How would you vote on the Canadian Alliance motion?

[Ben Kenobi]

Probably very likely comparable to the promiscuity and drug abuse by many straight men in college.

100's of partners? Unlikely.

Either way, there won't be any kind of evidence either way until a longnitudnal study is done, rather than latitudnal study

"involving the repeated observation or examination of a set of subjects over time with respect to one or more study variables."

I don't know if any have been done. I could look into that though.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
100's of partners? Unlikely.

Unlikely for both homosexuals and heterosexuals.

[Ben Kenobi]

Well, what do you know. I found one.

Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Beautrais AL. Is sexual orientation related to mental health problems and suicidality in young people? Arch Gen Psychiatry 1999;56(10):876-80.

"Fergusson et al reported a 21-year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1,265 individuals in Christchurch, New Zealand. Among 1,007 individuals, 2.8% were homosexual or bisexual as assessed by orientation and relationships after age 16. Compared to heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals were more likely to experience: "

· depression (OR = 4.0; 95% CI = 1.8 - 9.3)

· generalized anxiety disorder (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.2 - 6.5)

· conduct disorder (OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 1.7 - 8.7)

· nicotine dependence (OR = 5.0; 95% CI = 2.3 - 10.9)

· other substance abuse and/or dependence (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 0.9 - 4.2)

· multiple disorders (OR = 5.9; 95% CI = 2.4 - 14.8)

· suicidal ideation (OR = 5.4; 95% CI = 2.4 - 12.2)

· suicide attempts (OR = 6.2; 95% CI = 2.7 - 14.3)

The most elevated risk was for suicidal behavior and multiple disorders. Homosexuals and bisexuals had similar social, family, and childhood backgrounds as the controls, but tended to have experienced a higher rate of parental change during childhood and were slightly more likely to have criminally offending parents. Controlling for increased parental change and parental criminal offending left either similar associations or slightly higher ones than the unadjusted estimates.

[Asher]

I absolutely agree that sexual orientation has an effect on mental problems. In fact, I'm a stunning example.

I suffer from the top 2 on that list, in fact, and am being treated for it.

The problem isn't homosexuality itself, but society's interaction with homosexuality. Being forced to live in a closet while everyone assumes you're straight, etc. can f*ck you up pretty well.

[Ben Kenobi]

The problem isn't homosexuality itself, but society's interaction with homosexuality. Being forced to live in a closet while everyone assumes you're straight, etc. can f*ck you up pretty well.

The study goes on to say:

"In this sample, the authors showed that adolescent anxiety disorders, irrespective of sexual orientation, correlated with later risks of anxiety disorder, depression, illicit drug dependence, and failure to attend university, after controlling for the confounding effects of socio-familial and individual factors. So-called homophobia is obviously not behind this find. "

[Drake Tungsten]

Looks like there's still hope for Canada...

[Asher]

That's interesting, because then what does it attribute for the increased risk?

Perhaps this study has accidentally shown that homosexuals have different chemical imbalances in their brains which make them far more prone to those disorders as well.

[Jon Miller]

I think the state does have an interest in supporting stable relationships since this helps the state to be more stable (better kids, and the people in the relationships are better off also)

so I think the state should support marriage

however, the state is also made up of homosexuals, and should assist them in serious stable longterm monogamous relationships

whether we call them marriages is no big deal to me

Jon Miller

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Looks like there's still hope for Canada...

How so? The CA motion was defeated in a free vote.

And Ben: the fact that 70 year-olds in 1970 were less likely to say that they were gay in no way leads to the conclusion that gays have shorter lifespans. To determine that, you'd have to do a study which took a group of gays and track their mortality rates over time wrt a control group. Ask yourself: If I ask 100 people in their twenties if they are regular internet users and then ask 100 people in their 70s the same question, will I get the same answer? Why not?

Here's a clue: it has nothing to do with mortality rates for internet users...

[KrazyHorse]

This was the same motion passed overwhelmingly in 1999, by the way.

[Wittlich]

Well said Asher!

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi

just not in the narrow homophobic sense? Seems like you've got your mind all made up! How can they value the same things when they are all homophobic?

Are you Boddington's DL?


Homophobes who claim they value family, have this narrow, constrictive view of what a family entails, so as to exclude homosexuals.

They do not want to acknowledge the fact that many homosexuals do value family.

[Q Classic]

when someone can prove to me that straight people do less damage to the institution of marriage by divorcing half the time, cohabiting, and getting married willy-nilly, maybe then i'll be willing to listen to their arguments saying that gay marriage cheapens the institution.
if they're trying so hard to get something that so many straight people are treating like trash (divorces starting from us$250, according to an ad on the cta), why not let them have it?

i mean, for goodness sake, if straight people are going to go all pious by talking about the "sanctity of marriage", then why the fcuk don't they act like it's sacred?

marriage is a sacred and holy bond. it was once, and always has been between a man and a woman. but times change, and unless straight people can once again show that marriage is what they say it is, then they really have no business being so hypocritical.

[FrustratedPoet]

[Q Classic]

?