The Student Room Group

Is pedophilia a sexual orientation?

I have deleted my opinions on this topic as I've realised this discussion is too controversial after somebody reported the thread. I'm sorry if any of my personal opinions offended anybody, I will reiterate that I, like most people, believe paedophilia is disgusting and does not belong in the LGBT community. I only wanted to see what people thought as I know there's different arguments about the topic and I never meant anything in a discriminatory way. I'd appreciate if this thread was left to die, thank you and sorry again.
(edited 6 years ago)

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Paedophiles are scum.
Reply 2
Original post by wastedcuriosity
And do you think pedophiles belong in the LGBT community?

I personally believe that whilst it's a sexual orientation, it is not right and they do not have a place in the LGBT community.

It would be interesting to see everyone else's opinions on this subject :smile:

I agree, it is an orientation but not one that has a place in a community as it can be harmful. A tendancy to kill on the street is similar but we don't give them rights to do so as it is also harmful.
(edited 6 years ago)
There’s more than a few people in the Shadow Cabinet and former Shadow Cabinet that believed this.
Paedophilia is a crime, not a sexuality.

Nowadays thankfully there's a difference between these two things.
Original post by wastedcuriosity
And do you think pedophiles belong in the LGBT community?

I personally believe that whilst it's a sexual orientation, it is not right and they do not have a place in the LGBT community.

It would be interesting to see everyone else's opinions on this subject :smile:


Well, you can't change what you're turned on by.

Provided they seek help and do not prey on the vulnerable, I am fine with them.

I wouldn't say it's a sexual orientation though, more a preference... One that is justifiably considered disordered.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by 04MR17
Paedophilia is a crime, not a sexuality.

Nowadays thankfully there's a difference between these two things.


I thought pedophilia was the attraction (being primary) itself?
Original post by Georgia Hermione
literally shut the **** up


Was literally just looking for people's opinions. Haven't said anything particularly wrong except my opinion?
Reply 9
Absolutely no space for them in LGBT+ any ‘relationship’ where both parties do not consent. Since children cannot consent, there is no situation where pedophillia is acceptable.

LGBT+ is an accepting space where people can feel comfortable being themselves, a person who targets defenceless kids has no business being part of it.
Original post by michaelmyers
Paedophiles are scum.

Put them to death.


And I agree with that.
sexuality describes what gender/s you’re attracted to. children are not a gender. paedophilia is a disorder and they need to stay as far away from the lgbt community as possible thanks
Original post by 04MR17
Paedophilia is a crime, not a sexuality.

Nowadays thankfully there's a difference between these two things.


Of course it's a sexuality.

Paedophilia is to child abuse what heterosexuality is to rape.


"Pedophilia or paedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children"/"Pedophilia is defined as an ongoing sexual attraction to pre-pubertal children."?

Might be nitpicking, but I'm not a fan of catch-all attitudes when it comes to this.
Can someone tell me when the English spelling for this disappeared off the face of the earth?

Back in the day it was paedophilia. Now it is just the boring, spell it how it sounds, American version of the word you ever see on this website...

The British media still use the old, derived from Greek, spelling, but for how much longer?

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/16/how-germany-treats-paedophiles-before-they-offend

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/3216b48d-3195-4f67-8149-54586689ae3c

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/paedophilia-causes-not-a-choice-fate-claims-leading-scientist-a7629786.html
keep them out of lgbt+ spaces please and thank you.
Reply 16
Paedophilia is not a sexual orientation and after years and years of people assuming automatically that LGBT+ people are paedophiles and using it as reasoning to prevent LGBT+ people being around children assuming that they'll abuse them and that LGBT+ community supports things that are "weird" or "taboo" and otherwise not "vanilla" paedophilia can stay approximately 10,000,000,000,000,000 miles away from the LGBT+ community
Original post by _gcx
"Pedophilia or paedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children"/"Pedophilia is defined as an ongoing sexual attraction to pre-pubertal children."?

Might be nitpicking, but I'm not a fan of catch-all attitudes when it comes to this.
I appreciate (and partly agree with) that. I think sexuality (as a form of identity) is not yet fully understood by psychologists yet, and for that reason any societal judgements we have at the present moment are flawed. But right I think the nature of the question in this thread is how paedophilia should be perceived and presented within society. My view is in agreement with the OP that we shouldn't give paedophiles equal footing with other non-heterosexual sexualities, and emphasising that it's a horrendous thing. I go one step further and say that perhaps sexuality is a constructed notion anyway (it's a relatively unexplored field of psychology, don't get me started on Freud) and we shouldn't draw the conclusion that it is a sexuality just yet.
Original post by Ganjaweed Rebel
Of course it's a sexuality.

Paedophilia is to child abuse what heterosexuality is to rape.

The number of people that conflate an attraction (paedophilia) with an action (rape/child abuse) is astounding

It’s natural for people to be disgusted and worried by paedophiles, but the best response is clearly to treat it as a disorder and give them the help they need (for their and everyone else’s benefit)
Original post by wastedcuriosity
And do you think pedophiles belong in the LGBT community?

I personally believe that whilst it's a sexual orientation, it is not right and they do not have a place in the LGBT community, they are dangerous predators, mostly, while the LGBT is a comfortable, safe place.

It would be interesting to see everyone else's opinions on this subject :smile:

Edit::: I am in no way saying that because it is a sexuality (maybe? I'm not sure) it is RIGHT. Of course I do not agree with pedophilia, nobody in their right mind does. I do not support it, I do not believe they deserve sympathy I'm simply looking for people's opinions on a controversial subject.
For some years I've been of the opinion that it's somewhere between a paraphilia and an orientation. People who are that way can't help it, and most such people don't act on it. The few who do generally seem to be unhinged in other ways, which when combained with their paedophilia, add up to a bad time for all.

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