1.
Sexual
Orientation
and Gender
Identity

2.
Definitions
 Asexual
 Bisexual
 Closeted
 Coming Out
 Gender
 Gender Confirming/Sex
Reassignment Surgery
 Gender Dysphoria
 Homosexual
 Intergender
 Intersexed Person
 Lesbian
 LGBT/LGBTQ/LGBTQI
 Pangendered
 Pansexual
 Queer
 Sex
 Transgender

3.
“Born This Way”? Homosexuality
 APA
 “no consensus among
scientists”
 “Most people experience
little or no sense of choice”
 Theories of origin
 Genetic (allele)
 Hormonal
 Developmental
 Social
 Cultural
 Evelyn Hooker, 1957: Not
environmental (removed as
disorder from DSM)
 Prof. Richard Pillard: Probably
biologically determined

4.
Is Homosexuality Curable?
 DSM no longer classifies
homosexuality as a disorder
(since 1973)
 psychology doesn't think it
needs "cured“
 Rehab/reorientation for
homosexuality
 Techniques can include
 Shock therapy
 Prayer
 Exorcisms
 Hypnotism
 Aversion therapy
 Counseling with pastor or
counselor
 Many of these techniques
both dangerous and
unscientific
 Linked to increase in
depression and suicide
 Some success stories exist,
but more negative than
positive results

5.
“Born this way”? Gender
 Popularly thought to be social construct
 There are people who identify as more than just male and
female (agender, pangender, etc.), so society believes gender is
a continuum
 APA states “no single explanation for why some people are
transgender”
 May be due to genetics, prenatal hormones, and life
experiences

6.
Is Gender Dysphoria Curable?
 No techniques found
 Secular treatment is available to help deal with the distress
caused by gender dysphoria
 One “cure” that exists is sex reassignment surgery
 Treatment tends to change the body to match the mind rather
than changing the mind to match the body
 Under secular concept of gender fluidity, identity can
change over time, but it shouldn't be forced to change

7.
Statistics and Prevalence
 Adults that identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual ranges from
1.7% to 5.6% (multiple surveys)
 3.5% of US adults identify as LGB, and .3% identify as
transgender (about 9 million LGBT) (UCLA Williams Institute)
 Other surveys found that 0.5% to 2% of population feel
transgender
 8.2% of Americans=same-sex sexual behavior (19 million)
 11%=some same-sex attraction (25.6 million)

8.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Celebrities
 Tom Daley
 Jim Nabors
 Anderson Cooper
 Jim Parsons
 Sara Gilbert
 Neil Patrick Harris
 Michael Sam
 Lady Gaga
 Drew Barrymore

9.
Transgender Celebrities
 Balian Buschbaum
 Chaz Bono
 Carmen Carrera
 Lana Wachowski
 Thomas Beatie
 Candis Cayne
 Rocco “Katastrophe” Kayiatos
 Laverne Cox
 Bradley (Chelsea) Manning

10.
Resources on Scriptural and Lutheran
Response
 YouTube Video: "The Church and Homosexuality: A Model Dialogue“
 Bible study: Christian Perspective: Homosexuality by Daniel W. Puls
(can be found at CPH.org)
 CTCR documents (can be found at LCMS.org):
 Human Sexuality
 Gender Dysphoria
 Homosexuality: A Christian Response
 Article and video: Baptized, Not Gay by Rev. Mark Buetow
(Higherthings.org)