APA Removes Transgenderism as 'Mental Illness'

Finally.  2012 marks the year when the APA (the American Psychiatric Association) has officially replaced the term "Gender Identity Disorder" with "Gender Dysphoria."  This means transgender is no longer categorized as a mental illness.

The U.S. now joins Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, the Scandinavian countries, and several others that have already changed their official policies.

The change will have an impact in legal cases and legislation, and is being hailed as a huge step forward for trans rights not just in the states, but potentially in other countries as well.  For better or worse it cannot be denied that America is influential; this includes its medical associations, whose policies do have an influence on the policies of medical associations in other (less progressive) countries.

PMA: "We Won't Discriminate... Buuuut..."

In somewhat of a mixed-message, the PMA (Philippine Military Academy) has stated that there is no ban on gays and lesbians from applying for entry.  They insist they do not and will not discriminate against or turn away cadets if they happen to be gay or lesbian.

This should be applauded.  It's a great thing for the premier military academy of the Philippines to publicly commit to such a policy, and they honestly and sincerely deserve a pat on the back for it.

And then come the "buts"...

PMA spokesperson, Capt. Agnes Flores, says that cross-dressing is a total no-no.  Okay.  But that's not a gay issue, that's a cross-dressing issue.  The vast majority of cross-dressers are either transvestites or transgenders, not gay men and lesbians (see Definitions page).  Captain Flores is a little confused and prone to stereotyping, it seems.  Bless her heart though, she's trying.

We've Been Warned (Again): Gayness Destroyed Rome!

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P.U.S.H. Pilipinas

700 Club Asia hosts Kata Inocencio and Peter Kairuz

Right out of the gate, allow me to say that I applaud CBN Asia (Christian Broadcasting Network) and its nightly show, 700 Club Asia, for the many good works that they do, such as Operation Blessing.  There are many decent, caring people involved in the organization, and I do not doubt that they love God.

Every so often, though, like their mother ship network CBN USA and its founder, Pat Robertson, 700 Club Asia chooses to jump on the crazy train.  This is what they did during their June 11, 2012, broadcast which aired on Philippine TV network GMA.

As part of their week-long P.U.S.H. Pilipinas specials (which stands for Pray Until Something Happens, Philippines), the opening salvo was entitled "Pamilyang Pilipino, Gaano Katatag?" (The Filipino Family, How Strong Is It?).

When Does Life Begin?

Implanted embryo. The start of a human, but not a human.

"Every biologist would agree that life begins at conception."

 

I heard that once during a debate, said by a passionate anti-choice person. Although passionate, he is also wrong.  I'm a biologist and I do not agree that life begins at conception, nor do any of my current colleagues, nor did any of my professors in univeristy, nor do the vast majority of doctors where I'm from.  This isn't because we hate life or babies, it's because the evidence to back up such a claim simply isn't there.

When Boys Won't be Boys (Gender Nonconformity in Kids)

"A father has a feminine son who acts like a girl and says he wants to be a girl.  So one day this dad says to his son, 'Hey, come over here and tell me, are you a gay or are you a boy?'  The little boy says, 'I'm a girl, dad.'

The man grabs his son and shoves his head into a barrel full of water, holding him under.  When the boy comes up gasping for air, his dad says, 'One more time... You'd better change your answer... What are you?  A gay or a boy?!'  Again his son says, 'I'm a girl!'  'Oh really?' replies the dad, who proceeds to shove his child's head under the water yet again.

The Cultural & Historical Importance of the Third Gender

Kathoeys:  Thailand's third gender

The concept of the third gender is one that I find fascinating, both in the field of anthropology, and as a biologist.  History is filled with depictions and mentions of the third gender, and practically every culture around the globe has -- or at one time had -- a gender that was seen as being neither fully male nor fully female.  The Philippines is no exception in this regard.

The blurring of the terms 'third gender' and 'third sex' can be confusing, however, as well as inaccurate.  The two are not the same and should not be used synonymously.  This is something we will take a look at here.  There is also a table at the bottom of the article reviewing several of the many cultures that openly recognize a third gender.

Homophobia in Rap Music on the Way Out

DMC against homophobia

A growing number of American rappers are suddenly becoming pro-LGBT.

Traditionally it had always been acceptable for rappers to denigrate gays and lesbians in their lyrics.  Eminem has often been put through the wringer by journalists and LGBT rights groups.  "I'll stab you in the head, whether you're a fag or a les; a homosex, hermaph, or trans-a-vest" was part of Eminem's song Criminal, back in 2000.  Disgusting to say the least.  That song was actually not allowed to be played on the radio in several European countries because of those homophobic lyrics.  They went beyond homophobia actually, and were in fact inciting violence toward LGBT persons.

But then, ten years later, Eminem did a turn around and announced that he supports the rights of gays and lesbians to marry.  In a fitting twist, today in New York state, the birthplace of rap and hip-hop, same-sex marriage is the law of the land.

(Non-)Conversations with Fundamentalists

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The Science of "Born This Way"

Scientifically, Gaga got it right

Conservative Christians and Muslims have had their knickers in a bunch (and have pushed themselves into a corner) over their objections to Lady Gaga's song Born This Way.

It goes beyond the immature reactions of censoring the pro-gay lyrics on the radio (as authorities in Malaysia have done), or the clipping out of that same section on the Philippine-based music channel, Channel V.  There have also been the cleverly cheesy "Not Born This Way" op eds, blog pieces, and sermons disseminated by some Evangelical Christians, and certain politicians have even jumped in the mix to assert their view that homosexuality is merely a choice.  They think they're making a good point, but what they're really doing is making themselves look foolish.

The two statements most commonly made are:  "Science is in dispute on homosexuality," and "There's no scientific conclusion that there is a gay gene."

As a biologist this certainly comes as a surprise to me, as well as to my colleagues.  I'm someone who is trained in science and genetics.  This is what I went to school for, including research in hormonal affects on brain development and sexuality.  I hate to burst any bubbles, but science, in fact, is actually not in dispute on this matter.

Baguio Mayor lets his Prejudice Shine through

Mayor Domogan

Baguio City Mayor, Mauricio Domogan, is publicly backing a proposed ordinance to ban same-sex union ceremonies from taking place in the city.  The ordinance is currently pending action before the Baguio City Council.

Domogan believes same-sex unions are a violation of national law, and has thrown his support behind Councilor Philian Weygan, who has filed a resolution to effectively ban future same-sex unions in Baguio.

Another Councilor, Edison Bilog, wants the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Baguio police to investigate the Metropolitan Community Church ceremony in order to decide if formal charges should be pressed.  Additionally, Councilor Elmer Datuin said Baguio is getting a reputation as the "same-sex wedding capital of the Philippines," and said it is a "horrible image for the city."

Harmless fairytale...or EVIL GAY PORN!!

Over the past several months I have gotten quite a few questions regarding the children's book King and King, which I mentioned on my Equality 101 page.  Some are wondering what it's all about, or if it's "a threat."

My reply:  Yes actually, it is a threat.  It's a threat to bigotry and homophobia.

One rather upset email commenter said "This is nothing more than gay porn propaganda for kids!"  Interesting, considering it is neither pornographic nor propagandist.  It's a fricking fairytale, people.

This is a brief rundown of the book which, along with other books like it, can be found in elementary schools in my country.  You decide if it's evil or not.

Bishops to Pinoy LGBTs: Be who you are, but accept that you're second-class... in your church and in your nation

In typically confusing Roman Catholic style, two Filipino Bishops of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have said that they don't care about a person's sexuality, and that they only care about making sure anyone other than heterosexuals cannot have sex or form legal unions.  This all fits tragically in with what I wrote about in a previous post, "We accept you as long as you never find fulfillment."

Essentially the two bishops, Paciano Aniceto and Oscar Cruz, aren't saying anything new.  This has been the line of the Catholic Church for the past few decades.  Their reiteration comes in conjunction with the Philippine launch of a Catholic-sponsored book entitled Homosexuality and The Catholic Church.  The crux of their view is that it's okay for gays and lesbians to come out as gay and lesbian, but at the same time, if they choose to be in a relationship, form a household, or enter into a committed union with someone of the same sex, they then become sinners who need to be "corrected."

The book isn't anything new, actually.  It was first released in 2007 but wasn't released in the Philippines until March of 2011.  I actually had the opportunity to read it in 2009.  As a biologist, I give the author (Fr. John Harvey, who recently passed away) a thumbs-up for promoting tolerance, but a thumbs-down for a lack of scientific facts.  The book presents a view of sexuality that is straight out of the playbook of early 80s psychoanalysis, and as such promotes a type of pseudoscience (essentially saying that homosexuality is a sickness, but saying it with a compassionate smile), which is neither accurate nor beneficial to the discussion.

Gay sheep do their part for progress

The latest research conducted into homosexuality in animals adds to the mounting evidence that it is a naturally-occurring and hormonally-influenced orientation of prenatal origin.

From the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, and the research of Charles E. Roselli, Radhika C. Reddy, and Katherine R. Kaufman, the new sheep study (concluded in Jan 2011) showed a percentage of rams which had an exclusive preference for partners of the same sex.

There was clear identification of an ovine (sheep) sexually dimorphic nucleus (oSDN) in the medial preoptic area.  This area in sheep directly corresponds to the medial preoptic area in the human hypothalamus, further bolstering the neurohormonal theory of homosexuality in humans.  Evidence showed that the size of the oSDN is organized prenatally by testosterone, the same findings in other animals that have been researched, including humans.

Philippine Anti-Discrimination Bill: Necessary and Long Overdue

This post is partially in response to the following comment posted by ''Gary45.''  Since I was already planning to write about the anti-discrimination bill, I'll use this comment as my starting point:

"You said: "Gay rights are non-existent in the Philippines".  Really?  Are gays not Filipino citizens?  Our Constitution already guarantees respect for human rights (section 11), the rights of workers (section 18), equal access to public services (section 26), equal employment opportunities for all (section 3 article XII), and even against threats on libel, slander and sexual harassment in the Penal Code.  Merit is the basis for employment.  Education, work record, experience, performance.  If a gay is fired for wearing too much lipstick he/she (?) can make a complaint to DOLE or DOJ.  New laws and more laws aren't necessary when we already have laws for this and that, regardless of the implications to religious liberty. ..."

Excellent comment and excellent point.  Your insensitivity on the matter, however, is disappointing.  It's unfortunate that you refer to gay men as "he/she."  It is also highly unlikely that a gay man would be fired for wearing lipstick since gay men don't wear lipstick.  Some male-to-female transgenders do, however, so perhaps they are the ones to whom you are referring.

The proposed Anti-Discrimination Bill pending in Philippine Congress (House Bill 1483), is an extremely important piece of legislation.  At first glance, the points raised in the above comment may make it seem that such a bill is unnecessary.  In a perfect world that may be true, but the last time I checked Earth isn't perfect and neither is humanity, which is why the majority of democratic countries today have some form of anti-discrimination law protecting their LGBT citizens.

Anti-Discrimination = the Death of Free Speech / Freedom of Religion?

The very important comment left in the previous post, "We accept you...as long as you never find fulfillment", reads as such:

"I think it is a big question mark for you to say gay marriage would not impact on religious freedom.  I have read alot of articles about that exact thing happening in other countries with lawsuits etcetera.  I did even read about your country where a pastor has been arrested for saying homosexuality is a sin and he is in prison.  That doesn't sound like democracy and a free country to me. ...You cannot deny that this issue has negative implications for Christian speech.  That is why I am skeptical about it all.  Not because I am anti-gay but becuase [sic] I fear for the end of free speech and religious freedom."

Given the nature of the comment, and my inability to answer it effectively in the limited space provided for comment replies, I decided to address it here in it's own post.  It's quite important and worth taking a close look at.

First off, I absolutely understand your point and I agree that freedom of speech and of religion must be protected.  This is not negotiable.  These freedoms are firmly enshrined in democratic constitutions, including the constitutions of both Norway and the Philippines.  I must correct you, though, on the pastor to whom you refer.

"We accept you...as long as you never find fulfillment"

I'm not a Catholic.  Like the majority of Scandinavians I'm a Protestant, a Lutheran to be exact.  The Evangelical Lutheran Church tends to be quite liberal compared to the Catholic Church.

(A warning:  if you're über-conservative you may not want to read the next two paragraphs unless you have your heart medication nearby.)

In the Lutheran Church we have female priests and bishops.  Yes, women are just as good as men.  We also have openly gay and lesbian priests and bishops.  What's more, we allow our priests to get married (both the straight ones and the gay ones); we don't get worked up over divorce; we think condoms are cool; and we don't have a sanctimonious tantrum if two people of the same sex want to get married.  This is evident by the picture above from a recent wedding in Oslo, Norway, where two men were married (gasp!) by a female priest (double gasp!) inside a church (asthmatic gasp!).

One of our bishops recently attended the opening of a Gay Pride Festival in one of Norway's biggest cities and delivered the closing speech as well, saying "The LGBT community has fought a hard fight the last 60 years.  At the core is the fact that the love between two people of the same sex is nothing to be ashamed of."  As you can see, homosexuality is not a "crisis issue" in Norwegian society or in Northern European societies as a whole, or in the Lutheran Church.  The popular governor of Norway's Vestfold county, for example, is openly gay and married to a Lutheran priest.  I'm no fan of intimacy between church and state (pun intended), but in the case of the priest and the governor I'll make an exception. ;)

According to the Brain: Love is Love

Gay or straight, female or male -- the brain activity connected to romantic love is the same.

A new study out of UCLA shows that love doesn't discriminate... at least not when it comes to brain activity.  In the study, 24 volunteers were connected to an fMRI machine and asked to look at pictures of their sweethearts.  They were then shown pictures of people of the same gender as their partner, but no romantic connection was shown.

The participants ranged in age from 19 to 47, and the study was conducted half and half between men and women, some gay some straight.  The common denominator was that all reported to be very much in love with their partner.

Measurement results showed that all groups had an identical pattern of activity in the brain.  Especially active areas were the hypothalamus, the ventral tegmental area, caudate nucleus and putamen -- areas of intense neurotransmitter activity stimulated by dopamine.

Dopamine has varying degrees of significance in the regulation of emotions, and how we relate to others. Love not only enhances the activity in key areas of the brain, but it also disables most of the cerebral cortex.  Among the areas which calm down when you look at your significant other, are sections of the temporal lobe, parietal lobe and frontal lobe.

According to Professor Semir Zeki, one of the researchers behind the study, "Passionate romantic love is usually triggered by something visually, and is an immersive and disorienting state.  Previous studies have shown that no matter how complex this feeling is, it appeals only to a few areas in the brain." 

This enabled Zeki and his colleagues to conclude that it would be easy to spot any differences between gender or sexual orientation -- differences they did not find.

Yet another example, thanks to modern science, that the brain sets sexual orientation, and that the romance experienced in same-sex love is identical in strength and innateness to opposite-sex love.  According to the brain:  Love is love.

Ref. report on www.forskning.no

 

How to avoid catching "the gay"

Talk about confusing.  I recently got my hands on a mini-booklet put out by the Focus on the Family organization.  As some of you may know, Focus on the Family is an American Christian conservative group which is very anti-gay and anti-abortion.  They also have a program called Love Won Out, which aims to turn homosexuals into heterosexuals through prayer and varying degrees of exorcism.

So within their information they have a handy little list to help youngsters avoid catching the germs that make people gay, written by an out-of-touch-with-reality man named Don Schmierer.  The list gives things that cause homosexuality, or so they believe.  It goes like this:

1.  The individual's self-will

2.  Looking at pornography

3.  Seeing gayness portrayed in the media and culture

4.  Having been molested

5.  Having parents who are adulterous

6.  Being seduced to do gay things by friends

7.  A failure in parenting or church leadership

Nice.  So if this were true, 100% of people should be gay.  Of course the list wasn't subjected to scientific scrutiny, and pretty much only includes things that Mr. Schmierer seems to frown on personally.

The Focus on the Family list goes on to include:

1.  Same-sex experimentation

2.  Negative spiritual influences

3.  Personality temperament

4.  Negative body image

5.  Public education

6.  Fear of or inability to relate to members of the opposite sex


Most of them are just nutty.  Personality temperament?  Which temperament?  Being too happy?  Too melancholy?  A temperament that likes watching too many episodes of Glee?  And public education...  Seriously, public education?  Again, the majority of people should be gay if this were true. 

That last one is the most interesting, however, because the organization contradicts what it has said in other publications.  In other statements they say that in their youth homosexuals feel more comfortable with, more secure with, and are better at relating to members of the opposite sex.  But in the list above they state the opposite:  that a fear of, or an inability to relate to the opposite sex can lead to homosexuality.

So, as a biologist I'm just wondering:  if being able to relate to the opposite sex can lead to homosexuality, and not being able to relate to the opposite sex can lead to homosexuality, then how does anyone become heterosexual??

At the end of the booklet they state:  "As this booklet has made clear, no one cause for homosexuality can be pinpointed."  Right.  It's really not too surprising that they come to that conclusion since they ignore biological factors.  Geniuses.

My all time favorite "cause" of homosexuality came from a wacky über conservative website called WorldNetDaily a couple of years ago.  They proposed that soy is the reason kids go gay.  Yes you read that right.  Soy, as in soy milk, tofu, anything with soy in it.  Some people are so obsessed with homosexuality that they're willing to blame anything for it.  If it's not the devil it must be the demon-possessed bean called soy.  They may blame everything under the sun, but of course they always avoid mentioning genetics because that would prove them wrong.  That's the convenience of paranoia.

If you'd like to take a look at some supposed cures for homosexuality espoused by Pro-Life Philippines and cleverly adapted by a Filipino blogger, click here.