HOMOSEXUALITY and HOMOPHOBIA

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Homosexuality is a discussed and debated issue in our society, especially in recent years, which brings with a series of questions whose answer is not always simple or obvious. What is homosexuality? It’s a new “trend” or has it always existed?

It is represented by sentimental and persistent attraction and/or sex between individuals of the same sex. The WHO calls this “a natural variant of human behavior“.

Today, in Western populations, the proportion of adults with a prevalent homosexual orientation range is between 6% and 8%.

The current scientific theories on human sexual behavior describe the homosexuality as a complex and diversified development of genetic, psychological and cultural factors. Among people who defined  themselves as homosexuals there are:  gay men, lesbians, transexuals, male and female bisexuals.

Homosexual behavior can occur in many other cases, including: “explorative games” during childhood; relations induced by the absence of sexual activity as in prisons or military force; homosexual behavior in non-gay people with specific mental disorders.

The tendency to define “different” the homosexual person has helped create a social pressure that pushed the same homosexuals to publicly reject the definition of “homosexuality”. Today, instead  of the term “homosexual” it is used  the definition of  gay or lesbian. Differently,  in scientific language, the terms “male who has sex with male (MSM)” or “female has sex with female (FSF), are preferred.

What exactly do we mean when we talk about homophobia?

The term homophobia literally means ” fear of the same sex “, and is the intolerance towards those who have feelings of homosexual people.

Many young people are victims of discrimination and bullying based on sexual orientation.

The European Union denounces any discrimination based on sexual orientation, considering it similar to racism, xenophobia, antisemitism and sexism.

Several studies showed an  increased risk of homophobia among individuals with “authoritarian personality” who often feel threatened by anyone who appear “different” from themselves. Other recent studies seem to associate homophobia with other characteristics such as older age, low educational level or  to have fundamentalist religious ideas or guilt-inducing ideas about sex.

In many European countries are planned laws to contrast homophobia. In Italy, even though it is enshrined the principle of equality and protection of discrimination (article 3 of the Constitution), there is still no specific law against homophobia.

WHO – Department of Reproductive Health and Research (RHR)

http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/en/

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