Public recognition that BL is an orientation?
Submitted by Mark on August 31 1999 at 22:57:18
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I just found something on the web that surprised me. It was the first time I have seen a non-BL site that publicly admits that pedophilia may be an orientation. Maybe the admission itself is not so revolutionary, but I think the context of it is notable. It is the website of GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) which advocates to eliminate homophobia in schools. The site contains an article entitled "SCIENCE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION & IDENTITY: AN OVERVIEW", by Warren J. Blumenfeld. I am including the significant excerpt below, but there are many other interesting and insightful points in the article. See the link below for the whole thing. Mark "Sexual (or Erotic) Orientation: This is determined by whom we are sexually (or erotically) attracted -- our sexual/erotic drives, desires, fantasies. Categories of sexual orientation include homosexuals -- gay, lesbian -- attracted to some members of the same sex; bisexuals, attracted to some members of both sexes to varying degrees; heterosexuals, attracted to some members of the other sex; and asexuals, attracted to neither sex. Some sexuality researchers suggest that pederasts (or pedophiles) -- adults sexually/erotically attracted to children) might constitute a separate category of sexual orientation. "Sexual orientation is believed to be influenced by a variety of factors including genetics and hormones, as well as unknown environmental factors. Though the origins of sexual orientation are not completely understood, it is generally believed to be established during early childhood, usually before the age of five." |