From this article, by Alan P. Medinger, a formerly gay man, who has counseled thousands of gays out of that psychological obsession, over close to two decades of professional work:

http://www.messiah.edu/hpages/facstaff/chase/h/articles/regenera/9.htm

He speaks not only as a mental health professional, but from his own experience as a homosexual man.

Some excerpts:

quote:


The psychiatric profession's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) describes compulsive behavior as "repetitive, purposeful, and intentional behaviors that are performed in response to an obsession, or according to certain rules or in a stereotyped fashion." It goes on to say that the behavior is "designed to overcome discomfort," that the person "recognizes that his or her behavior is excessive or unreasonable."

First off, we can say with some certainty that all male homosexuals are not sexually compulsive. I have known any number who never, or who seldom, acted out sexually. On the other hand, there are strong indications that compulsive sexual behavior is highly prevalent among male homosexuals, particularly when compared with their heterosexual counterparts. Some recent news items and some widely accepted statistics support this connection.

Perhaps the most thorough study of its type, the Kinsey Institute
study of homosexual men in San Francisco, presented in the book by Bell and Weinberg, Homosexualities, A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women, reported the following:

43% of the white male homosexuals surveyed estimated they had had sex with 500 or more different partners -28% with over 1,000 partners

79% said more than half of their partners were strangers -- 70% said more than half of their sexual partners were men with whom they had sex only once.

These figures astound even the most worldly heterosexuals. In fact, a recent University of Chicago survey reveals that for the U.S population as a whole, the estimated number of sex partners since age 18 is 7.15 (8.67 for those never married).
Finally, in our own organization, we have checked with members of our groups who also attend 12-step groups for sexual addicts (such as Sexahollcs Anonymous) and they estimate that at least half the participants in their groups have been homosexual, even though homosexuals probably make up less than 5% of the general population.

That homosexual men are on average extremely promiscuous, when compared to heterosexual men is beyond dispute. That many homosexual men act out sexually with great frequency, despite powerful reasons not to, is also quite obvious. The facts provide strong evidence that a high percentage of homosexual men are engaged in behavior that is "excessive or unreasonable", i.e., compulsive. An honest look at homosexuality could hardly lead to any other conclusion.

In fact, tolerance and acceptance, while perhaps decreasing hypocrisy somewhat, inevitably increases the behavior that it is coming to accept.
With male homosexuality, there is no evidence that in those places where homosexual relationships are most accepted--San Francisco, West Hollywood, New York City -- the level of promiscuity has gone down. In fact, AIDS statistics indicate just the opposite. The cities where homosexuality is most tolerated have both the highest numbers of AIDS cases, and the highest levels of HIV infection within the gay community. I don't believe that anyone has made a case to blame male homosexual compulsion on society.

The powerful influence of gay activists in this country, and the widespread sympathy for the homosexual among the media and educational elite in the United States have made it almost impossible to speak publicly about such things as male homosexual compulsion. This has been tragic because recognizing the compulsive aspect of male homosexuality could help head off so much human suffering.

Recognition of this aspect of homosexuality could change how we raise and educate our children. Many have come to accept that "homosexuality is just like heterosexuality". And so children are taught, in the public schools at least, that it is quite all right to be gay; no disadvantages, except societal prejudice, are acknowledged. But suppose we told children and parents that if a boy grows up gay he is far more likely to find himself driven by sexual compulsions? Many agree that some things can be done to prevent homosexuality early in a child's life, and there seem to be some children who in adolescence could go either way. If this characteristic of homosexuality were recognized, surely some children could be steered or counseled away from a life that presents terrible inherent risks.