Sexual Orientation
Conclusion
Sexual orientation is not something the heterosexual majority often thinks about simply because they are the mainstream. But for those whose sexual orientation lies at either end of the bell curve of sexual behavior, thinking about sexual orientation is a matter of survival. Livelihoods, family relationships, social contacts, even life itself can be imperiled if one transgresses what is considered the norm. To love someone of the same sex in some societies is to risk their very lives; in other societies they risk imprisonment along with the loss of the comforts of family and friends, and the ability to hold a job; in still other places they risk discrimination both blatant and subtle. The desire to live an open life, the need to live with integrity, and the hope to love the person of their choice is at best a daily struggle in most societies in the world.
Integral to the idea of sexual orientation is the idea of love; human beings are attracted to others and are brought to those others through the biological, psychological, and emotional aspects of sex. This initial physical attraction can lead to love. It is not solely whom people are attracted to sexually but whom they love that makes sexual orientation a controversial issue. Same sex marriage is contentious and divisive not because legalizing such unions will confer financial and legal benefits upon same sex partners, but because it validates a love that is outside the mainstream; it equalizes the love of same sex couples with the love of heterosexual couples.
Learning about the dynamics of sexual orientation and developing an appreciation of the differences and diversity in that field will help to deepen understanding of others, to change attitudes and, eventually, to make life better for people of all sexual orientations.
See also: FAMILY LAW; FAMILY POLICY; GAY PARENTS; GENDER; GENDER IDENTITY; LESBIAN PARENTS; SEXUALITY; SEXUALITY EDUCATION; SEXUALITY IN ADOLESCENCE; SEXUALITY IN ADULTHOOD; SEXUALITY IN CHILDHOOD
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BARBARA RYAN
JOSEPH R. G. DEMARCO
Additional topics
Marriage and Family EncyclopediaRelationshipsSexual Orientation - Essentialism Or Social Construction, Early Sex Research, Family And Social Relations, Cross-cultural Sexual Diversity