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from Press Releases
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 9, 2004
For more information, contact:
Dr. A. Dean Byrd, 818.789.4440
Presidential Hopeful Governor Howard Dean
Misunderstands Origins Of Homosexual Behavior
Encino, California -- "Governor Howard Dean's
recent comments on homosexuality evidence a lack of
understanding about the origins of same-sex
attractions and the psychological and physical
problems associated with homosexual behavior," said
NARTH Scientific Advisory Committee member Dr. A.
Dean Byrd today.
Dr. Byrd's statement comes in the wake of Dr. Dean's
widely quoted remarks in the Washington Post that,
"From a religious point of view, if God had thought
homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay
people....The overwhelming evidence is that there is
very significant, substantial genetic component to
it."
"Howard Dean's comments may have been meant to be
compassionate and based upon his faith," said Dr.
Byrd, "but they lack a basis in science and sound
logic While all behavior ultimately has biological
substrates, it is clear that homosexuality is an
adaptation, not an identity."
Dr. Byrd's previously published work, "The
Innate-Immutable Argument Finds No Basis in Science:
In Their Own Words: Gay Activists Speak About Science,
Morality, Philosophy," provides compelling evidence
that homosexual attractions result from an interaction
of social, biological, and psychological factors--
including temperament, personality traits, sexual
abuse, familial factors, as well as treatment by one's
peers--and are not due to a person's DNA.
"Noted homosexual researchers like Dean Hamer and
Simon LeVay," said Byrd, "have qualified their
previous research claims, which were grossly distorted
in their interpretation by the media. And lesbian
philosopher Camille Paglia is even more blunt in her
rejection of the 'born gay' theory: 'No one is born
gay,' she says. 'The idea is
ridiculous...homosexuality is an adaptation, not an
inborn trait.'"
"Dr. Kenneth Zucker, editor of the prestigious
Archives of Sexual Behavior, noted in a recent edition
of the journal that both sides of this debate agree on
one point: that homosexual orientation is more fluid
than fixed," Dr. Byrd added.
"But what if people were 'born gay'? Looking at Dean's
religious claims, would God have designed them to be
that way?" asks Dr. Byrd. "Down Syndrome has a genetic
basis to it," he added, "but we do not view this as a
positive condition that defines who such people are.
Their designer did not intend for them to be that
way--and that holds true whether one believes the
designer was God, or the impersonal forces of
evolution."
"Even if homosexuality did have a determining genetic
component, it would remain problematic for the mental
health and physical well-being of the person engaged
in such behavior.
"Furthermore, a commitment to the basic civil rights
of gays and lesbians," Dr. Byrd added, "does not
require a belief in the false notion that
homosexuality is either a part of our created design,
or invariably fixed in all people. It's unfortunate
that Dr. Dean's political opinions are being
represented as science--it's an injustice to his
supporters, and certainly impairs his credibility as a
physician."
NARTH's web site features a special section, "Is Homosexuality
Genetic?" that contains numerous articles
analyzing the ongoing debate over this issue.
The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality was founded in 1992 and is composed of psychiatrists, psychoanalytically informed psychologists, certified social workers, and other behavioral scientists, as well as laymen in fields such as law, religion, and education.
NARTH, 16633 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 1340, Encino, CA 91436-1801
Phone: 818.789.4440
Fax: 818.789.6452
Updated: 8 February 2008
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