Male-Male Pedophilia not Related to Gay Orientation

EW,

Sexual orientation and sexual behavior are not the same thing. As we note from the American Psychologic Association's Answers to Your Questions About Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality:

Sexual Orientation is an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional attraction to another person. It is easily distinguished from other components of sexuality including biological sex, gender identity (the psychological sense of being male or female) and the social gender role (adherence to cultural norms for feminine and masculine behavior).

Sexual orientation is different from sexual behavior because it refers to feelings and self-concept. Persons may or may not express their sexual orientation in their behaviors.

In psychosexually mature persons, behavior follows orientation. Straights are attracted to and have sex with straights of the opposite gender. Gays are attracted to and have sex with gays of the same gender. This is a sign of normal sexual maturity.

Persons who molest children are engaging in abnormal behavior which has nothing to do with the love, caring, affection, concern, romance, and so on that is involved in a mature relationship. Pedophilia (or molesting other prisoners in jail) is abnormal, sexual orientation has nothing to do with it.

It is just this attempt to illegitimately equate behavior with sexual orientation that discredited researcher Paul Cameron* was expelled from the APA for unethical conduct, i.e. lying about gays in this and any other way he could think up.

Again, the sex of the victims of these abnormal behaviors has nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the perpetrator. Instead, studies show that gays are less likely, not more likely, to molest or abuse children.

Please do not perpetuate Paul Cameron's unethical misuse of the data by confusing behavior with sexual orientation. They are not the same thing.

*see 1980


Also posted at Family Scholar's Blog Comment #58