Sexual Orientation

• Sexual orientation is broken down into three categories: heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality

Heterosexuality:

• men are emotionally, spiritually and physically attracted to women
• women are emotionally, spiritually and physically attracted to men

Homosexuality:

• Men who are emotionally, spiritually and physically attracted to men (gay)
• Women who are emotionally, spiritually and physically attracted to women (lesbian)

Bisexuality:

•  Men or women who are emotionally, spiritually and physically attracted to either men or women

For the purpose of simplicity - gay will be used as an inclusive term meaning gay, lesbians and bisexuals 

Facts:

• üExperts believe that 10% of the population is gay.
• üMany gay people will recognize that there is something different about themselves as early as the age 4 or 5
• üIn 1973, the American Psychiatric Association eliminated homosexuality from it's list of metal disorders. However, this elimination did not result in the elimination of homophobia within the segments of the psychiatric community. It is still possible for influential "homophobic" psychiatrists to serve on subcommittees, which develop criteria for psychiatric diagnoses within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of the APA.