putainfromage Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 (06-20) 03:23 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) -- A Pentagon document classifies homosexuality as a mental disorder, decades after mental health experts abandoned that position. The document outlines retirement or other discharge policies for service members with physical disabilities, and in a section on defects lists homosexuality alongside mental retardation and personality disorders. Critics said the reference underscores the Pentagon's failing policies on gays, and adds to a culture that has created uncertainty and insecurity around the treatment of homosexual service members, leading to anti-gay harassment. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jeremy M. Martin said the policy document is under review. The Pentagon has a "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits the military from inquiring about the sex lives of service members but requires discharges of those who openly acknowledge being gay. The Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military, at the University of California at Santa Barbara, uncovered the document and pointed to it as further proof that the military deserves failing grades for its treatment of gays. Nathaniel Frank, senior research fellow at the center, said, "The policy reflects the department's continued misunderstanding of homosexuality and makes it more difficult for gays and lesbians to access mental health services." The document, called a Defense Department Instruction, was condemned by medical professionals, members of Congress and other experts, including the American Psychiatric Association. "It is disappointing that certain Department of Defense instructions include homosexuality as a 'mental disorder' more than 30 years after the mental health community recognized that such a classification was a mistake," said Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass. Congress members noted that other Pentagon regulations dealing with mental health do not include homosexuality on any lists of psychological disorders. And in a letter to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Monday, nine lawmakers asked for a full review of all documents and policies to ensure they reflect that same standard. "Based on scientific and medical evidence the APA declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973 — a position shared by all other major health and mental health organizations based on their own review of the science," James H. Scully Jr., head of the psychiatric association, said in a letter to the Defense Department's top doctor earlier this month. There were 726 military members discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy during the budget year that ended last Sept. 30. That marked the first year since 2001 that the total had increased. The number of discharges had declined each year since it peaked at 1,227 in 2001, and had fallen to 653 in 2004. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/06/19/national/w154824D21.DTL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berrywoman Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 are you shitting me??? This is ridiculous.... a mental disorder.... *pfft* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazeboflossUK Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 It's probably because if a known Homosexual has evidence against them - then they can list him/her as mentally unstable......rendering the evidence useless.... I am joking here.......but....you know.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 What about Dubyaitis??:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazeboflossUK Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Haha, that ones contagious isn't it? His whole Admin have caught it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Haha, that ones contagious isn't it? His whole Admin have caught it Yes - it's a "presidemic"!!:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazeboflossUK Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Yes - it's a "presidemic"!!:P HAHAHAHA, this is too easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 HAHAHAHA' date=' this is too easy.[/quote'] Too easily spread, you mean??:rolleyes: Maybe it will catch on!!:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berrywoman Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 *drumroll* lol oh Mark.. you never cease to amaze me!! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matter-Eater Lad Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 What do scientist label homosexucality as? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berrywoman Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 they don't. And it isn't scientists... its psychologists..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 they don't. And it isn't scientists... its psychologists..... Or maybe Scientologists??:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berrywoman Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 :lol: funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted June 25, 2006 Share Posted June 25, 2006 ^Well it would certainly make sense that they would want to gain political control........................ :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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