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My philosophy professor thinks that homosexuality is a psychological illness!

Discussion in 'Family, Friends, and Relationships' started by Spirits, Oct 2, 2015.

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  1. Spirits

    Spirits
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    I'm shocked!
    This is literally the best philosophy professor on our highschool and my favorite,
    she's like friends with all of us.
    In fact, I was hoping too come out to her soon , just for the fact that she's "well educated" and "well experienced" and that will be useful for me later in life , as she would be able to give me advice and such.

    All that unfortunately went to vain!
    Earlier this morning in class, 1 of my classmates miss spelled a word and said " Homo" instead of "perfection" (in Arabic of course)
    Then she laughed about it and said "that would be a huge problem"
    So a friend of mine kindly asked her what's the problem and she said that homosexuality is a psychological illness caused by repressed experiences in the subconscious, and went further to explain that most those who "turn" gay (talking about men) have either been raped in a certain way or an other during their childhood or had 1 of his parents gone/in jail.

    So I told her that those are just rare cases and that homosexuality is a natural thing , and it has proven that it exists among more than 1000's species of animals , and that babies are born homosexual and not turned into ones, as it has to do with chromosomes more than it has to do with the conditions you were raised in.
    And that psychologists in the US confirmed so , and said that homosexuality is a medical condition more than it's a psychological thing.

    Our teacher then ended her conversation saying that those are just rare cases , hence were the word "gay" comes from and then made a joke about gay marriage when she said " Imagine 20 years from now you will get a wedding invitation that says you are invited to the wedding of Mr X and Mr Y , how will that even work and who will come"
    And moved back to her lesson.

    I really didn't get why every one laughed while she said that cos I really didn't see anything wrong with gay marriage o.o , I mean , I want to get married someday T_T, why shouldn't be something normal.


    This was a shocking thing hear , if some 1 at her position ( a philosophy teacher who always talks about diversity and how it is a crucial thing for our existence) says something as stupid and retarded as this...

    Now my biggest fears is that she might find out that I'm gay just from reading my Essays , cos she always encourages us to express all of our thoughts logically in her essays and that's what I always do , I always talk about diversity and mentality and the misjudgment of the men of power in our society (which includes sexual orientation)
    And what would her reaction be if she finds out?
    I don't want her to put a wall between us cos I'm basically one of her best students and she usually compliments me about my work in class =.=
     
    #1 Spirits, Oct 2, 2015
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2015
  2. wanderinggirl

    wanderinggirl
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    Ugh I don't get that argument anyways because what, homosexuality is an illness caused by abuse so lets punish those who were abused for being gay? Second of all, science is NOT on her side; there's no evidence for what she's talking about. Where's the proof, lady?

    As for her wedding example, she shouldn't worry about it because no two men getting married would ever invite her to their wedding. In the U.S., among many circles gay marriage is considered totally normal and equal to straight marriage. Society just needs to evolve. Also it doesn't even have to be a marriage ceremony; for some people it'd be enough just to get legal protections afforded to straight couples.

    Rant over.

    Idk, maybe treat this as any professional relationship? Like, if you have a homophobic boss or coworker, just avoid that topic of conversation? Not every academic mentor needs to be involved in your personal life. Alternatively, you can get into her good graces and then write an essay about how ignorant her views are. It's unlikely to change anything but you might feel like you've at least spoken up for yourself.
     
    #2 wanderinggirl, Oct 2, 2015
  3. Spirits

    Spirits
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    I didn't get her arguments either, she made no sense.
    Also, she didn't say they should be punished, nooooo what she said is much worse than that, "they need a psychological help in order to turn them back to straight".

    Anyway, I really can't hold myself back from writing an essay that opposes her views and let her read it..
    Right now I'm doing so in a "passive aggressive" way so that she gets the point but at the same time she won't suspect that I'm gay (even though I act a little feminine sometimes)
     
    #3 Spirits, Oct 2, 2015
  4. resu

    resu
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    She speaks from ignorance, and unfortunately that's the case for many "educated" people who have never seriously considered LGBT issues. I once worked with a man who is a research scientist with a PhD., but he was Indian and had similar "explanations" of homosexuality (i.e. gays were just men who are alcoholics and unhappy about their marriages...).
     
    #4 resu, Oct 2, 2015
  5. Lone Dragon

    Lone Dragon
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    She shouldn't have said that. She should have known better to express those kind of views in a classroom of all places. Teachers should be people who you feel comfortable coming to for help or advice for some things.

    I agree it is ignorance. I find it surprising at some of the statements she made. Her opinions are so outdated. I would just keep the relationship professional and she will just be one of those teachers you once had. You may never change her perspective and I think it is better to write what you want, but just focus on getting a good grade in the class. There can/will be many other teachers you may grow to like over time that will replace her. She is not worth it if you can't feel comfortable around her.
     
    #5 Lone Dragon, Oct 2, 2015
  6. KaelTail

    KaelTail
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    I'm half-joking here, but if I were you, and I were 100 times more ballsy than I really am, I would wait until the end of the year and have my last essay be about how I, a gay student, had to listen to a teacher I looked up to and felt safe around, unknowingly hurt me with their ignorant words, and how preaching hate in a classroom forces children to live in fear.

    But seriously, that is terrible. Teachers should really know better than to say such things in class. Even if it is what they believe, they need to consider how much power they have over the safety of the students they are responsible for.
     
    #6 KaelTail, Oct 2, 2015
  7. PatrickUK

    PatrickUK
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    She should stick to philosophy and leave psychology to people who understand. Let's get one thing absolutely clear - homosexuality is not a mental illness and it cannot be cured with therapy or through prayer or any other kind of intervention.

    The World Health Organisation does not recognise homosexuality as a mental disorder/illness and all reputable organisations representing Psychiatrists, Therapists and other mental health professionals agree. It sounds like your professor may be blinkered by the prevailing opinion in your country.
     
    #7 PatrickUK, Oct 3, 2015
  8. Spirits

    Spirits
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    I'm sure that she made such statements cos being straight it taken for granted in this country, no 1 knew that homosexuality existed, obviously cos we were all in the closet.
    It was not until US legalized gay marriage that some homosexuals found the courage to come out and to stand for their rights by demanding the removal of the law against homosexuality(this law clearly says that being in a gay relationship is illegal)

    That's actually a good idea
     
    #8 Spirits, Oct 3, 2015
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2015
  9. Lone Dragon

    Lone Dragon
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    omg I'm sorry to hear that.(*hug*) I didn't notice where you were from. It saddens me that your teacher would be making comments like that about homosexuality in your school. I would feel so uncomfortable around her. I wouldn't want to talk to her again, but I hope you can at least enjoy learning in her class about philosophy and only philosophy. It is a cool class.
     
    #9 Lone Dragon, Oct 3, 2015
  10. Spirits

    Spirits
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    Thank you :3
    Yea, I'm just shocked cos I thought I would cross an other person of my coming out list lol
    I mean , a philosophy teacher/a cool person would be really helpful in my situation.
    But I guess that will never happen,
    I did come out to my English teacher though :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: , she's cool ;o.

    Anyway, I do love philosophy indeed, I'm just annoyed now cos I will have to start paying attention to what I'm saying/writing from now on.
     
    #10 Spirits, Oct 4, 2015
  11. bubbles123

    bubbles123 Guest

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    Studies have proven that really homophobic people are often gay or bisexual themselves and overcompensate to refute their same-sex attractions because they're really in denial. And since she's an otherwise educated, smart person, who knows?:slight_smile:
     
    #11 bubbles123, Oct 8, 2015
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