Prejudice and Homosexuality

The recent psychodynamic literature on homosexuality is reviewed and a negative view is shown to remain prevalent. It is suggested that this may be the result of prejudice as opposed to simple error or to justified belief. In order to support this suggestion a theory of the origins and operation of prejudice is outlined. Next it is shown to be a consequence of this theory that prejudice should be especially likely in the domain of sexuality. Then an understanding of the psychic mechanisms which maintain prejudice is applied to a close reading of three papers concerned with homosexuality, which are shown to retain the marks of prejudice despite their compassionate and thoughtful stance. The way in which the logical distortions which mark prejudice are discernible in all three papers and operate to perpetuate some prejudices about AIDS, HIV infection, homosexuality and perversion is also shown. The prevalence of prejudices about homosexuality is noted to be especially great amongst psychodynamic therapists. It is argued that some reasons for this lie in the nature of psychoanalytic theory particularly in the way that homosexuality challenges some choices implicit within psychoanalytic theory. The parallels between this situation and that of the prejudiced individual are noted and suggestions are made for steps that might reduce prejudice in this area. Finally it is argued that the ill effects of prejudice on theory in this area are detrimental to psychoanalysis as well as to homosexuals. Prejudice and its effects are argued to be major barriers to the construction of good theory about homosexuality and, more optimistically, the work of some analysts who have questioned the prevailing attitude to homosexuality is reviewed.