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ORIGINS OF HOMOSEXUALITY
Nature vs. Nurture
Born Gay or Made Gay?
From
Ramon Johnson,
Your Guide to
Gay Life.
NATURE
What
is the nature concept?
In relation to homosexuality, the nature concept explores the
possibility of a specific gene or combination of genes present at the
time of birth that genetically predispose people to homosexuality. In
other words, some people are born gay.
What if people are born gay?
Gay advocates say proving there is a gay gene will provide "wider social
acceptance and better protection against discrimination," as Neil Swidey
writes in his article, "What Makes People Gay?" Proving that being gay
is not a choice means that discrimination against gays becomes a matter
of civil rights.
Opinions:
"You can't 'make' someone gay no more than you can 'make' someone
straight. Of course environmental factors affect our sexuality. You just
can't generalize these types of things. Ultimately what you end up doing
is trying to figure out how to stop it-- like it's a disease or
something--instead of trying to help people ACCEPT themselves for who
they are and help nurture them into healthy relationships."
NURTURE
What
is the nurture concept?
We're all influenced by our environment, but to what extent? The nurture
concept of homosexuality argues that social, parental and environmental
variables influence a person's homosexuality. A nurtured gay person is
one that is "made" gay.
What if people are made gay?
For some time, the notion of an overbearing mother or an absent father
or even sexual abuse were thought to be catalyst of future gay people.
If the root of homosexuality does not lie within DNA, then the nurture
concept implies people have a choice whether to be gay or not be gay.
Many
ex-gay reparative therapy groups
believe that homosexuality can be reversed or "repaired". Some religious
organizations also believe that the concept of Adam and Eve (or one man,
one woman), provides an absolute explanation that homosexuality is
unnatural.
Opinions:
"Might any of these factors (in the life of someone male) contribute
towards giving him a gay disposition, or at least make him more inclined
to seek the love of men? An alcoholic parent, mother or father; A cold
parent, mother or father; Having been in a boys boarding school since
about 12/13."
Resolution
Can
the origin of same gender loving feelings be absolute? Does it lay
within the complexities of the beginning of man or the development of
society?
If homosexuality is indeed a product of a special genome (I dare not say
a flawed one), then will that lead to predetermination by expecting
parents at the time the baby's sex is revealed? I envision some parents
being excited to hear the sexual makeup of their fetus while others seek
to "repair" the gay gene. Lawmakers would be obligated to protect gay
people, just as any other group of individuals with a predetermined
genetic makeup. The religious implications would be widespread and
increase the growing list of
religious organizations that welcome
gay members.
The concept of a homemade gay person cannot be ignored either. Is there
a consistent pattern between a person's parental or environmental
influences and their sexuality? Does the explanation of homosexuality
lie within Paul Ewald's theory that homosexuality is a virus or the
reparative therapy model that a traumatic life situation planted the
seed of choice? Some debate that homosexuality is not deserving of
natural rights since it has not been proven that being gay is indeed the
same as any other born characteristic.
Or, is it possible that being gay is a combination of both nature and
nurture? Imagine a person that is born gay, but their same gender
feelings are either perpetuated or (not perpetuated) by their
environment. If this were indeed the case, homosexuality would only be
an issue of if or when one comes out of the closet.
Either scenario, researchers will continue to hunt for the origin of
homosexuality. Many avenues have been explored, from isolating DNA to
observing gay animals, but as of yet, no one absolute explanation of
homosexuality has been found. And even if it were, would society accept
it?
LIFE ON THE FARM
Is Homosexuality
Natural?
Homosexual behavior in animals is extremely well documented. While
it occurs in virtually ever species capable of sexual reproduction,
it is most prevalent among the most intelligent and highly-developed
mammals such as marine mammals, primates, and of course humans.
Read the Wikipedia Report
Gospel singers, Ray
and Laura Lewis have produced a music video called, "Come On Down to
the Farm." This cute and relatively inoffensive anti-gay propaganda
espouses an anti-gay message based on biblical teachings and their
farm life observations.
View the Music Video
The producers and sympathetic viewers of this video will undoubtedly
be perplexed by the existence of the two male penguins, Roy & Silo,
a same sex couple who copulated with each other, and then tried to
hatch a rock until they were given a real fertile egg by zookeepers.
Roy & Silo raised their new baby together, named Tango, who
ultimately made the “choice” to become gay, just like her adopted
gay parents.
Roy & Silo were
together as a couple 6 years...Silo later had a fling with a female
penguin named Scrappy, but it didn’t work out and now Roy & Silo are
both single. Silo’s experience is not so unlike Elton John’s brief
marriage to Renate Blauel...Sometimes it just takes a while to find
out who we really are...
The list of animals exhibiting homosexual behavior
includes animals (birds,
mammals,
insects,
fish
etc.) for which there is documented evidence of
homosexual
or
transgender
behavior of one or more of the following kinds:
sex,
courtship,
affection,
pair bonding,
or
parenting,
as noted in researcher and author
Bruce Bagemihl's
1999 book Biological Exuberance: Animal
Homosexuality and Natural Diversity.
Bagemihl devotes three chapters; Two Hundred
Years at Looking at Homosexual Wildlife,
Explaining (Away) Animal Homosexuality and
Not For Breeding Only in his 1999 book
Biological Exuberance to the "documentation of
systematic
prejudices"
where he notes "the present ignorance of
biology
lies precisely in its single-minded attempt to find
reproductive (or other) "explanations" for
homosexuality, transgender, and
non-procreative
and alternative
heterosexualities.
Petter Bockman, academic adviser for the
Against Nature?
exhibit states: "Many researchers have described
homosexuality as something altogether different from
sex. They must realise that animals can have sex
with who they will, when they will and without
consideration to a researcher's
ethical
principles."
Homosexual behavior is widespread amongst social
birds
and
mammals,
particularly the sea mammals and the
primates.
Bockman says, "No species has been found in which
homosexual behaviour has not been shown to exist,
with the exception of species that never have sex at
all, such as
sea urchins
and
aphids.
Moreover, a part of the animal kingdom is
hermaphroditic,
truly
bisexual.
For them, homosexuality is not an issue."
OUT AT BIRTH?
What makes someone gay?
For some it can be a soul-wrenching question. For scientists, it's a
chance to understand biology at its most basic level, and perhaps answer
an even more profound question - are people born gay?
Ranchers say they’ve seen it for years, the sheep who just don’t seem
interested in females. That’s a problem for ranchers, because that
shyness results in fewer lambs, and less profit.
But when they asked animal researchers for help, the answer was a
surprise. It turns out that some of the male sheep aren’t shy at all -
they’re gay.
"We interpret it as a form of homosexuality," says Dr. Chuck Roselli of
the Oregon Health & Science University.
Roselli and Fred Stormshak do cutting edge research on what you might
call ‘gay science’ for the University of Oregon.
You may wonder how the scientists know that the rams are gay.
“They are given a choice between two males and two females. We observe
their behaviors, and we score them in terms of whether or not they'll
mount other males or mount females," Roselli says.
The tests show that about 8 percent of rams are only attracted to other
rams. We asked if that meant that there was a gene for homosexuality.
"I don't think there's a gene for homosexuality or heterosexuality, but
there are genes for attraction to men or attraction to women," says UCLA
geneticist Sven Bocklandt.
Bocklandt says that those attraction genes are usually aimed at he
opposite sex, but sometimes get switched to attraction for the same sex.
"The basic attraction -- when someone walks down the street and you turn
your head to him or her and say 'Wow!' -- That is very primitive and
very simple, and that's what we're trying to understand," Bocklandt
says.
UCLA has on of the few labs in the world researching sexual orientation
full time. Last month, Bocklandt and Eric Vilain reported that some
mothers of gay men show unusual traits in their X-chromosomes, another
clue to where those genes may be hiding.
"Sexual attraction is a trait that is so important for us. Wars are
fought for love and it makes the world run,” Bocklandt says. “All the
movies are about it. All the songs are about it. We have no idea how it
works."
To help unravel the mystery, scientists are also studying identical
twins. We met Brian, who is straight, and his brother Brady, who is gay.
"I remember when I was 13, 14, I went to see that 'Top Gun' movie,”
recalls Brady. “I'm supposed to be looking at Kelly McGillis, but god!
I'm looking at Tom Cruise."
Their mother Donna says that by age three, Brian was very into sports.
"I noticed that Brady stayed in the make-believe kitchen and put on the
pink high heels," she says. "I felt like he was gay from the moment he
was born."
Twins like Brian and Brady show that genes may be only half of the
story. That’s because, according to a landmark study, when one twin is
gay the other is only gay about half of the time. So if they’re
identical, why is their sexual orientation different?
Scientists think it has something to do with hormones in the womb.
For example, when scientists give the male hormone testosterone to
female finches still in the egg, they grow up acting like males.
In the case of identical twins, their bodies are like houses with
matching floor plans. Each light represents a different gene, genes that
can be switched on or off by hormones. But hormonal conditions in the
womb aren't always the same for each twin. Which means some of their
30,000 genes may get turned on or off differently by altering their
brains before they're born.
"There is no genetic--no convincing genetic component to homosexuality,"
says Dr. Benjamin Kaufman, co-founder of the National Association for
Research and Therapy for Homosexuality, or NARTH.
Kaufman is a psychiatrists, and doesn’t buy the biological theories. In
1992, Kaufman co-founded NARTH. Most psychologists strongly disagree
with NARTH’s philosophy that homosexuality can be overcome.
“I consider it a developmental arrest," Dr. Kaufman says. "I have a
saying, ‘behind every homosexual, every homosexual, is a heterosexual.’"
NARTH criticizes every scientific finding on gay biology, including a
1991 study by brain scientists Simon LeVay. LeVay compared the brains of
gay and straight men, focusing on a tiny area in the hypothalamus called
INAH-3.
INAH-3 plays a role in sexual attraction and is usually smaller in women
than men. LeVay found that INAH-3 is also smaller in gay men compared to
straight men -- In other words, more similar to women.
“LeVay's studies were roundly, roundly trashed,” Kaufman says. “No one
pays much attention to LeVay's studies except those people who want to
hold it up as proof of biological homosexuality.”
Simon LeVay says his research was attacked because he’s a gay scientist,
and because some people will never accept that homosexuality may be
natural.
"When my work was published in 1991 it was very controversial," LeVay
says. "A lot of anti-gay sentiment is invested in the idea that being
gay is nothing more than straight people saying to themselves: I think
I'll try that gay thing this weekend…The science doesn't support that.
The science says that it's not a choice.”
When Chuck Roselli cut into the brains of his sheep, he found similar
results to LeVay’s. Not only do sheep have a brain structure like
INAH-3, it’s also much smaller in gay rams than straight rams.
"There's no environmental influences that we know of. And there's no
choice involved here as far as we know of,” Roselli says. “These animals
are just doing what their brains and their bodies are telling them what
to do."
Dana King
(CBS 5) / CBS Broadcasting Inc.
HOW DO I KNOW
If I Am Gay?
From
Ramon Johnson,
Your Guide to
Gay Life
How Do I Know If I'm Gay?
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to determine if you are gay. There
are no scientific tests or sterotypes that determine your sexuality. You
will find out through experience and feelings.
Most define being gay as having a strong bond or sexual attraction to
another man. Others define it as a lifestyle which includes behaviors
and social interactions.
You should ask yourself several questions about your sexuality and
sexual preferences. Do you prefer sex with a man? Are you physically
attracted to men? Do you feel an emotional bond with a man? Would you
consider an intimate relationship with a man?
Try not to fall into the trap of stereotypes. Gay men are just as
diverse as straight men. There are no mannerisms, music or clothing
preferences that can define a person as gay.
Am I
Normal?
Of
course you are! Being gay does not define who you are or make you any
less of a person. At times it is not easy being gay, especially around
those that are not supportive. Nonetheless, try to surround yourself by
people who do support you and your lifestyle. You will soon see that gay
and bisexual men interact with each other and the world as any other
person would.
If I
Have Gay Fantasies, Am I Gay?
Some
men experience homosexual encounters throughout their lives, but
maintain their heterosexuality. There are many men who have had a sexual
encounter with another man or are simply "curious." This does not
necessarily mean they are gay. They are simply getting in touch with
their sexuality. Many others experiment with both men and women to help
them determine if they are gay, bisexual or straight (heterosexual).
WAS I BORN
GAY?
Can I Stop Being
Gay?
Many people have feelings towards other people of the same
sex, and wonder whether this means that they are gay. For
many people these feelings can be very intense and
alienating. Some people who are attracted to other people of
the same sex are gay and go on to have sexual relationships
with people of the same sex. But other people who have gay
feelings find that these change over time and they become
attracted to people of the opposite sex.
Other people
are attracted to both men and women, and have relationships
with both. Some people are not attracted to anyone and
wonder if this is a sign of homosexuality. Often it is only
time that will resolve these feelings. If you think you
might be gay and feel you need to talk to someone most
countries have telephone helplines and organisations that
can provide information and support for you.
When do people
know that they are gay?
There is no
simple answer or standard answer to this question, as it
varies from person to person. Generally it can be said that
being gay is not something a person suddenly begins to
consider, and it may not be something they can initially put
a name to. Research published in 1996 showed how the young
gay men interviewed had described a set of feelings which
they gradually realised made them 'different' in some way,
and a set of feelings they thought maybe every teenage boy
has.
"I thought, well, this is just the phase bit. Sooner or
later I'm going to start finding women attractive. I never
did. As I became more attracted to men, and I still wasn't
getting attracted to women, I thought, shit, you're gay. And
it was really quite a shock when it hit me." (Luke)
Eventually all
people who are gay realise that not only are they sexually
attracted to members of the same sex, but that this
attraction is not transitional. This realisation could come
at any time during their lives.
Is
homosexuality a phase young people go through?
For some people yes, and for others no. Some people do not
have their first homosexual feelings or experience until
they are well into adulthood. In a national survey in
Britain carried out in the 1990s, nearly the same number of
women reported their first homosexual experience had
happened in their twenties as did in their thirties, forties
or fifties. But, there is evidence that for some people
homosexual experiences may well be part of a transitional or
experimental phase in their youth. This is hardly surprising
given that adolescence is a period of change in which many
people find who they are and what they want for themselves
in adult life. This kind of behaviour is perfectly normal.
Are you born gay? What causes people to be gay?
"One of the things I can remember thinking a lot about is
... why am I like this? Is it someone's fault?" (Rob)
There is no simple answer to the question, 'Are some people
born lesbian or gay?' There are some theories which stress
biological differences between heterosexual and homosexual
adults, suggesting that people are born with their sexuality
already determined.
In 1993 the
American researcher Dean Hamer published research that
seemed to prove that homosexual orientation could be
genetically transmitted to men on the x chromosome, which
they get from their mothers. However when this study was
duplicated it did not produce the same results. A follow-up
study which Hamer collaborated on also failed to reinforce
his earlier results. Most recently research published in
April 1999 by George Rice and George Ebers of the Universty
of Western Ontario has cast doubt on Hamer's theory. Rice
and Ebers' research also tested the same region of the x
chromosome in a larger sample of gay men, but failed to find
the same 'marker' that Hamer's research had produced. Claims
that the part of the brain known as the hypothalamus is
influential in determining sexual orientation, have yet to
be substantiated. At the moment it is generally thought that
biological explanations of sexuality are insufficient to
explain the diversity of human sexuality.
"How can
science tell you what I am? I mean I've had boyfriends, and
was happy with them, had girlfriends and may have boyfriends
again for all I know. If it's a gay gene what's going on? Is
it just turning itself on and off in my head? It doesn't
feel like biology it feels like love." (Jo)
Psycho-social explanations offer a variety of factors that
could contribute to the development of a person's
homosexuality. For example, a female dominated upbringing in
a gay man's past, with an absence of a male role model.
Others stress adherence or deviance from conformity to
gender roles, and individual psychological makeup. While
none of these factors alone completely answers the question
'what causes homosexuality?', they rule out some things. For
example, lesbian and gay young people are not 'failed'
heterosexuals. Also, homosexual partners are generally of
the same age proving wrong the assumptions that young people
are 'turned gay' by older people.
What is clear
is that people's behaviour is influenced by their family
environment, their experiences and their sense of
themselves. Beliefs about sex are initially shaped by family
values. Later on these beliefs may be shaped by pleasant and
unpleasant experiences of sex and also shape their choice of
activities and partners. Throughout their life a person's
sense of who and what they are has a strong impact on their
sexual development and experience.
Can you stop being gay?
There is now
growing general support for the belief that sexuality is
pre-determined and may change over time, or remain fixed.
However, many people are interested in whether sexuality can
be altered solely by a person's desire to change.
Organisations that help homosexuals attempt to change their
sexuality can be generally divided between those that use
psychological 'reparative' methods and those that use
religious 'healing' methods.
Some people
believe homosexuality is an illness and believe it can and
should be cured. Many of these 'cures' revolve around
psychological therapies (often called reparative therapy)
which endeavour to re-orient a homosexual sexuality to
heterosexual. Although there is little scientific data to
evaluate, what is available seems to indicate that
reparative therapy is ineffective. American Psychological
Association (APA), the world's largest association of
psychologists has stated that:
"Homosexuality is not a mental disorder and the APA opposes
all portrayals of lesbian, gay and bisexual people as
mentally ill and in need of treatment due to their sexual
orientation."
Some strongly
religious groups believe that homosexuality is sinful and is
in direct breach of the bible and other religious texts. As
with reparative therapy there has been little to no
scientific evaluation of the healing and prayer techniques
used. What evidence is available suggests that the success
of these techniques is restricted to three areas:
-
Convincing
bisexuals to limit their sexual activities to members of
the opposite sex.
-
Convincing
homosexuals to become celibate.
-
Convincing
gay men and lesbians to attempt to maintain heterosexual
relationships, whilst retaining their homosexual
orientation.
Tellingly two
founders of a ministry established to 'heal' homosexuals
later described their programme as 'ineffective ... not one
person was healed'.
Recently the
issue of changing homosexual orientation has been drawn into
political debate in America. Although this is partly due to
an issues shortage in American politics, the subject of
'curing' homosexuality has apparently captured the
imagination of many Americans. Controversial full page
newspaper adverts by Christian political organisations have
appeared three days in a row. The adverts, which firmly
promote the theory that homosexuality can be changed through
force of will alone claim that 'thousands are leaving their
homosexual identity for sexual celibacy, and even marriage'.
This appears
to have been sparked from a speech by the Senate Majority
leader in June 1998 that described homosexuals as people who
are sick and can be cured - but only if they want to be.
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