Changes

:::::::In the mid to late 70s, the American Psychiatric Association, through whatever it's internal processes, decided  to stop considering homosexuality a disease.  They based this decision upon decades of research that essentially maintained the root cause of a homosexuals psychiatric problems was stigmatization and being an outcast.  So the new form of treatment, i.e. not calling it a disease at all, was meant to "normalize" or embrace the homosexual, accept him as he is.   

:::::::In the mid to late 70s, the American Psychiatric Association, through whatever it's internal processes, decided  to stop considering homosexuality a disease.  They based this decision upon decades of research that essentially maintained the root cause of a homosexuals psychiatric problems was stigmatization and being an outcast.  So the new form of treatment, i.e. not calling it a disease at all, was meant to "normalize" or embrace the homosexual, accept him as he is.   

:::::::When this occured, it was not a unanimous decision among psychiatrists.  Neither did dissenters in the psychiatric profession have their licenses pulled, or treated as quakes, who held to view it was a treatable disorder.  However, the profession does not recognize the diagnosis of homosexuality as a disease.  When homosexuality was "normalized", the doctor essentially told the patient to go home because he was cured now.  Nonetheless, a few still showed up the following week and said, "Doc, I don't feel cured, and I need help".  So doctors who dissented from the decision to "normalize" homosexuality, in order to avoid practicing quack medicine and get their licenses pulled, returned to the textbooks to find what the patients problem was.  And phobias, like homophobia, are still psychiatric diseases recognized by the APA and still on the books.  It was discovered in many cases, the patient didn't like himself, so the diagnosis of homophobia has virtually taken the place for many who prior to the 70s were diagnosed with the disease of homosexuality.  It's not hard to see how in actual fact, homophobia-bashing is simply another form of gay-bashing.  [[User:RobS|RobS]] 22:44, 25 April 2007 (EDT)

:::::::When this occured, it was not a unanimous decision among psychiatrists.  Neither did dissenters in the psychiatric profession have their licenses pulled, or treated as quakes, who held to the  view homosexuality was a treatable disorder.  However, the profession does not recognize the diagnosis of homosexuality as a disease.  When homosexuality was "normalized", the doctor essentially told the patient to go home because he was cured now.  Nonetheless, a few still showed up the following week and said, "Doc, I don't feel cured, and I need help".  So doctors who dissented from the decision to "normalize" homosexuality, in order to avoid practicing quack medicine and get their licenses pulled, returned to the textbooks to find what the patients problem was.  And phobias, like homophobia, are still psychiatric diseases recognized by the APA and still on the books.  It was discovered in many cases, the patient didn't like himself, so the diagnosis of homophobia has virtually taken the place for many who prior to the 70s were diagnosed with the disease of homosexuality.  It's not hard to see how in actual fact, homophobia-bashing is simply another form of gay-bashing.  [[User:RobS|RobS]] 22:44, 25 April 2007 (EDT)

:::This requires studying sources such as the link provided above; while homosexuality is no loner considered a mental disease (as it once was by the APA), phobias, and specifically homophobia ''still'' is considered as diagnosiable mental condition by the American Psycriatric Asscociation. Now, here is the kicker: most diagnosed homophobes are so-called "latent homosexuals", their fear of homosexuals being personal, i.e. that they may cross the line from latent attraction into an active homosexual lifestyle.  In this sense, psyciatrists are ''still'' "treating" homosexuals, not homosexuality as a mental disease, but latent homosexuals fear of acting on their impulses.  This is the true, scientific, and medical description of the disease.

:::This requires studying sources such as the link provided above; while homosexuality is no loner considered a mental disease (as it once was by the APA), phobias, and specifically homophobia ''still'' is considered as diagnosiable mental condition by the American Psycriatric Asscociation. Now, here is the kicker: most diagnosed homophobes are so-called "latent homosexuals", their fear of homosexuals being personal, i.e. that they may cross the line from latent attraction into an active homosexual lifestyle.  In this sense, psyciatrists are ''still'' "treating" homosexuals, not homosexuality as a mental disease, but latent homosexuals fear of acting on their impulses.  This is the true, scientific, and medical description of the disease.