da, only reports the facts, and makes no judgements. This is an interesting premise - let's see if it holds true in the scientific field of psychology. The vote upon the question of whether homosexuality ought to be considered a mental disease was put before the American Psychiatric Association in 1973. The subsequent decision to remove homosexuality from the DSM-IV list of disorders brought huge political conflict. "The status of homosexuality is a political question, representing a historically rooted, socially determined choice regarding the ends of human sexuality" (Bayer, 185). The discussion by Bayer goes on to reveal many more important sociological issues including how the formulation of homosexuality as a psychological "disorder" forced the APA to look at how social values influence psychiatry. Bayer cites Peter Sedgwick's essay, "Illness - Mental and otherwise." He credits the antipsychiatrists with having made it clear that "mental illness is a social construction," and that "psychiatry is a social institution incorporating the values and demands of its surrounding society" (Bayer, p. 193). Some would even go so far as to say that "all concepts of health and disease are informed by human values" (Bayer, p. 193). These values are what serve to help define the concepts of disorders and illness. Bulimia - it's an eating "disorder." Or is it society's pressure for women to look like thin and beautiful models? Homosexuality - it' s a mental "disease." Or is it simply exhibiting another form of sexual behavior? If it is a variant of sexuality, we know from NARTH, it certainly isn't "normal." However, "Normality and health cannot be understood in the abstract, rather they depend on cultural norms, society's expectations and values, professional biases, individual differences, and the political climate of the times" (Bayer, p. 182). This is why tradition has been able to classify a broad range of behaviors...
