International medical authorities' position statements on homosexuality

=American Psychiatric Association=

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/sexual-orientation.aspx

"Research indicates that many lesbians and gay men want and have committed relationships. For example, survey data indicate that between 40 percent and 60 percent of gay men and between 45 percent and 80 percent of lesbians are currently involved in a romantic relationship. Further, data from the 2000 U.S. Census indicate that of the 5.5 million couples who were living together but not married, about 1 in 9 (594,391) had partners of the same sex. Although the census data are almost certainly an underestimate of the actual number of cohabiting same-sex couples, they indicate that there are 301,026 male same-sex households and 293,365 female same-sex households in the United States.

Stereotypes about lesbian, gay and bisexual people have persisted, even though studies have found them to be misleading. For instance, one stereotype is that the relationships of lesbians and gay men are dysfunctional and unhappy. However, studies have found same-sex and heterosexual couples to be equivalent to each other on measures of relationship satisfaction and commitment.

A second stereotype is that the relationships of lesbians, gay men and bisexual people are unstable. However, despite social hostility toward same-sex relationships, research shows that many lesbians and gay men form durable relationships. For example, survey data indicate that between 18 percent and 28 percent of gay couples and between 8 percent and 21 percent of lesbian couples have lived together 10 or more years. It is also reasonable to suggest that the stability of same-sex couples might be enhanced if partners from same-sex couples enjoyed the same levels of support and recognition for their relationships as heterosexual couples do (i.e., legal rights and responsibilities associated with marriage).

A third common misconception is that the goals and values of lesbian and gay couples are different from those of heterosexual couples. In fact, research has found that the factors that influence relationship satisfaction, commitment and stability are remarkably similar for both same-sex cohabiting couples and heterosexual married couples."

=American Psychological Association=

http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/policy/index.aspx

"...homosexuality is a normal expression of human sexual orientation that poses no inherent obstacle to leading a happy, healthy, and productive life, including the capacity to form healthy and mutually satisfying intimate relationships with another person of the same sex and to raise healthy and well-adjusted children, as documented by several professional organizations (American Psychiatric Association, 1974; American Psychological Association, 2004a, 2004b; Conger, 1975, National Association of Social Workers, 2003);  ... many gay men and lesbians, like their heterosexual counterparts, desire to form stable, long-lasting, and committed intimate relationships and are successful in doing so (Gates, 2006; Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2001; Herek, Norton, Allen, & Sims 2010; Peplau & Fingerhut, 2007; Simmons & O’Connell, 2003)"

=World Health Organization=

http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6803&Itemid=1926

"Services that purport to "cure" people with non-heterosexual sexual orientation lack medical justification and represent a serious threat to the health and well-being of affected people,"

=Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK=

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/rcpsychposstatementsexorientation.pdf

"There is now a large body of research evidence that indicates that being gay, lesbian or bisexual is compatible with normal mental health and social adjustment."

=Health Promotion Board, Singapore=

http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/HPB056342

"Homosexuality and bisexuality are not mental illnesses. Studies show that sexual orientation has no bearing on mental health or emotional stability."

"A same-sex relationship is not too different from a heterosexual relationship. Both take the commitment of two people. It’s also a connection of two families, cultures and sometimes racial backgrounds and values."

=See also=

=References=