Risks admitted

Homosexual Group Admits Health Risks
By David Brody

SUMMARY: A homosexual medical group admits something that gays have long denied: The gay lifestyle leads to a host of medical problems.

Homosexuals have higher risks for certain physical and emotional diseases. That's not the opinion of a pro-family group, but rather the findings from the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. The study lists nearly a dozen afflictions that affect homosexuals more than heterosexuals - including depression, drug abuse and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Peter LaBarbera, associate director of the Culture and Family Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based pro-family group, underscored the fact that this report was not prepared by a heterosexual group. "It's hard to blame it all on the homophobes when you're citing STDs, AIDS, emotional trauma, all the things that go along with homosexuality," LaBarbera said. "So now, we have it right from the horse's mouth, as it were."

While the report goes on to justify the problems because they say the homosexual community is constantly under a lot of stress, LaBarbera said the facts cannot be denied. "(Homosexual activists) try to blame this, once in a while, on homophobia or alleged bigotry, et cetera. But when it comes right down to it, there are (simply) more health risks (to homosexuality)," LaBarbera said. "What we would like to see is the Health and Human Services (Department) under Tommy Thompson order a study of the health risks of homosexuality."

The gay community claims that homosexuality is a condition one is born with, and that homosexuals would never choose a lifestyle with so many health risks. But the Rev. Lou Sheldon, of the Traditional Values Coalition, disagrees that homosexuality is innate. "Never has a journal of medicine ever said, 'Here is the gay gene,'" Sheldon said. "It isn't to be found because (homosexuality is) behavior-based."

Clearly, that behavior is taking its toll on the homosexual community. Repeated calls to the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association did not yield a response.

Interestingly, the report says that in the last few years, many homosexuals have returned to unsafe sex practices. Moreover, homosexuals also have an increased risk for hepatitis and various forms of cancer.