No.Mostreputablemedicalandpsychologicalassociations，suchastheAmericanPsychologicalAssociationandtheAmericanPsychiatricAssociation，agreethathomosexualityisnotadiseaseorconditionand，thus，thatitcannotandshouldnotbetreatedorcured.However，therearereligiousgroupsandhospitalsthatdoadvocate“curing”homosexualitythroughcounseling，prayer，andtherapy.Somehomosexualsseekoutsuchorganizationstohelpthembecomeheterosexual.
Objectivestudieshaveshownthatthistreatmentfailsandmayevenperpetuateseriousproblems.Thosewhoundergothistreatmentdesiresomuchtobe“normal”asaresultofsocialorreligiouspressurethattheyultimatelyrepresstheirsexualdesires，whichcancauseintensepsychologicaldamage，includinganxiety，depression，anddrugoralcoholaddiction.Manyso-called“ex-gays”oftenlivecelibatelivesorstruggletomakeheterosexualmarriageswork.Others，whohaveundergonetreatment，havereturnedtobeinggayandadmittedthatthetreatmentfailed.
14.WhatistherelationshipbetweengaysandAIDS？
ThereisnoscientificconnectionbetweenhomosexualsandtheAIDSvirus.AtonetimepeoplebelievedthatallgayshadAIDSorthatonlygayscouldcontractAIDS，because，intheearlyyearsofthedisease，thegaycommunitywasstrucksodisproportionatelyhardbythevirusthatAIDSbecameknownas“thegaydisease”.Graduallypeoplerealizedthatstraightmenandwomenoftencontractedthediseaseaswell，anddoctorsunderstoodthatthevirusistransmittedbyexchangesofcertainbodilyfluids，especiallybloodandsemen.ItisnowuniversallyacknowledgedthattheriskofexposuretoHIVresultsfromanindividual’sbehaviorandnottheirsexualorientation.
GaysareneitherthesourcenorthesolecarriersoftheAIDSvirus.Theyaremerelyonegroupofthe40millionvictimsworld-wide.Manyofthesevictimsfaceostracism，discrimination，andviolencefrompeoplewhofearthattheycouldbecomeeasilyinfectedwiththevirusorfrompeoplewhoassociateAIDSwithcertainsocialgroupsthattheyoppose.Casualcontact，liketouchingorholdinghands，breathing，andsharingrestrooms
cannotspreadthedisease.Thebestwaystoavoidthevirusarenottoshareneedlesandpracticesafe-sex.Practicingsafe-sexmeansusinganew，cleancondomeverytime.
15.Whydogaysandlesbiansflaunttheirsexuality？
Aperson’ssexualityorsexualorientationispartoftheiridentity.Whilenotallgaysandlesbianschooseto“comeout”ormaketheirsexualorientationpublic，manydoandchoosetopubliclyexhibitprideinthispartoftheiridentity.Theymightdothisbyholdinghandsinpublic，marchingingayprideparades，orevensimplytalkingabouttheirpartnersorrelationships.Forgaymenandwomenthisisawaytoavoidbeingperceivedasheterosexualandtoliveanhonestlife.Everyoneseekstofreelyexpressthemselvesinsomeway，andmostgaypeopledosowithoutstraightpeopleevernoticing.Manygaymenandwomenmayalsomaketheirsexualitypublictoincreasetoleranceandawarenessaboutgayissues.
16.Ishomosexualityimmoral？
Whetherhomosexualityisimmoralwillcertainlydependonwhooneasks，butitisclearthatinthelastseveraldecadesmoreandmorepeoplebelievethatitismorallyacceptable.RecentpollsalsoshowthattherearesignificantdifferencesofopiniononthisissuebetweenAmericansdependingontheirage，location，politicalaffiliation，andreligiousbeliefs.Becauseattitudeshavediffered，itwouldbewrongtosaythathomosexualityhasorisgenerallyoralwaysregardedasimmoral.Manyscholarsandofficialsaroundtheworldhavenotedthatviewsonthemoralityofhomosexualityarechangingforthebetter，muchinthesamewaythatthebeliefthatinterracialmarriagewasimmoralchangedmarkedlyoverthecourseofthe20thcentury.
17.InthewestCountries，areallreligionsagainsthomosexuality？
No.Allreligionsarenotagainsthomosexualityandmanyreligiouspeopleopenlyaccepthomosexuals.Manygaysandlesbiansarereligiousindividualsandmembersofchurches.SeveralchurchesintheUnitedStateshavesignificantgayandlesbianpopulationsandsomeofthemalsohavegayandlesbianministers.CongregationsintheMethodistChurch，theAnglicanChurch，theUnitarianChurch，andtheLutheranChurch，amongothers，haveshowntolerancetowardsgaysandlesbians.Somechurcheshave，despitethegovernment’snon-recognitionofgaymarriageinmostplaces，beguntoperformsame-sexmarriageceremonies.Thereisnothinginherentlyincompatibleabouthomosexualityandreligion.
Studieshaveshown，however，thatreligionisoneofthemajorcausesofintolerancetowardshomosexualsandthatareaswithahigherpercentageofdevoutlyreligiouspeopletendtobemoreanti-gay.Somechurcheshavehadintenseinternaldebatesaboutallowinggaymenandwomentoserveasministersandtheissuehaseventhreatenedtodividechurchleaders.
18.Ishomosexualityorhomosexualbehavioracrime？
Anincreasingnumberofcountriesaroundtheworldhaveabolishedlawsthatcriminalizehomosexualsexualconduct，andveryfewnationshaveevercriminalizedtheactualstatusofbeinghomosexual.TheearliestlawscriminalizinghomosexualsexualconductcomefromJewishandChristianreligioustexts.Consequently，manyChristianandMuslimnationsoriginallybannedand，insomecases，stillbanhomosexualintercourse.Forexample，theIslamicRepublicofIranstrictlyforbidshomosexualintercourseandexecutesmensuspectedofbeinggay.Othernationsmaypunishhomosexualbehaviorundermoregeneralstatutesrelatingtomoralityorsexualbehavior.
