ABSTRACT
Private consensual homosexual intimacy is illegal in 10 states. Discrimination in jobs and housing based on sexual orientation is legal in all but 11 states. In no state are homosexuals allowed a civil marriage with a loved one of the same gender. Homosexuals may serve in the armed forces of the United States as long as they hide their orientation and are not found out. It is not surprising that prejudice against homosexuals is still acceptable in many social circles and may manifest as avoidance behavior, hate speech, and violence toward homosexuals. Why does this occur ટ઼ Extensive psychiatric research has revealed no psychological or behavioral pathology associated per se with a homosexual orientation. Specifically no differences have been found in levels of maturity neuroticism, psychological adjustment goal orientation, or self-actualization in heterosexual and homosexual people (Herek, 1990; Hooker, 1969; Kurdek & Schmitt, 1986). The initial pathologizing of homo-sexuality as a mental disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) was later seen as reflecting the social bias at the time it was originally inserted. Homosexuality was removed from the DSM in 1973. Even the category of ego-dystonic homosexuality retained in the DSM still reflects only an individuals' pain from societal antipathy rather than any intrinsic psychopathology Yet, with no scientific basis for homophobic prejudice, negative assumptions about gay male and lesbian morality sexuality employability and integrity persist and pervade U.S. cultures.
