Primer on Catholic Church teaching regarding homosexuality

If you have some time and want to read what I feel an excellent summary of the Church's teaching on homosexuality, what it is and why it's wrong, read this essay: I am not gay...I am David. It avoids both extremes of homophobia and acceptance of sin, and is written by a faithful Catholic, David Prosen. Here are some parts of the essay, but it is best to read the entire thing since it is building an argument which leads to the conclusion that being gay is not an identity or a choice, but an experience.

I used to believe I was a "gay" person. I had been attracted to the same gender for as long as I could remember. Because this attraction was present from early on in my life, without my conscious choice, I concluded that I must have been born this way. After all, that’s a logical conclusion . . . right?

...

By defining myself as a "gay" male, I had taken on a false identity. Any label such as "lesbian," "bisexual," or even "homosexual" insinuates a type of person equivalent to male or female. This is simply not true. One is not a same-sex attraction, but instead experiences this attraction.

...

At the beginning of this article, I mentioned the discussion over whether persons are born homosexual or if they choose to be. Neither is true because same-sex attraction is an experience—not a type of person. Accepting homosexuality as an identity, which has largely been affirmed in our culture, brings so much confusion. In order for a Christian to justify homosexual behavior, he or she needs to alter and contort Sacred Scripture.

Many individuals from within are trying to force the Catholic Church to change her stance toward homosexuality because it seems like discrimination against those who are just "being themselves." But it is not discrimination when we identify and seek to correct falsely held beliefs.

I really feel bad for people who insist on the deceitful identity model to deal with homosexuality because it ultimately leads to complete self-absorption. This model is a lie that needs to be fiercely combated because of the confusion it causes among young people.

A good thing about this essay is that it avoids inaccurate analogies to other behaviors or sins. These are always unhelpful; I'm not sure there is a good analogy for what a person experiences in same-sex attraction. Instead, Prosen confronts the issue boldly without props and explains the wisdom of the ages through scripture and the teachings of the Church.