9 Feb 2006
'Today' newspaper, Voices section
Is homosexuality truly normal?
Scientific and medical communities are divided on whether it is a disorder
I refer to the view presented in your article, "Why Liberty League was offered funds" (Jan 25), to the effect that "scientific and medical communities had established that homosexuality was not a disorder".
I am nonplussed by this statement as it is not borne out by facts. Firstly, homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) until 1973.
After pressure tactics from homosexual activists — including riots and disruptions of APA meetings — the APA buckled. Psychiatric experts were led to negotiate the pathological status of homosexuality with homosexuals themselves.
Science was politicised and, hence, carried no probative value as scientific truth.
On this issue, the scientific and medical communities are divided in opinion. It is incorrect to assert that scientific and medical communities had established that homosexuality was not a disorder.
The APA, in removing homosexuality from its list of disorders, was forced to narrow the definition of psychological disorders. Numerous pathological conditions such as paedophilia, voyeurism, fetishism, sexual sadism and masochism fall outside the new revised definition of psychological disorders.
Dr Robert Spitzer of the APA, who played a pivotal role in removing homosexuality from the DSM list of mental disorders, dealt with this point by saying that if the sadists and fetishists were to organise as did the gay activists, they too might find their conditions "normalised".
In a subsequent study where he investigated the claims of former homosexuals, Dr Spitzer concluded there was credible evidence that change was possible and that the homosexuality trait was not fixed. In an interview, he had said that those who denied change was possible "have not been honest and (have not) taken the time to do the research".
A disservice is done to the public by not disclosing the real state of affairs — good corporate governance calls for accuracy and transparency in media reporting so that it can better serve the people of Singapore.
Your article also put forth the view expressed that Liberty League was backed by a Christian group and implied that therefore it was disqualified from receiving funding from NVPC. This view is misleading.
It pre-supposes that it is wrong for the Government to provide funding to any organisation that seeks to promote the welfare of the people if the members of the organisation profess a religion (about 80 per cent of the population). Only people without any religious convictions may participate.
This attitude is disruptive of a multi- religious society. It elevates secular humanism above all the other religions practised in Singapore.
Secular humanism is neither morally neutral nor proven to be morally superior. Singaporeans should be aware of the pitfalls of such arguments which seek to deny the relevance of one's religious values in any matter of public interest, and to erode the religious freedom guaranteed to the people of Singapore under the Constitution.
NVPC funding of Liberty League is laudable as there is a great need for this kind of work. More of such projects which seek the betterment of our people should be encouraged. An analogy may be drawn with any funding by the Government of organisations that deal with battered women, abused children, or people suffering from gambling addiction.
Are groups with a religious world view other than secular humanism disqualified?
Surely not. We should be grateful for people who are prepared to stand up and give of their time for such community work.
We should encourage more selflessness and less narcissism in our society.
Thio Su Mien
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10 February 2006
'Today' newspaper, Voices section
Groups pushing an agenda
Let's not confuse scientific fact with moral belief
I refer to Thio Su Mien's letter, "Is homosexuality truly normal?" (Feb 9). The writer asserts that "scientific and medical communities are divided" as to whether homosexuality is a psychiatric disorder.
If that is truly the case, then the corollary is that there is no real scientific or medical basis for claiming that homosexuality is a disorder either. So, certain groups that claim homosexuality can be
"cured" should make it clear their methods are not based on any kind of scientific or medical evidence, but instead on certain subjective moral beliefs.
Is this not the kind of "good corporate governance" that Thio calls for?
Unfortunately, many groups do not make the real basis for their views clear, as seen from reports of a junior college "sex education" talk last month. In fact, such groups position themselves as secular
educators, only to promote views on sexual behaviour grounded not in science, but in religious opinion.
It is because of groups such as these that funding for the Liberty League was brought under closer scrutiny.
Thio is mistaken in thinking the authorities are anti-religion. Rather, the Government needs to ensure no one religion is able to preach to a captive audience in our public schools under the pretense of "sex education", so as to protect the religious freedom of all Singaporeans.
Leon Lim Wen Hui 
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