) for the development of a healthy and centered masculinity. The father”s role in a child”s development should not be underestimated. The manner in which a father relates to his son has tremendous power.

It has been a common misconception through the years that same-sex love is the problematic issue, that same-gender love is deviant and utterly pathological. On the contrary, same-sex love (when it is nonerotic) is part of the answer or remedy for the homosexual struggler. Of course the genital activities (oral and anal sex, etc.) are pathological behaviors with serious health risks. But generally, homosexuality, at its deepest cause, is not first and foremost a sexual issue. It is a developmental issue. The focus should therefore be upon the person”s unmet developmental needs”“”“and wounds where identified (i.e., childhood or adolescent sexual molestation, childhood trauma, divorce, etc.).

A truly positive factor in the aid of the same-gender healing process is in the establishing of nonerotic, wholesome, same-gender relationships, particularly with peers. Hopefully this can be done with older adults as well”“”“people seasoned with wisdom and maturity who can lend support and encouragement. Men need the company and brotherhood of men and, conversely, women need the company and sisterhood of women.

________

¹Ronald Bayer, Homosexuality and American Psychiatry: The Politics of Diagnosis (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987), 101″“154; Joseph Nicolosi, Reparative Therapy of Male Homosexuality: A New Clinical Approach (Northvale: Jason Aronson, 1991), 7″“14.
²Bayer, Homosexuality and American Psychiatry, 3, 4.

³Nicolosi, Reparative Therapy of Male Homosexuality, 78.

This article is adapted with permission from a new book by Kent Paris. The Means of Grace””A Primer for the Understanding and Care of Souls Affected by Homosexuality is available from College Press at $12.99.