Sexual Orientation and Identity

SIECUS believes that an individual's sexual orientation––whether bisexual, homosexual, or heterosexual––is an essential part of sexual health and personality. SIECUS strongly supports the right of each individual to accept, acknowledge, and live in accordance with his or her orientation. SIECUS advocates laws guaranteeing civil rights and protection to all people, and deplores all forms of prejudice and discrimination against people based on sexual orientation.

Recent public debates on homosexuality have been distorted by homophobia, misinformation, and stereotypes about sexual orientation and identity. This fact sheet has been prepared by SIECUS staff to provide current, accurate facts to inform a more intelligent debate.

Definitions of Sexuality

1. Sexual orientation is one's erotic, romantic, and affectional attraction to the same gender (sex), to the opposite gender (sex), or both.
2. Sexual identity is an inner-sense of oneself as a sexual being, including how one identifies in terms of gender and sexual orientation.
3. Sexual preference is a term once used to describe sexual orientation--bisexuality, homosexuality and heterosexuality--which is now outdated because sexual orientation is no longer commonly considered to be one's conscious individual preference or choice, but is instead thought to be formed by a complicated network of social, cultural, biological, economic, and political factors.
4. Homophobia is the irrational hatred and fear of lesbian and gay people that is produced by institutionalized biases in a society or culture. Several studies indicate that exposure to truthful information about lesbians and gay men often leads to a reduction in homophobia.1
5. Heterosexism is the institutional and societal reinforcement of heterosexuality as the privileged and powerful norm. Neither the term heterosexuality nor the term homosexuality existed before 1890.

Origins and Characteristics of Sexual Orientation

• No single scientific theory about what causes sexual orientation has been suitably substantiated. Studies to associate sexual orientation exclusively with genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors have so far been inconclusive.2
• Many interventions aimed at changing the sexual orientation of lesbians and gay men have succeeded only in reducing sexual behavior and self-esteem rather than in creating or increasing attractions to the other gender .3
• It is considered ethically questionable by the professional psychological community to seek to alter through therapy a trait that is not a disorder and is extremely important to individual identity and sexual health.4
• The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of disorders in 1973.
• A common false allegation leveled against many gay men and lesbians is that they are child-molesters. In fact, 95% of all reported incidents of child sexual abuse are committed by heterosexual men.5

Civil Liberties & Discrimination

• Only nine states in the U.S. have legislation protecting lesbian and gay people against discrimination based on sexual orientation.
• In 1992, Colorado voters approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting civil rights protection on the basis of sexual orientation, a measure which effectively invalidated the laws in several Colorado cities that did extend equal rights to lesbian and gay citizens.
• Seven states have laws banning the practice of certain sexual acts between adults of the same gender.6
• Sixteen other states plus the District of Columbia have laws banning the practice of certain sexual acts by homosexual and heterosexual couples.7
• Lesbians and gay men are the most frequent victims of hate crimes and are at least seven times more likely to be crime victims than heterosexual people.8
• At least 75% of crimes against lesbians and gay men are not reported to anyone.9
• In a 1991 study of five metropolitan areas including Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York City, and San Francisco, there were 1,833 incidents of anti-gay and anti-lesbian crimes, which is a 31% increase over the previous year.10
• According to a 1986 survey conducted in Seattle, Washington, 40% of homeless youth identifies as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.11
• Half of all lesbian and gay youth report that their parents reject them due to their sexual orientation.12
• Gay adolescents are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than male heterosexual adolescents. It is estimated that up to 30% of reported youth suicides each year are committed by lesbian and gay young people.13

Lesbians and Gay Men in the Military

• The ban against homosexuals in the military was codified into law in 1982 by a directive of the Reagan Administration, which reads: "Homosexuality is incompatible with military service. The presence in the military environment of persons who engage in homosexual conduct or who, by their statements, demonstrate a propensity to engage in homosexual conduct, seriously impairs the accomplishment of the military mission."
• The Uniform Code of Military Justice criminalizes private oral and anal sexual acts--both homosexual and heterosexual--among consenting adult members of the U.S. armed forces.
• The Pentagon estimates that from 1980 to 1990, it spent $500 million alone replacing discharged gay and lesbian members of the armed forces. The total amount spent--including investigation, out-processing and court costs--has not been released.
• The military dismisses approximately 1,500 members each year because they are lesbian or gay.14
• Women are eight times more likely than men to be dismissed from the Marine Corps for being homosexual.15
• A 1989 military study concluded that gay men and lesbians demonstrated "preservice suitability-related adjustment that is as good or better than the average heterosexual."16
• A Gallup survey of a cross section of the American population of adults aged 18 and over showed that 57% of those interviewed felt that homosexuals should be allowed to serve in the armed forces.17
• According to a Los Angeles Times poll, 45% of Americans approve of allowing openly homosexual men and women in the armed forces.18
• According to Yankelovich Partners, Inc. study, 57% of people polled thought that gay men and lesbians should not be banned from the military.19

Heterosexual Men in the Military

• As many as 50 female Navy and Marine personnel were sexually assaulted in public by a dozen male officers at a convention of the Tailhook Association, an official military gathering.
• Two senior Navy admirals were forced into early retirement and one was reassigned when it was discovered that they had deliberately undermined the initial investigation of the Tailhook assaults to protect fellow Navy officers from embarrassment and criminal charges. In addition, the Navy Secretary, H. Lawrence Garrett, resigned his position.
• Sexual harassment in the military is prohibited and regulated by codes of conduct.
• The Pentagon has not raised efforts to investigate or discharge male sexual harassers. The Pentagon has not made public the number and cost of male military personnel who are yearly discharged for sexual assault or harassment of female military personnel.

References and Additional Information

1. Herek, GM "Beyond Homophobia: A Social Psychological perspective on Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men. Journal of Homosexuality 10 (1/2) 1-21, 1984.
2. Gooren L., Fliers E & Courtney K. "Biological Determinants of Sexual Orientation" Annual Review of Sex Research 1:175-196, 1990; and Bailey, JM., Pillared RC. "A Genetic Study of Male Sexual Orientation" Arch Gen Psychiatry Vol 148, Dec, 1991.
3. Haldman, DC. "Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Gay men and Lesbians: A Scientific Examination." In J.C. Gonsiorek & J.D. Weinrich (Eds.) Homosexuality: Research Implications for Public Policy Newbury Par, CA: Sage Publications, 1991, pp. 49-160; and Martin, AD "Psychotherapeutic Implications of Internalized Homophobia in Gay Men." In J.C. Gonsiorek (Ed.) Homosexuality and Psychotherapy: A Practitioners Handbook of Affirmative Models, New York: Haworth Press, 1984, pp. 59-69.
4. Davidson G. "Constructionism and Morality in Therapy for Homosexuality." In J.C. Gonsiorek &J.D. Weinrisch (Eds.) Homosexuality: Research Implication for Public Policy. Newbury park, CA: Sage Publications, 1991, pp. 137-148; Maylon A. "Psychotherapeutic Implications of Internalized Homophobia in Gay Men." In J. C. Gonsiorek (Ed.) Homosexuality and Psychotherapy: A Practitioners Handbook of Affirmative Model. New York: Haworth Press, 1982, pp. 59-69; and Silverstein C. "Psychological and Medical Treatment of Homosexuality" In J.C. Gonsiorek &J.D. Weinrich (Eds.) Homosexuality Research Implications for Public Policy. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1991, pp. 137-148.
5. Russell D. The Secret Trauma: Incest in the Lives of Girls and Women. New York: Basic Books, 1986.
6. Hunter ND et al. Rights of Lesbians and Gay Men 3rd Edition, Southern Illinois University Press, 1992, pp. 149-175.
7. See also Haffner D. "1992 Report Card on that States Sexual Rights in America" SIECUS Report Vol 20. No. 3, February/March 1992.
8. Personal Communication. Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, February 1993.
9. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute Report, 1991: (Copies can be attained by writing to 1734 14th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.)
10. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute Report, 1991: (Copies can be attained by writing to 1734 14th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.)
11. Orion Center, Survey of Street Youth, 1986 (Copies can be obtained by writing to Seattle, WA.)
12. Remafedi, G. "Male Homosexuality: The Adolescent's Perspective," Pediatrics, 79:326-330, 1987.
13. Gibson P, LCSW. "Gay Male and Lesbian Youth Suicide," Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1989.
14. United States General Accounting Office Report to Congressional Requesters. "Defense Force Management: DOD's Policy on Homosexuality," June 1992.
15. House of Representatives correspondence to Jean Appleby, Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service, April 24, 1992.
16. PRESEREC. Preserivce Adjustment of Homosexual and Heterosexual Military Accessions: Implications for Security Clearance Suitability, January 1989.
17. Hugick L. "Public Opinion Divided on Gay Rights." Gallup Poll Monthly, June 1992, p.3.
18. "Opinion Poll Chart." Los Angeles Times, January 28th, 1993.
19. Yankelovich Partners, Inc. [for Time Magazine and CNN] January 14, 1993; (Copies can be obtained by writing to 2033 M Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 2003)

copyright © 1998, SIECUS