OK, I got where you coming from, so hear me out. Let us dissect the phrase, "homosexuality is not a choice". In order to do that, we must establish some axioms and definitions.
One is mentally ill if one is psychologically incapable of refraining from biologically non-necessity activity or desire.
Biologically necessary activities or desires are those without which a species cannot perpetuate itself through generations: i.e. procurement and consumption of resources, expurgation of waste, survival to sexual maturity, sexual reproduction, and education of the young.
Desires are either biological or psychological in character, they are distinguished according to whether the desire leads toward a biologically necessary or biologically non-necessary activity.
Desires are either innate or habitual. Habitual desires are acquired desires. Consider an example: A person who has never had alcohol cannot desire to drink alcohol for alcohol's sake, but only for some other sake, i.e. acceptance in a peer group. Further, a person who has not acquired a refined taste for scotch through frequent consumption thereof cannot desire to drink Oban for Oban's sake, but only for the sake of scotch in general, for curiosity, or for something else. Therefore, habitual desires are the result of the certain activities. Innate desires, however, are not.
Homosexual desires are by the former definition not biological desires.
The meaning of other terms are taken from their accepted use in ordinary discourse.
One is homosexual if and only if one either 1) engages in homosexual activity, 2) has homosexual desires, or 3) has homosexual desires and engages in homosexual activity.
I don't think that anything I wrote so far is controversial, but just common sense. With these laid down, what follows is all possible propositions.
- If (1): One engages in homosexual activity either A) voluntarily or B) involuntarily,
- (1.A): One choses to be homosexual and homosexuality is a choice.
- (1.B): One is compelled to engage either i) psychologically or ii) physically, by another, and homosexuality is not a choice.
- (1.B.i): One is mentally ill by the definition of mental illness.
- If (2): One desire homosexuality either A) innately of B) habitually,
- (2.B): One has acquired homosexual desires through homosexual activity. If one acquire these involuntarily through involuntary engagement in homosexual activity, one is either coerced by another or one is mentally ill. Otherwise homosexuality is a choice.
- (2.A): One is either i) able to refrain from satisfying these innate homosexual desires or ii) unable to refrain.
- (2.A.i): One chooses to be homosexual, and homosexuality is a choice.
- (2.A.ii): One is mentally ill, by the definition of mental illness.
- If (3): One either chooses to be homosexual, or homosexuality is a mental illness.
Therefore, homosexuals are mentally ill if and only if they do not choose to be homosexual and are not physically compelled by another to engage in homosexual activities. However, that is not the end of the discussion. Homosexuality, as a group of behaviors, is inherently self destructive and causes self harm. And, as a group of behaviors, is statistically one of the most self harmful. Willful pursuit of a behavior, or group of behaviors, that is inherently self harmful is mental illness and should be addresses as such, and not by giving into any, or all of their demands. As I said earlier, I find it disturbing and repulsive, and that doesn't mean disrespect, rather refusal to accept its normalcy.
