Gnetwork
Vol 1 Issue 7, May 1, 1998 Excerpts
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Research Sheds Light on
Sexual Orientation: gay women’s inner ears like men’s
(or What makes us queer and who cares)
By T. Sparks
Our resident Social Worker, Lorena J. sent in the article with
the above title, which appeared in the El Paso Times, March 3, 1998. She enclosed
a note stating “I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when I read this. I’d
like your expert opinion.”
The study was done in Austin on 200 adults and I have read the
original project’s publication. My expert opinion is that the masculinizing prenatal
hormones affect much more than the inner ear, and such people are usually
born with genitals that cannot be identified as male or female. Also the number 200 is
probably too small and it all must be reproduced by others to have any validity and
finally who gives a flying
$%^&*?? ( If this study proves true, it adds to the evidence
that homosexuality is or can be an inborn trait). My expert opinion not withstanding, the
whole idea of searching for causes of homosexuality stimulated me to go to our local
library to look for resources. A scientist, Simon Levey, in 1991 found an area of the
hypothalamus in the brain to be smaller in homosexual men than in heterosexual men. He has
written a book entitled Queer Science, the use and abuse of research into homosexuality.
(MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. 1996.)
It is a fascinating read. Incidentally, he clearly stated in his
research that it was unknown if the hypothalamus difference was a cause or an effect of
homosexuality. He tries, in this book, to answer ” questions. #1 What causes a person
to be gay, lesbian or bisexual and #2 Who cares? My very brief review of the book’s
text follows.
The very simple answer to the question "Who Cares?” is:
apparently, nearly everyone, as attitudes towards gays and lesbians are the direct product
of what one believes about the cause. In actuality, whether inborn or learned, a
person’s sexual orientation should not be used as a reason to discriminate against
them. Ed. note: It is painfully clear, however, that sexuality issues are used to deprive
gays and lesbians of housing, their children, protection from crimes. We are hated by
others, and many of us hate ourselves.
To answer #1 What is the cause? Dr. Levey summarizes over 100
years of medical research. The first point which is made is the fact that when it is
discovered what causes people to be homosexual, it will also be discovered what causes
them to be heterosexual. Defining who is and who isn’t is very difficult as well.
Kinsey found in his famous studies in the 1950’s that 40% of all American men, at
some time in their lives, had genital contact with another man to orgasm. Are they
homosexual, because they have homosexual experiences? In the 1970’s, many women
became “political lesbians”, adopting a lesbian identity as an expression of
solidarity with the causes of women. Are they homosexual? If a group can not even be
clearly defined, it is almost impossible to say why a person is a member of that group.
The study I am most interested in examines identical twins who
were separated at birth. This should answer the question of nature (inborn) versus nurture
(learned). There were fewer than 10 pairs of twins found who had been separated at birth
and of whom at least one was homosexual. The male sets were both found to be homosexual in
50% of the cases and the female sets were both found to be homosexual in 0% of the cases.
These numbers are so small as to be useless in proving anything. [Ed. note: This points to
the likelihood of some truth in the old joke “Research has shown that 50% of
homosexuals are born that way, and the other 50% just get sucked into it.”]
The majority of the evidence points to a prenatal event or
disposition as a large contributor to a persons sexuality. Prenatal injection of
testosterone in animals, causes females to behave similarly to males and denial of
testosterone prenatally causes males to act more as females. This might explain a
receptive gay man, for example, but does not explain his partner.
Small children identified as “gender nonconformists”
were followed in one study. Effeminate boys were subjected to behavior modification, so as
to appear more masculine. This was accomplished, but had no effect at all on to their
sexual choices as adults. In other words, they maintained their inner femininity.
Here are some things that science actually has shown with
reasonable certainty:
- Those whose affectional preference is only for their own gender
comprise between 4 and 10% of the population.
- In women who took DES during pregnancy, 40% of their daughters are
lesbians.
- Homosexuality sometimes clusters in families (male homosexuality
tends to be transmitted through the mother’s family).
- Xq28 gene area is found in nearly all gay brothers, and never in
their straight brothers.
- In bonobos, humans’ closest primate relatives (their DNA is
99% human) homosexuality is practiced.
- Populations of sheep in Idaho have 10% of their males exclusively
practicing anal copulation with other males.
- Populations of seagulls in California have large numbers of
lesbians when the male population is low.
PFLAG member Tineke Haase surveyed most of the well known figures
in the field of homosexuality, Levey reports. The question she asked was this: In your
opinion, based on today’s state of the art science, is sexual orientation based on
genetic, hormonal, social or psychiatric factors?
Nearly all of the learned sexologists replied “all of the
above.”
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Humor Corner Submitted By Linda From Dallas
“In college I experimented with heterosexuality. I slept
with a straight guy. I was really drunk.” - Bob Smith, comic
“Every man should own one dress - and so should
lesbians.” - James Adam Spahr, gender activist
“I’ve read that only one percent of this country is
gay. If that’s true...I’ve slept with every one!” - Jason Stuart, comic
“So many woman can’t say the word ‘lesbian’
even when their mouth is full of one.” -Kate Clinton, Comic (This is an
alteration of the old description of a true southern gentleman: “He wouldn’t say
sh-t if he had a mouth full of it.”)
“It’s not that I don’t like penises, I just
don’t like them on men.” - Lea Delaria
“In the personals when you see ‘Straight-acting male
seeks same’ they might as well say ‘Gay man in denial seeks other gay men in
denial for fun and laughs.’” - Michael Rasky, comic
“Catholic girls make the best dykes because their whole
lives they’re told ‘Having sex with men is a sin’ ‘Oh...
okay.’” - Judy Carter
“Gays don’t have legal rights, the only thing a queer
couple can adopt is a highway.” - Maggie Cassela
“Jesse Helms and Newt Gingrich were shaking hands
congratulating themselves on the introduction of an anti gay bill in Congress. If it
passes, they won’t be able to shake hands, because it will then be illegal for a
pr-ck to touch an a--hole!” - Judy Carter
“The radical right is so homophobic that they think global
warming is caused by the AIDS quilt.” - Dennis Miller
“Forget your stereotypes, your fears. Straight people are
not what you have been led to believe. They’re a wonderfully diverse bunch, though
the flamboyant ones hog all the media attention.” - Michael Goff, former editor
of OUT
“When the f--k did heterosexuals get the patent on home and
love and hearth and family?” - Harvey Fierstein, playwright and actor.