Where homos come from

[Guest guest]

Guruvani (in another thread) wrote thathe has a theory about where homos come from. Here's something from the American Psychological Association's Web site:

 

 

 

New Study Links Homophobia with Homosexual Arousal

 

 

August 1996 Press Release

 

WASHINGTON -- Psychoanalytic theory holds that homophobia -- the fear, anxiety, anger, discomfort and aversion that some ostensibly heterosexual people hold for gay individuals -- is the result of repressed homosexual urges that the person is either unaware of or denies. A study appearing in the August 1996 issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association (APA), provides new empirical evidence that is consistent with that theory.

 

Researchers at the University of Georgia conducted an experiment involving 35 homophobic men and 29 nonhomophobic men as measured by the Index of Homophobia scale. All the participants selected for the study described themselves as exclusively heterosexual both in terms of sexual arousal and experience.

 

Each participant was exposed to sexually explicit erotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual, male homosexual and lesbian videotapes (but not necessarily in that order). Their degree of sexual arousal was measured by penile plethysmography, which precisely measures and records male tumescence.

 

Men in both groups were aroused by about the same degree by the video depicting heterosexual sexual behavior and by the video showing two women engaged in sexual behavior. The only significant difference in degree of arousal between the two groups occurred when they viewed the video depicting male homosexual sex: 'The homophobic men showed a significant increase in penile circumference to the male homosexual video, but the control [nonhomophobic] men did not.'

 

Broken down further, the measurements showed that while 66% of the nonhomophobic group showed no significant tumescence while watching the male homosexual video, only 20% of the homophobic men showed little or no evidence of arousal. Similarly, while 24% of the nonhomophobic men showed definite tumescence while watching the homosexual video, 54% of the homophobic men did.

 

When asked to give their own subjective assessment of the degree to which they were aroused by watching each of the three videos, men in both groups gave answers that tracked fairly closely with the results of the objective physiological measurement, with one exception: the homophobic men significantly underestimated their degree of arousal by the male homosexual video.

 

Do these findings mean, then, that homophobia in men is a reaction to repressed homosexual urges, as psychoanalysis theorizes? While their findings are consistent with that theory, the authors note that there is another, competing theoretical explanation: anxiety. According to this theory, viewing the male homosexual videotape may have caused negative emotions (such as anxiety) in the homophobic men, but not in the nonhomophobic men. As the authors note, 'anxiety has been shown to enhance arousal and erection,' and so it is also possible that 'a response to homosexual stimuli [in these men] is a function of the threat condition rather than sexual arousal per se. These competing notions can and should be evaluated by future research.'

 

Article: 'Is Homophobia Associated With Homosexual Arousal?' by Henry E. Adams, Ph.D., Lester W. Wright, Jr., Ph.D. and Bethany A. Lohr, University of Georgia, in Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Vol. 105, No. 3, pp 440-445.

 

The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington,DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 142,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 49 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 58 state and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare.

[theist 1]

of the homo activists is to accuse those that oppose the spread of homosexual conduct of being latent homosexuals. So does that apply to Srila Prabhupada?

 

If that arousal test is true I must be a lesbian. I've seen two women sex films (by accident) and liked the absence of men in the picture (they always got in the way).

 

Years back BTW, in my uncontrolled youth.

 

I have also walked out of movies and gotten my money back when some homosexual scene came up.

 

Is that a phobia. No, I just find it repulsive. Look up the word phobia sometime.

 

I also walked out of a film where a young child was being totured. Mainstream cinema. Forgot the fim, The Wife the Cheif and...oh never mind. Does that mean I am a latent pedophiliac sadist?

 

Give me a break.

[stonehearted 0]

pho·bi·a

1. A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.

2. A strong fear, dislike, or aversion.

 

I believe that most people use the word alone in the first sense. However, when it's part of homophobia, I think most folks I'm aware of use it more in the second sense. I don't think it's usually meant as pejoratively as it's taken. So those who have a strong aversion to homosexuality could be called homophobic, and I don't think that's necessarily an insult or meant to indicate any pathology, although I know of those who do use it as such.

 

I heard about this study on the radio yesterday. It's important to note that the researchers suggest two possible alterntive explanations to the arousal in question: one is anxiety. So they suggest it needs further study (which means more grants /images/graemlins/wink.gif). That anxiety could be a quite innocent explanation to your leaving any of those movies. Most of us (I hope) would be creeped out by pedophilia in a movie, and I'm sure I'd be less comfortable in encountering a gay sex scene than a straight one. And I know many people walked out on Blue Velvet when it ran in movie houses in the 80's because it was so creepy.

 

I guess the short version is that it's not necessary to be so defensive with regard to the word homophobia; it doesn't necessarily indicate a perception of sickness. (Context might be a good key to that.)

[theist 1]

This is just from my on-line dictionary.

 

PHOBIA

: an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation.

 

 

I have acrophobia. It is much more than just not liking heights. Actually I love heights. It has more to do with edges. When i get close to an edge of a roof I feel my pulse eccelerate, fear of falling overcomes my rationality, I become dizzy and almost frozen.

 

A phobia is a pathology in and of itself. As there should be a certain fear or caution that keeps us from getting into dangerous situations. On the far end of this natural reaction lies the exaggerated response, the phobia.

 

Further I don't fear homosexuals. I just don't want to be around them. I don't like being around drunks either.

 

The original poster was obviously infering that Guruvani is a latent homosexual. I find that inference offensive.

 

Here is an example to show how silly it is to apply that type of reasoning.

 

If you react against vaisnava-aparadha does that make you an aparadhi? Of course not.

 

[stonehearted 0]

theist, if that's the only definition of "phobia" your online dictionary has, then it's not very comprehensive, and I'd suggest that you not depend on it too heavily. I got the two definitions I submitted from the American Heritage Dictionary at Dictionary.com, and they're identical to the definitions in my large, hardbond American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition. This is one of the best dictionaries of American English, so theese definitions are certainly authoritative. (Remember, this is my profession--I write this with some authority.) Please take a deep breath and read my post again. Although I know there are many who use the word as an insult (per the first definition), many use it in the broader sense. A phobia is not necessarily a pathology--it means, in its broad sense, a dislike of something (or a fear, or an aversion--there are similarities and differences among these affects).

 

I don't fear gay people, but I would be averse to a homosexual encounter (not that anyone would find me apealing). It seems icky in the same way meat does (It's not just a religious princile to me; I never liked meat, even as a kid). Am I homophobic? Yeah, to some extent I guess I am. Would it upset me to be called homophobic? I think it would depend on the context. Would I call you homophobic? No, because I know how you would respond based on a limited understanding of the words meanings, and it would be counterproductive. (By this I don't mean to insult you or exalt myself; I'm just pointing out what's clear from you post.) Do I think you're less than I am because you get really upset about it? No, but I find it hard to discuss this with you, and I'm probably a little regretful that I responded to your post.

 

 

[stonehearted 0]

In the last sentence, what I meant was that I regret stirring you up, not conversing with you. Just wanted to make that clear.

 

I think you may be right in inferring that the original post in the thread means to imply that Ksamabuddhi may be a latent homosexual. I thought of responding to his thread with some smart-alecky crack like, "Maybe homos come from people obsessed with how evil homosexuality is," but I decided not to stir things up. I can particularly appreciate your defending him in this instance in light of your clear perspective of his mentality with regard to other topics.

 

Of course, it may be easier to identify with him here because your opinions on this are so close to each other. That may make it easier to overlook his anti-"homo" vitriol, which you would otherwise object to as he blasts others in his pro-ritvik campaign. After all, he did spend a couple of weeks opening anti-gay threads with no apparent provocation. Maybe he opened this one, just for fun. (Or maybe I did! Yikes--that would be embarrassing. /images/graemlins/wink.gif)

[livingentity 0]

As soon as I read Guruvani's name and then the title of the article - I felt that this was most offensive and indeed the poster had no other adgenda but to insult and insinuate. Shame on you o'brave guest poster person! You should never attach someone's name to such an article.

 

Besides that I think the whole article is a crock of you know what! BS propaganda.

 

I have also been thinking that phobia or phobic should never have been added to the word homo and this article brings out why - spiders, heights etc yes phobias. But dislikes no - that is ridiculous. Adding phobia or phobic to homo just adds fuel to the propaganda fire. I have dealt with homosexuals in work places etc for years and I do not run in fear of them - hence no phobia. If that were the case - geez, the way this world is going - I would never leave my house.

 

This is just foolishness. And in the case of the initiating post for this thread offensive name calling.

 

[stonehearted 0]

le, I agree that the original post is certainly not an act of courage. Cheap shot is more like it, and I hope the poster is at least embarrassed, if not ashamed, especially for so blatantly linking it to Ksamabuddhi's thread.

 

That said, I have to point out that the broader understanding of "phobia" is not BS. This is from one of the most authoritative dictionaries of American English. Rail as you like; it won't change the meanings of the word. Although it derives from a Greek word for fear, it has taken broader meanings in English.

 

Although you, theist, and I agree on 99 34/100% of things, I feel differently about how to deal with this issue from you two, and from Ksamabuddhi. I don't claim it's necessarily because I'm better than you, smarter than you, more spirituall advanced than you, or more sincere than you. It has, as I've pointed out before, at least as much to do with my training and interest in how we conduct discourse as with anything else. However, whenever, we discuss it, you-all seem to feel compelled to assert that I have some gay, anti-vaishnava agenda behind my perspective. I find it painful to get into this stuff with devotees whose sincerity I respect.

 

And don't think I don't have buttons. Don't even get me started on child molesters. Whenever someone with that background approaches me for friendship, I avoid their company as long as I can because I prefer not to directly tell them, "Look--I think it's great that you want to become Krishna conscious, but I can't get past the fact that you molested your daughter (or stepdaughter, or former gurukula student, or whoever). One of these folks bought land near ours last year, and said, "Great! We'll be neighbors!" I had to tell him that I wasn't likely to have him over for prasadam. Do I think this is noble or liberal? No, of course not. And I'm often embarrassed when there's occasion to discuss it among my friends. But as a father of two women who had a best friend molested by her father, another who was molested by her stepfather, and as a long-time gurukula headmaster and teacher, that's where I am. I'm sorry if it limits my opportunities for spiritual advancement.

[livingentity 0]

heterophobic (new word - I think I made it up) homosexual men who obviously are repulsed by women? Or lesbians that are repulsed by men? Are they latent heterosexuals? Gasp... /images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

Time for a new study... /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[stonehearted 0]

le: Time for a new study...

 

Cool! Let's write a proposal for a BIG grant and work on it together.

[livingentity 0]

Let's get started!!

 

Cool! Let's write a proposal for a BIG grant and work on it together.

 

 

[stonehearted 0]

How about a study of vaishnavaphobia? I think that would be even more fun. We may be able to show that everyone who claims not to like Krishna consciousness is a latent servant of Krishna living in denial of their real identity. Let's get 'em all out of the closet!

[I_love_krishna_ 0]

"THE EFFECTS OF EXCESSIVE HOLY NAME CALLING THROUGH THE CONTINUATION OF THE INDUCEMENT OF HATE AND MISERY"- A case study of Hiranyaskapu- by Dr. Prahlad.

 

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Narayana Mantra.

 

RESULTS: Hiranyaskapu fights Vishnu and Vishnu kills him thus freeing him from his material body and placing him in Vaikunta.

 

CONCLUSION: You can hate Krishna and he will be pleased /images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

Audience: This is the greatest discovery of this Yuga! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

 

PRESS: So, Dr. Prahlad what do you call that hate relationship?

 

DR PRAHLAD: Viraha Bhakthi .

 

PRESS: what happened to the test subject after the experiment.

 

DR PRAHLAD: He has a severe case of BLISS. poor fellow!

[Guest guest]

Yes, let's first do Vaishnavaphobia!

 

I was starting to worry about the research material for heterophobia....eeek /images/graemlins/ooo.gif!!!

[livingentity 0]

in the last post. Somehow I got logged out. grrrr... /images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

I think I have logoutaphobia. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[Guruvani 0]

I don't know how I ended up in this thread but here I am.

I am not offended by the accusations of the original thread that I am a latent homosexul. It is certainly far from the truth.

Anybody that knows me in the last few years since my divorce knows that my weakness is for women. I admit that I have a serious attraction for good looking females. My history is 10 years marriage and a couple of years of womanizing after my divorce till I settled down about 4 years ago and gave up my pretty girlfriend.

 

I admit that I am attracted to women, but at this stage of my life I am too lazy to chase after women and that is about the only way to get one. I see lots of attractive women at my job in the tourist industry in Florida. My mind is definitely attracted to women, but as I said I don't have enough lust in me nowadays to make the effort to get a girlfriend. My kids are my life now and I am trying to be a good father and stay at home with my kids where I belong instead of out dating women and running around.

 

The gossipers in Alachua know about my playboy antics that I indulged in for a couple of years after my divorce. It is no secret that I had a thing for women. Anybody that knows me at all knows that I am not a flaming homo. I could care less about the insults and insinuations of latent homo.

My fascination is with sexy women. If I could find a girlfriend without a lot of trouble I would be hooked-up right now. I'm in maya over women. I admit that.

[Guest guest]

in women?

 

That is the question!

 

I_L_K