Study on gay marriage views retracted after allegations of fake data

[BmorePat87]

(05-25-2015, 08:23 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Tell it to Matt. I agree with this. And as you mentioned the definition (or is it classification) that homosexuality may be changing, as it has pretty much become an accepted part of society; although, it only effects about 3% of the population.

Well the definition of homosexuality is concrete. It's a sexual attraction to the same sex. Whether or not it is considered deviant by society is more arbitrary at this point, but we really shouldn't get hung up over which word to use to describe the process in which a deviant behavior is normalized by society (maybe "normalized" works as in "homosexuality is being "normalized").

Quote:I disagree with the assertion that IF homosexuality were determined to be a mental disorder then we must classify all deviant actions as mental disorders

No one is suggesting this, though I am not sure how it would be classified as a mental disorder. The DSM is very specific in that a disorder or illness must cause dysfunction or suffering. Society's reaction to you being gay may cause you suffering, but being gay itself does not. Matt eluded to this when he spoke of how people suffered from other conditions in less accepting days when they were gay. That is why deviant behaviors are no longer classified as mental disorders/illnesses. We recognize that these things do not inherently cause suffering or pain.

Quote:, push psychological advancement back 100 years, and welcome back lobotomies.

Is it really that hard to understand?

The only way for homosexuality to be listed as a mental disorder is for the APA to either lie about the effect it has on those who are gay or for them to change the definition of mental illness to include behaviors that do not cause suffering/dysfunction but are considered deviant by society.

That would be a huge regression.