Effect of Homosexuality upon Public Health and Social Order

Abstract

Are homosexuals "not dangers to society" and is homosexuality "compatible with full health"? To answer these questions 4,340 adult respondents drawn via area probability sampling from 5 metropolitan areas of the USA self-administered an extensive sexuality/public order questionnaire of over 500 items. Bisexuals and homosexuals (about 4% of the sample) as compared to heterosexuals: (1) more frequently exposed themselves to biological hazards (e.g., sadomasochism, fisting, bestiality, ingestion of feces); (2) exposed themselves sexually to more different bodies (e.g., more frequently admitted to participating in orgies, reported considerably larger numbers of sexual partners); (3) more frequently reported participating in socially disruptive sex (e.g., deliberate infection of others, cheating in marriage, making obscene phone calls); and (4) more frequently reported engaging in socially disruptive activities (e.g., criminality, shoplifting, tax cheating). From the standpoints of individual health, public health and social order, participating in homosexual activity could be viewed as dangerous to society and incompatible with full health.

Infusing Lesbigay Research into the Counseling Research Classroom

“…The actual compliance rate was 47.5%the number of completed surveys (4,340) divided by the number of completed surveys (4,340), plus the number of rejections (3,363), plus the mail-in surveys that were not returned (1,426) (Herek, 1998). Dr. Cameron's group reported the compliance rate of 43.5% in some published reports (Cameron & Cameron, 2002;Cameron et al, 1985;Cameron et al, 1986) and 47.5% in others (Cameron, 1989;Cameron & Cameron, 1995, 1996a.…”

“…Over the next nineteen years from 1983 to 2002, Dr. Cameron published eight articles based on this data set (Cameron, 1989;Cameron, & Cameron, 1995, 1996a,b, 2002Cameron, Cameron, & Proctor, 1988;Cameron, Proctor, Coburn, & Forde, 1985;Cameron et al, 1986). Dr. Cameron's work is used here to illustrate sampling problems in anti-lesbigay research.…”

“…Cameron's investigation resulted in 4,340 completed questionnaires from seven cities. Over the next six years, Dr. Cameron's group published three articles from this original data set, which they described as a national random survey to determine how Americans felt about issues of sex and sexuality (Cameron, 1989;Cameron et al, 1985;Cameron et al, 1986).…”

“…However, Dr. Cameron's group omitted the Dallas sample the following year when evaluating for the effect of homosexuality on public health and social order (Cameron, 1989). In fact, the Dallas data were available to the group at the time they published the two earlier articles on the original data set, but were not included Cameron et al, 1986).…”

“…(1) sexuality-including sexual orientation, sexual practices, changes in sexual orientation, and sexually transmitted diseases, (2) child molestation and incest, (3) morale and recruiting problems associated with admitting or retaining lesbigays in the military, (4) criminal behaviors, and (5) lesbigay parenting (Cameron, 1989;Cameron & Cameron, 1995, 1996a,b, 2002Cameron et al, 1985;Cameron et al, 1986). The group's attempt to measure at least five complex topics raises serious doubts as to how successful they were in assessing any one of those topics.…”