Homosexuality should be accepted by humanity

1) Homosexuality is a viable lifestyle. (By this I mean the probability of obtaining and transmitting a venereal disease vs. that of heterosexuals. ) -The perception of homosexuals is that they are a vector for AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea, etc. -The fact of the matter is that all STDs can be transmitted regardless of sexuality to one's partner depending on the sexual act committed. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Campus Resource Center stated on its website (accessed 2006): "The truth is that being GLBT does not give you AIDS. Certain sexual practices, certain drug use behaviors and other factors can put you at risk for catching HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, as well as other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). " 2006 - UCLA Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Campus Resource Center -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Being a homosexual does not increase the probability of being an alcoholic; however, this may appear to be the case only because society throws a spotlight on gay individuals. The act of doing this highlights personal attributes as being the cause of taboo practices or illnesses instead of considering situational factors. Gregory M. Herek, PhD, Professor of Psychology at the University of California at Davis, wrote in a 1991 article in American Psychologist titled "Avoiding Heterosexist Bias in Psychological Research": "Phenomena should not be assumed to result from sexual orientation simply because they are observed in the gay community. Alcoholism, for example, is a serious problem in some sectors of the gay community. Attributing it to homosexuality per se, however, exemplifies the fundamental attribution bias. .. It explains behavior entirely in terms of personal characteristics while ignoring situational factors. " 1991 - Gregory M. Herek, PhD . http://borngay.procon.org... 2) Homosexuals have the ability to effectively raise an adopted child. -The reality is that homosexuals have the same capacity to raise a child as heterosexuals. In fact, it would be beneficial to society if adoption laws in various states ended their prohibition of gay adoption in order to stimulate the increase in adoption. Growing with two parents, regardless of sex, would be more beneficial than growing up in an impoverished home with a single parent. ""Most children in the United States do not live with two married parents. In fact, according to the 2000 census, only 24% homes were composed of a married mother and father with children living at home. The Florida court argues that children are better off raised in a two-parent heterosexual household. In fact, scientific studies have shown that children who grow up in one or two-parent gay or lesbian households fare just as well emotionally and socially as children whose parents are heterosexual. Studies have shown that children are more influenced by their interactions with their parents, than by their sexual orientation. With this in mind, the American Association of Pediatrics supports gay and lesbian couples adopting children. " ""There is no legal reason why gays and lesbians should be denied the right to adopt children. The law only hurts children waiting to be adopted and deprives loving parents who would care for these children. " . http://lesbianlife.about.com... "Many lesbians and gay men are parents; others wish to be parents. In the 2000 U. S. Census, 33 percent of female same-sex couple households and 22 percent of male same-sex couple households reported at least one child under the age of 18 living in the home. Although comparable data are not available, many single lesbians and gay men are also parents, and many same-sex couples are part-time parents to children whose primary residence is elsewhere. As the social visibility and legal status of lesbian and gay parents have increased, some people have raised concerns about the well-being of children in these families. Most of these questions are based on negative stereotypes about lesbians and gay men. The majority of research on this topic asks whether children raised by lesbian and gay parents are at a disadvantage when compared to children reaised(sic) by heterosexual parents. The most common questions and answers to them are these: Do children of lesbian and gay parents have more problems with sexual identity than do children of heterosexual parents? For instance, do these children develop problems in gender identity and/or in gender role behavior? The answer from research is clear: sexual and gender identities (including gender identity, gender-role behavior, and sexual orientation) develop in much the same way among children of lesbian mothers as they do among children of heterosexual parents. Few studies are available regarding children of gay fathers. Do children raised by lesbian or gay parents have problems in personal development in areas other than sexual identity? For example, are the children of lesbian or gay parents more vulnerable to mental breakdown, do they have more behavior problems or are they less psychologically healthy than other children? Again, studies of personality, self-concept and behavior problems show few differences between children of lesbian mothers and children of heterosexual parents. Few studies are available regarding children of gay fathers. Are children of lesbian and gay parents likely to have problems with social relationships? For example, will they be teased or otherwise mistreated by their peers? Once more, evidence indicates that children of lesbian and gay parents have normal social relationships with their peers and adults. The picture that emerges from this research shows that children of gay and lesbian parents enjoy a social life that is typical of their age group in terms of involvement with peers, parents, family members and friends. Are these children more likely to be sexually abused by a parent or by a parent"s friends or acquaintances? There is no scientific support for fears about children of lesbian or gay parents being sexually abused by their parents or their parents" gay, lesbian or bisexual friends or acquaintances. In summary, social science has shown that the concerns often raised about children of lesbian and gay parents " concerns that are generally grounded in prejudice against and stereotypes about gay people " are unfounded. Overall, the research indicates that the children of lesbian and gay parents do not differ markedly from the children of heterosexual parents in their development, adjustment or overall well-being. " . http://www.apa.org... 3) While a minority, Homosexuality is a natural orientation that has merit. -Many view homosexuality as an unnatural practice that is distorting what nature (or god) intended. The fact of the matter is that homosexuality flourishes in the animal kingdom as an integral and vital aspect of many species. "One fundamental premise in social debates has been that homosexuality is unnatural. This premise is wrong. Homosexuality is both common and highly essential in the lives of a number of species," explains Petter Boeckman, who is the academic advisor for the "Against Nature's Order? " exhibition. Homosexual behaviour(sic) has been observed in 1,500 animal species. "We're talking about everything from mammals to crabs and worms. The actual number is of course much higher. Among some animals homosexual behavior is rare, some having sex with the same gender only a part of their life, while other animals, such as the dwarf chimpanzee, homosexuality is practiced throughout their lives. " Animals that live a completely homosexual life can also be found. This occurs especially among birds that will pair with one partner for life, which is the case with geese and ducks. Four to five percent of the couples are homosexual. Single females will lay eggs in a homosexual pair's nest. It has been observced(sic) that the homosexual couple are often better at raising the young than heterosexual couples. . http://www.news-medical.net... -If god does exist then he obviously is not concerned with other species being homosexual, because it is rampant in all corners of the world and in a large portion of the animal kingdom. 4) Homophobia is detrimental to any nation that condones such a practice. -Homophobia is continually perpetuated by stereotypes and unfamiliarity with the nature of sexual orientation. Homosexuality is not a disease, it cannot be eradicated with a vaccine. By verbally assaulting an individual based on characteristics that cannot be altered, you are psychologically damaging the individual. The action in the previous statement leads to an increased chance of suicide, alcohol abuse, and a myriad of issues that could have been avoided. "Recently published as a doctoral thesis in clinical psychology, this investigation examined environmental risks and protective factors that counterbalanced them in LGB youth. "Compared to their heterosexual peers, suicide rates are up to 14 times higher among lesbian, gay and bisexual high school and college students," says Michael Benibgui, who led this investigation as part of his PhD thesis at Concordia's Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Human Development. " "Depression and anxiety are widespread," he continues. "To learn why this occurs, we studied the physiological impact of homophobic social environments on a group of healthy young LGB adults. " . http://www.sciencedaily.com... Because I am running out of room I am forced to end my arguments here. I look forward to hearing my opponent's arguments and again thank him for taking part in my debate.