NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/soc/motss/54576

Text File | 1993-01-02 | 1.9 KB | 42 lines

Newsgroups: soc.motss
Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!csus.edu!netcom.com!solovay
From: [e-mail] (Andrew Solovay)
Subject: Re: Apples and oranges (was Re: Why not cure homosexuality?)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Organization: Free Faerie Front
References: <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 23:13:35 GMT
Lines: 31

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Rica Fredrickson) writes:
>[e-mail] (Andrew Solovay) writes:
>> learning how to *change* the situation. Gender reassignment is
>> still imperfect at best, but we're learning more all the time.
>>
>> In a hundred years, it may be the same for homosexuality (and, of
>> course, heterosexuality). People who feel uncomfortable about
>> their orientation might be able to change it at will. For that
>> matter, they may be able to change their left-or-right
>
>Mmm, I think you're comparing apples and oranges.  Changing sexual
>orientation would be more analogous to changing the underlying
>psychological gender identity.  Gender reassignment doesn't do that;
>the premise is to help a person be comfortable with the gender
>identity they already have, and when the HBIGDA standard of care is
>followed it seems to do that pretty well, judging from people in
>my circle of friends who've been through it.

Well, it was just an analogy. (The fun thing about analogies is
that they let you compare apples and origins.) My point was that
there is no value judgement attached to being male or female, but
some people (for whatever reason) are unhappy with the sex they
start with, so they're able to change. Similarly, one can discuss
changing a sexual orientation without attaching judgement to it.
(And when we discuss it, the conclusion we reach is "It can't be
done (yet).")
--
Andrew Solovay

"I is not now, nor has I ever been, a Human Bein'!"
                ---Pogo Possum