(Hat tip: Clayton Cramer)
A paper published at the Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality, "Homosexual Behavior in the United States, 1988-2004: Quantitative Empirical Support for the Social Construction Theory of Sexuality" makes the following claim:
The present study analyzed data collected in 11 rounds of the General Social Survey conducted between 1988 and 2004 (N = 10,767 men and 13,868 women). Using simple cross-tabulations, the prevalence of homosexual contact in America was estimated by sex, year, and various sociodemographic variables. The subsequent results of three estimation models (OLS, logit, and probit) revealed a statistically significant causal effect of the urbanization character of an individual’s residential environment at age 16 on the likelihood that the same individual would engage in homosexual behavior as an adult. The results empirically confirm the idea that sexuality is socially constructed, thus bringing quantitative social scientific inquiries about human sexuality closer to relevant theoretical perspectives.
In other words, people who are exposed to homosexuality while growing up are more likely to engage in homosexual activity themselves.
This has some implications for, among other things, the same-sex marriage debate. If you normalize same-sex unions, you're going to have more of them. You may be fine with that, but you need to acknowledge it's going to happen.
I backed up to the index and looked through the table of contents.
Today's Alternative Marriage Styles: The Case of Swingers claims that:
The results of a national on-line survey of 1092 swingers are discussed. Questions from the General Social Survey are used to compare political, social, and sexual attitudes of swingers with the general population in the U.S. Measures of marital and general life satisfaction from the G.S.S. are also used to compare the groups. A preliminary attempt is also made to determine the level of childhood abuse and family dysfunction in the backgrounds of swingers. It is concluded that swingers surveyed are the white, middle-class, middle-aged, church-going segment of the population reported in earlier studies, but when it comes to attitudes about sex and marriage they are less racist, less sexist, and less heterosexist than the general population. Swinging appears to make the vast majority of swingers' marriages happier, and swingers rate the happiness of their marriages and life satisfaction generally as higher than the non-swinging population. Implications of the study and its limitations are also included.
A news release on June 25, 2001 stated:
The Joint Statement Against Abstinence-Only Education, which is endorsed by 35 organizations, including the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, Unitarian Universalist Association, National Education Association, Lambda Legal Defense Fund, and other civil liberties, health, education, youth, and religious groups, states that:
1. abstinence-ONLY education is censorship;
2. abstinence-ONLY education affronts the principle of church-state separation;
3. abstinence-ONLY education silences speech about sexual orientation; and
4. censorship of sexuality education is ineffective, unnecessary, and dangerous.
Other entries include:
Working with Polyamorous Clients in the Clinical Setting
Polyamory - What it is and what it isn't
We live in a culturally monogamous society, so to espouse polyamory certainly puts you in the eccentric category, "the lunatic fringe" so to speak. In the current political climate, this also brings with it dangers. This is illustrated in cases where children have been removed from their parents because they were not living in the mandated norm of mum, dad and the kids. To come out as poly is a vulnerable thing to do, given all the misunderstandings and all the sleazy, sinful innuendo. It is also the reason why poly people relate to the gay and lesbian community, who have been through, and in many cases still are going through, the same process. Polyamorists are certainly viewed by the societal majority with the utmost suspicion.
Polyamorists also fully support the right of anyone to select monogamy as a life choice, and believe it is the right choice for many people. The key here is choice.
A review of a book entitled Against Love:
Don't expect a fair exposition of both sides of the issue, she succeeds is shooting down not a few sacred cows in the literature and cultural history of love. And the real target is our cultural wedlock to wedlock. She asks the unasked questions about why our culture is so blind to the failings of monogamous heterosexual marriage. She points out how we use many parallels between marriage and work, how we must "work" at our relationships ("labor intensive intimacy"), and any relationship that ends in less than death is a failed relationship, much like getting fired at work. She says "How can you not admire a system so effective at swallowing all alternatives to itself that it can make something so abject as 'working for love' sound admirable?"
I read this book over one weekend, underlining section after section. Although I have researched and studied alternate forms of relationships for years, I have never before seen the flaws of our social system of love/marriage so well dissected. No wonder so many people are finding "alternate" relationship forms, are cheating on a partner, are logging multiple serial marriages. And after reading this one could wonder why the gay and lesbian communities are so anxious to obtain the "benefits" of marriage.
A review of the book, Beyond Hysteria: Boy Erotica on the Internet
This website can not be described as a mouthpiece for the Conservative Coalition.
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