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from Gay Activism in the Schools
Gay-Affirmative Public School
Teachers/Curricula May Influence Brain Maturation In Teens
January 25, 2005 - Dr. Sander Breiner, a member of NARTH's Scientific
Advisory Committee, recently expanded upon a paper on "Adolescent Homosexuality"
he presented at the November, 2004 NARTH conference in Washington, DC. (Dr.
Breiner's paper is currently posted on the NARTH web site.)
Sexually questioning youth are vulnerable to the derailment of their normal
heterosexuality, Dr. Breiner asserted, when they are urged to consider the
possibility of being same-sex attracted.
Dr. Breiner's paper dealt with the current scientific knowledge on the
development of the brain during pre-teen and teen years as it relates to
hormones and emotional maturity. One of the sources for this paper was a book
edited by Dr. Ronald Dahl for the New York Academy of Sciences on Adolescent
Neuroscience. Dr. Dahl is at the University of Pittsburgh and has written
extensively on adolescent brain development.
Breiner noted that neuroscientists are convinced that the developing brain
during the teen years is significantly influenced by external emotional and
social factors. Stress factors, nutrition, and exercise can have an effect on
the reproductive function that can lead to a suppression of ovarian and
testicular functions. According to Breiner, "If the stress is chronic there can
be a significant suppression of this reproductive axis."
Gay-Affirming Teachings Can Impact Brain Development
In an
interview with NARTH's Editorial Director, Dr. Breiner notes that teens
typically face stresses and confusion about their sexuality. Teaching
gay-affirming ideas to teens can add to the problems they already face. The
child who is taught that he or she may be homosexual can be stressful and may
react in the following negative ways: hurt self esteem; poor body image;
likelihood of depression; anxiety about how they will function socially; and a
delayed response in functioning as a heterosexual, which makes their social
skills even more limited. Gay-affirming materials "won't make someone
homosexual, but certainly will contribute to problems in their development,"
said Breiner. "Adolescents have enough problems in establishing gender roles and
this will increase these problems."
According to Breiner, this isn't simply a social or psychological threat to
children but is a neurological problem as well. Actual brain changes take place.
He notes that there is a strong connection between hormonal development and
neurotransmitters that send messages for hormonal development. "If the wrong
message gets sent, as is likely to occur when external messages are coming from
teachers, then the child may experience a delay in proper sexual development."
Dr. Breiner observes that neuroscience studies are clear on this subject yet
nothing has appeared yet in the psychiatric or psychological literature to deal
with the connection between external gay-affirming messages and brain
development.
"I am convinced that gay affirming materials are injurious to children and
will add to the psychological problems they already have as a normal part of
development," said Breiner. "It is wrong to say that homosexuality is a viable
alternative to heterosexuality. If teens are to be protected, they must be given
the facts about homosexual behavior, not fantasies from the gay community."
In discussing the development of homosexuality in general, Dr. Breiner
observed: "Human homosexuality is a symptom of some unresolved conflicts in a
child's development psychologically. It is determined before the age of five,
and usually between 1 1/2 to 3 years of age. If the individual has a neurosis,
it was organized between ages 3 to 6. If they are of a borderline psychological
organization, it was between ages 2 to 3. If they are psychotic, the
psychological organization is under 2."
In the conclusion to his paper on "Adolescent Homosexuality," Dr. Breiner
observes:
The brain that is developing (pre-puberty to adulthood),
particularly in the area that deals with emotional and sexual development, is
affected organically by social and physical stress. Homosexual indoctrination
(direct or subtle), coercive or seductive can organically affect brain and
sexual physiologic development to a modest or minimal degree. It cannot
permanently produce homosexuality. However, it can certainly lead to a variety
of difficulties commonly including hurt self-esteem, distortions in living,
depression, selection of life goals, and other problems. Though the individual
may eventually select a heterosexual life position, the preceding years of
difficulties in developing and organizing one's life are likely to have more
permanent deleterious effects. Therefore, any attitude by society and
particularly educators that homosexuality is a reasonable or alternative
lifestyle can significantly contribute to psychopathology in this vulnerable
age.
Updated: 8 February 2008
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