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January 2001

Dr. Pollack is so wrong on homosexuality that it’s difficult to understand what is motivating him. Although it’s true that some new information has been discovered since his book was published in 1998, he is totally out-of-date.

He begins by saying that between 5%-10% of men are homosexual. But most people are now agreed that it is less than 3%. He says that homosexuality was deleted as a disorder by psychiatrists “by 1980,” whereas the accurate statement is that it was deleted not “by” 1980 but “in” 1972.

He makes this arrogant statement: “Today, even the most conservative psychoanalysts are beginning to accept that homosexuality is a normal part of human life and that being gay is not something that mental health professionals should attempt to change (or that they can change.)”

Has Dr. Pollack not heard about the organization of mental health professionals who do help homosexuals to change their orientation? Has he not heard about the psychiatrist who led the fight in the American Psychiatric Association in 1972 to remove homosexuality from the list of “disorders,” Dr. Robert Spitzer? This doctor has examined some of the patients who have made the change to heterosexuality and he supports their claims that they have changed.

When Pollack wrote the book in 1998, there were still some people who believed the “gay gene” theory, but there are practically none today.

Pollack wrote about the “scientific findings” he has presented in his book. He says they are endorsed by the changing attitudes of our society. But he didn’t present any “scientific findings.” He made the extreme statement that “all of science” says there’s no link between a boy’s early behavior and their adult orientation.

He reports that “even” the Catholic Church is “offering words of support” as though the church approves the practice. Whereas, the truth is that the Catholic Church, like most people, tells parents to love and support their “homosexual” child, but not to embrace the practice. (The full text of their Catechism of 1997 is in the sidebar.)

He claims “there is simply no evidence” that childhood experiences can be a cause of homosexuality. He should address that statement to Dr. Spitzer or to the other professionals who belong to the organization of psychologists and psychiatrists who can show him plenty of evidence. Pollack still writes about the discarded “gay gene” theory. He states that people are “probably” born with a “predominant orientation toward either the opposite sex or the same sex.” He cites an old study about twins that is 45-years-old without mentioning the newer ones and he cites a study of the brain which has been heavily criticized by other scientists. The author of that latter study went on to found the Institute of Gay and Lesbian Education.

He ends this chapter with a discussion about the “serious health crisis” that we have because of AIDS and then says, “Taking the necessary precautions is easy.” Easy?

There is no precaution that will guarantee protection from AIDS! What a terrible thing to  advise parents of vulnerable teenagers.

He also gives a boost to the Gay/Straight Alliances that we have in Massachusetts and recommends that more states should adopt them. “Fortunately in some schools and communities there are now special awareness programs that teach teenage kids about gay and lesbian issues. Some states, such as Massachusetts, have a statewide task force dedicated to developing social and educational programs specifically for gay adolescents.”

We’re All Homosexual
Dr. Pollack believes that we are all homosexual. “[T]here is every reason to believe that homosexuality and heterosexuality are not absolutes, that substantial gray areas exist. Not everybody is 100 percent homosexual or 100 percent heterosexual. In addition to people who are “bisexual” – who feel a strong romantic pull toward people of both sexes – there are many gay people who sometimes have heterosexual feelings or experiences, and many straight people who sometimes have homosexual feelings or experiences.

“Indeed, if we accept that homosexuals, by definition, are predominately attracted to people of the same sex, it is implicit that some homosexuals –  or perhaps some small part of almost every homosexual – feels attracted to a certain extent to people of the opposite sex. Likewise, if we accept that heterosexuals, by definition, are predominately attracted to the other gender, it must also be true that some heterosexuals – or some small part of almost every heterosexual – feels drawn in one way or another to members of the same sex. Determining our sexual orientation, at the end of the day, is not about finding simple black and white answers. Our sexual identity is almost always complex, unclear, confusing.”