Is there such a thing as a normal sexual orientation Essay

Is there such a thing as a normal sexual orientation - Essay Example Persons attracted toward those of the opposite sex are termed as heterosexuals. Persons attracted toward both genders at the same time are called bisexuals. Person not attracted to any kind of sexual activity with neither gender is going through abstinence or asexuality. This homosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and abstinence, is what we call sexual orientation of a person. It involves both the feelings plus the identity of the person. An individual may recognize his identity as being a homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual, at any point of his life and this identity would be different from the gender identity or gender roles that the society assigns to an individual. This paper intends to discuss if there is such a thing in the world as normal sexual orientation. Normal Sexual Orientations Researchers suggest that being a heterosexual is normal as is being a non-heterosexual. Gays and lesbians have been identified in all ages and they live just the normal way as others. They belong to all cultures, all socio-economic statuses, and all religions. A homosexual can also feel erotically aroused by a member of the opposite sex at some times in life although he may identify himself as a gay. A heterosexual, likewise, can feel attracted toward a person of the same sex although not too often and although he claims himself to be a heterosexual. Thus, a variation in normality is seen in the behavior of individuals, and this variation cannot make the behavior abnormal. Huegel states that â€Å"Being gay is normal. Being lesbian is normal. Being bisexual is normal. Being transgender is normal. Being heterosexual is normal.† Homosexuality is a Normal Sexual Orientation Gay marriages and gay rights are issues that have been an effort toward making people consider non-heterosexual orientations as normal. The earliest known gay rights organization is the Society for Human Rights in Chicago that was established in 1924 and launched first gay rights movement. Afte r that, the Mattachine Society was established in 1951 and there have been a number of other organizations and movements till then which support gay rights. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) passed by Congress in 1996 protects the marriage rights of gays since there were many states which had banned gay marriages before 1996. Congress approved the law in 2010 and legalized gay marriages. When talking about gay rights, we must discuss what actually the rights that have been legalized for gays are. These include ceremonial marriages, child adoption, domestic partnership registration on public record, domestic partnership affidavit given by employers to gay employees that defines the couple’s economic relationship, health care, insurance, lawsuits, property, and the like. Hence, we see that courts and laws have been trying to make people believe that heterosexuality is normal. Abnormal Sexual Orientations However, there are some bizarre sexual orientations that are regarded as abnormal. Paraphilia Paraphilia is a sexual orientation in which a person is sexually attracted toward a non-human object, animal, or a person with whom sexual activity is not socially acceptable. The paraphilic sexual orientation is considered abnormal by all mental health organization like the American Psychiatric Association. According to the Traditional Values Coalition: The paraphilias listed in the DSM are abnormal sexual orientations toward non-human objects or individuals and include the