Introduction
In the modern world, close relationships have changed their faces to diverse forms. Customary people have been accepting and recognizing the sexual relationships between genders of the different sex or heterosexuality. Society considers the heterosexual individual as “straight” since they conform to the social norms, such as being attracted to the opposite sex. However, the heterosexual individuals have friendly relationships with other individuals of the same sex, but not the sexual relationship. Therefore, over the years the issue of homosexuality has been viewed as an action against the norms set by the society. In United States, it is estimated that heterosexual individuals dominate with 97.7 percent, while the homosexuals only scores 1.6 percent (Ward et al. 2014). However, the identification of the homosexuality has been a complex concept according to Jones et al. (2009). For instance, there are men who are married to women and sometimes engage in homosexual sex with another man. In addition, there are woman who had been married and have children and yet they claim that they are lesbian (Jones et al. 2009). Another difficulty of defining homosexuality is because it applies extensively to female and male expression (Siker, 2007). However, the narrow definition of homosexuality is a concept of being engaged or attracted to the sexual relationship of the same sex. Example of such individuals includes gays and lesbians. Due to this misconception, various debates have been raised to differentiate between the homosexuals and heterosexual individuals and whether the homosexual relationship is acceptable.
In order to determine the difference between homosexuality and heterosexuality, it is important to identify a measure of commonness between heterosexuality and homosexuality. According to Jones et al. (2009) these commonness can be distinguished into three ways; “(1) identifies his or her sexual orientation, (2) reports experiencing same-sex attraction and (3) identifies occurrences of same-sex behavior.” Therefore, in order to determine the sexual orientation of the individual, the above factors have to be considered. For example, for the individuals on the supporting homosexuality, a person can be said to be gay or a lesbian if he or she shows experiences of same-sex attraction. On the other hand, an individual can be said to be “straight” if he shows interest for the opposite sex attraction, which is considered as normal.
Homosexuality and heterosexual have dissimilar characteristics and behaviors related to health. Research conducted by Theo et al. (2001) indicated that homosexuality is connected to the psychiatric diseases such as anxiety and mood disorders. The study suggested that the psychiatric disorders prevailed more in homosexuals compared to the active heterosexuals. Heterosexual men were observed to have higher rates of anxiety and mood disorders. Although the heterosexual and homosexual have similarity in dysthymia, the homosexual individuals have higher chances of having lifetime major depressions. However, the psychiatric diseases were more evident to the male homosexuals compared to the female ones. This is because of the general assumption that the women are more vulnerable to moods and anxiety compared to men. However, in the long-run, the homosexual women have a higher prevalence of major depression and general moods disorders compared to the heterosexual women. Hatzenbuehler (2011) also found out that the gay, lesbian and bisexual (LGB) people have a higher rate of psychiatric disorders compared to the heterosexuals. Significantly, Hatzenbuehler (2011) suggested that the most LGB have advantage over the heterosexuals because they do not have mental-health problem.
The homosexual individuals show a high level of anxiety and mood disorder because they are more vulnerable to risks than the heterosexuals. The homosexuals are rejected by various societies, and hence feel more isolated than the heterosexuals. Economic hardships and social isolation are the main risk factors that homosexual encounter while these factors can be seen as privileges to the heterosexuals. In terms of economic difficulties, the heterosexual people suffer from losing job or being isolated in the working environment, and failure to secure job even though they are qualified. As a result, such hardships facilitate the moods and anxiety disorders among the homosexuals. On the social isolation perspective, the homosexuals are yet to be accepted in many societies and hence suffer from discrimination and isolation from the neighbors, friends, and workmates among others. As a result, the social isolation has a positive relationship with the psychiatric disorders (Hatzenbuehler, 2011). For the parents who are homosexual, the study has shown that their children are also subjected to higher chances of having depression and psychiatric disorder just like their parents (Herek, 2006). This is a clear illustration that although there is legal recognition of the homosexuality, the society has not fully accepted them. For instance, in some states of United States, the constitution provides right to marriage between same-sex individuals. As a result, this has raised many issues concerning the homosexuality relationships, the institutions of marriage, children, and nature of the same-sex couples.
Most of the issues raised against homosexuality are concerning modern societal values and the religious issues leading to discrimination and isolation of the homosexuals. From a societal perspective, the central argument against the homosexual marriage is that the main purpose of the marriage is to enhance reproduction in society. Therefore, people prefer the heterosexual to homosexual because many individuals argue that it is impossible to a gay or a lesbian to reproduce without the sexual intercourse with the opposite sex. However, due to the modern technology in the health sector, this argument has lost its meaning. Nowadays, it is evident that the women are conceiving baby without the direct sexual intercourse with men through the technology of sperm banking and test tube babies. This argument also fails to consider that couples who are heterosexuals, but they cannot bear children. Therefore, restricting homosexuality marriage on these grounds can be seen as a discriminatory practice. When determining who to marry who, the policy and lawmakers should consider marriage as a human right but not privilege to the heterosexuals. According to Herek (2006), both heterosexual and homosexuals should be given the right to marriage. In his study, he suggested that the marriage has numerous psychosocial protections and benefits regardless whether the marriage partners are heterosexual or homosexuals. Therefore, providing marriage right only to the heterosexuals can be seen as a privileged right to the heterosexuals, hence discriminative. As a result, this makes the homosexuals experience more stress and isolation and hence higher risk of developing physical and psychological illness. Thus, denying the homosexuals right to marriage subjects them to negative effects on their well-being and eventually develops obstacles and challenges to their relationships, hence less privileged than the heterosexuals.
In conclusion, it is evident that there have been discriminative actions between the homosexuals and heterosexuals. According to Kurdek (2006), the close relationships in heterosexual and homosexual work in a similar way despite the difference in structure. Although the heterosexuality and homosexuality are both gender preference and sexual oriented, the heterosexuals have prevalence over the homosexuals. As expounded above, the homosexuals were observed to have higher rates of mood and anxiety conditions compared to the heterosexuals. The psychiatric illness among the homosexuals is caused by risks such as being rejected by societies and in the workforce, and hence they feel more isolated than the heterosexuals. Therefore, the homosexuals should be shielded from these risks just like the heterosexuals. The issue of reproduction in the society and the religion views should not be used as a ground to limit the homosexuals’ relationships because such arguments are discriminative.
References
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