Post # 1
Member
9917 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
My fiance and I were talking about Jerry Sandusky, and he kept referring to him as gay. I said that he is a pedophile who likes boys, not a gay pedophile.
Part of my reasoning is that a lot of morons think all gay people are pedophiles, or that being gay is as wrong as pedophilia, so I think they should be separated. The other part of my reasoning is that it seems there are different categories of attraction. A person may be attracted to men, women, or both. There is nothing wrong with that. Then, there are people who are diseased, I guess, and those people are pedophiles. Their disease may manifest itself in being attracted to girls or boys, but neither makes that person anything but a pedophile.
Any thoughts? This is icky, I know, but I wondered.
Post # 3
Member
247 posts
Helper bee
I think saying ‘gays are pedophiles’ is totally different than saying ‘a pedophile that goes after boys is gay’. I don’t think anyone should say either unless they know for a fact that either:
a gay person is also a pedophile
or
a pedophile is indeed gay
but i don’t think it needs to be seperated if it’s the truth. (not referring to sandusky)
it’s like saying a pedophile that goes after little girls is straight.
if, again, you know they are a pedophile who is definitely straight.
Post # 4
Member
2179 posts
Buzzing bee
This relation is not an if/then statement.
If someone is a pedophile, then they are gay. = NO
If someone is gay, then they are a pedophile. = NO
A homosexual may be a pedophile, just as a heterosexual may be. = YES
You can insert any number of identifying characateristics into the statement to make it fit a situation:
A woman may be a pedophile, just as a man may be.
A Christian may be a pedophile, just as a Buddhist may be.
Post # 5
Member
5011 posts
Bee Keeper
I wouldn’t classify a male paedophile who prefers young boys as gay much as I wouldn’t classify one who prefers young girls as straight. A child’s body is so different from an adult’s body that you can’t really call it the same thing.
Some are also attracted to adults of one or other gender so you could say they were gay or straight and a paedophile, but I think it should be treated separately.
Post # 6
Member
1716 posts
Bumble bee
See those are all secondary charicturistics being applied to a primary one.
Not to mention not all people who molest children under the age f consent are pedophiles.
Wiki on the term pedophilia:
Pedophilia is used for individuals with a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children aged 13 or younger.[1][2] Nepiophilia (Infantophilia) is pedophilia,[14] but is used to refer to a sexual preference for infants and toddlers (ages 0–3 or those under age 5).[14][31] Hebephilia is defined as individuals with a primary or exclusive sexual interest in 11-14 year old pubescents.[32]The DSM IV does not list hebephilia among the diagnoses, while the ICD-10 includes hebephilia in its pedophilia definition, covering the physical development overlap between the two philias.[4] In addition to “hebephilia”, some clinicians have proposed other cateogories that are somewhat or completely distinguished from pedophilia; these include “pedohebephilia” (a combination of pedophilia and hebephilia) and “ephebophilia” (though ephebophilia is not considered pathological).[33][34]
So yeah. There ya go. Not all pedophiles are gay or pedophiles.
Post # 7
Member
7904 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
- Wedding: March 2012 - Pelican Grand Beach Resort
@SpecialSundae: I agree with you.
OP, I personally think gay v. straight are terms for normative behavior involving adult (or at least, same-time-of-life) relationships and intrests that could develop into love beyond just sexual desire.
Many pedophiles like young boys but adult women, or like both young boys and girls and don’t like adults at all.
I think the two should be handled separately. I would not be so quick as your Fiance to call Sandusky gay. He may be, but I don’t take his interest in young boys as evidence of an overall homosexual inclination.
Post # 8
Member
3182 posts
Sugar bee
Not entirely sure why he would refer to him as “gay.” To me that’s like saying he has gray hair. Yeah he might, but that’s so far removed from the actual issue it’s not worth mentioning.
Post # 9
Member
1292 posts
Bumble bee
I think Jerry Sandusky is a pedophile and I also think he is a gay or bisexual man. If he wasn’t gay, he would’ve molested girls.
And I understand the thought that children’s bodies are different, however; for many pedophiles it’s not just about the body as much as it’s about the power, control, innocence, thrill of taboo, etc.
I agree it’s wrong to group them together (for example: all gay people are pedophiles. Seriously? People think that?!!!) but in this particular case, I believe Jerry Sandusky is gay/bisexual and also a pedophile.
Does this matter that he’s gay? No.
Post # 10
Member
9917 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
@S2013: Sure people think gay men are pedophiles. Why do you think the boy scouts won’t let gay men be scout leaders?
Post # 11
Member
1292 posts
Bumble bee
@peachacid: This is true.
Post # 12
Member
7904 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
- Wedding: March 2012 - Pelican Grand Beach Resort
@S2013: “If he wasn’t gay, he would’ve molested girls.”
This is not necesssarily true.
Post # 13
Member
5109 posts
Bee Keeper
I think an attraction to children is not a sexual preference, it’s a very f*cked up psychological condition, and no comparison can be made.
Post # 14
Member
5109 posts
Bee Keeper
I didn’t mean for that to come off as angry as it did, lol. But, very interesting thread, and very interesting responses so far.
I work in pediatrics. There is far too much of this going on in my county right now… =(
Post # 15
Member
9917 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
@mrsSonthebeach:
@S2013: “If he wasn’t gay, he would’ve molested girls.”
This is not necesssarily true.
I agree. I think, S2013, you refuted your own statement when you mentioned that pedophilia was about power.
Post # 16
Member
5011 posts
Bee Keeper
@peachacid: Because ignorance knows no bounds?