Irvine’s Measure N and the Issues of Human Rights and Privacy

I recently read a half-page advertisement in the Irvine World News urging Yes on Measure N, that is, urging the removal of “sexual orientation” from the list of protected categories that prohibit discrimination. The ad claims that Measure N gives “special protection to homosexuals” and will lead to molesting of innocent Boy Scouts, will allow recruitment of young people to the gay life style and make homosexuality an acceptable alternative life style.

There are many counter-responses to such irrational false advertising, but I want to make one basic and simple point that has been made a thousand times and will have to be made a thousand times again before closed minds begin to open: Sexual orientation is not a chosen human trait.

Homosexual orientation, just like heterosexual orientation, is a very complex psychophysiological process that occurs very early in life. The vast majority of gay and lesbian adults say they can remember homosensual or homoerotic (versus homosexual) memories going back well before the age of 10. How is it remotely conceivable that such a sexually naive and immature child could possibly have the awareness and understanding sufficient to consciously choose one’s sexual orientation?

It is not possible. There is no developmental or behavioral evidence anywhere that sexual orientation could be a choice at such a premature stage of growth.

Yet the opposition chooses to ignore this basic fact of nature. A person’s gender or race is not a belief system or chosen trait. These are readily accepted by the opposition as involuntary human conditions, yet when it comes to sexual orientation, a kind of irrational blindness takes hold, and they want to proclaim this a chosen and voluntary trait. It is like saying that people who are left-handed are that way because they chose it at some point in their lives.

And so, should sexual orientation be included as protected status in our society? Judge for yourself: I used to know someone who recalled very early childhood memories of same-gender attraction, at about 4 years of age. He didn’t know what it was, he just liked to be in the presence of his preschool teacher.

Nothing ever happened. It was much too early. Then when he was a 31-year-old gay adult, something did happen. He was beaten to death after leaving a church meeting. The last human words he ever heard were obscenities being shouted at him--because of his sexual orientation--something he never freely or consciously chose to put into his personality.

Those who support Measure N in Irvine are shouting similar obscenities today.

RICHARD AMMON

Laguna Beach

Ammon is a clinical psychologist.