As with anything to do with humans, different groups express,
perform and interpret sexuality in a variety of ways.
Again, sex is biology, gender is learned.
Biology does not completely explain the different forms of male
and female behavior that take place in various societies. Culture
factors in.
As with heterosexuality, the problem with viewing homosexuality
as a purely biological phenomenon is that homosexuality is
expressed, performed, and interpreted differently from culture to
culture.
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Biology does not completely explain the different
forms that homosexual behavior takes in various
societies. Culture factors in.
We impose an ethnocentric Western view of
homosexuality on non-Western societies.
We treat homosexuality as a single thing when, in
fact, it is different things in different societies.
Biological reasons for sexual orientation are not
enough to explain those situations in which
homosexuality is part of the normal life cycle of
heterosexual males.
Still, biology is a major factor in homosexual
orientations.
Anthropologist Dr. Patrick Chapman, in his book “Though Shalt Not Love”: What
Evangelicals Really Say to Gays, discusses the double standard that
Western society often imposes in regard to sexual orientation.
“In anthropology courses, I sometimes give unusual but revealing assignments.
Once, some of my students were asked to develop questions they
could ask homosexual men.”
- Do you think you were born this way?
- When did you realize you were like this?
“Then I instructed them not only to ask homosexual men those questions but also to
ask heterosexual men the same questions. The students immediately said they
would feel stupid asking a heterosexual man if he was born that way, or when he
realized he was straight. To the students, it was apparent that people are born
heterosexual, for no one ever questions that assumption. We discussed why they
thought it would be different for a homosexual. Feeling rather awkward and
uncomfortable, my students bravely headed out and completed their assignment.
The results surprised all of us. A typical response from homosexual informants was
as expected, “I was born this way.” The response from heterosexuals was not. The
informants, usually males between the ages of 18 and 25, laughed, did not take the
questions seriously, or became defensive and somewhat upset that anyone would
seemingly ‘challenge’ their heterosexuality. One student observed that the questions
started long, meaningful conversations with homosexuals but short, uncomfortable,
defensive exchanges with heterosexuals. The students concluded that while society
accepts the inborn nature of sexuality, it does so only for heterosexuals. The double
standard is also revealed by the scientific search for cause(s) of homosexuality: very
few scientists are working on the causes of heterosexuality.” (Chapman 2008: 154)
As Chapman points out, “the cause(s) of homosexuality is an important issue in the debate
about marriage for homosexuals. If homosexuality is learned behavior, then it can
be changed and the homosexual who desires to marry and have children has
hope. If homosexuality is an inborn orientation, however, then change is unlikely
and discrimination becomes an issue: why should certain civil rights and
privileges be withheld from some people simply because of their biological
characteristics?” (Chapman 2008: 155)
In general, evangelicals often simplify science in their descriptions, demonstrating a lack of
understanding of basic biology and how biological characteristics are determined.
Most evangelicals prefer to explain homosexuality as a learned behavior because
then it is someone’s ‘fault’ and can supposedly be reversed.
In biology, for example:
- Many biological traits are not the result of only one gene and are polygenic –
multiple genes often influenced by the environment, determine how a trait is
expressed.
- Sexuality, scientists are finding, is polygenic
There are many scientific studies going on right now that demonstrate the complexity of biology
and its relationship to sexuality. I won’t go into all of them here. For that you might want to take a
human sexuality class. (Offered at SPSCC or elsewhere)
Here are a few findings that indicate the complexity of sexuality and biology.
Brain research: (Chapman 2008: 165) The brain of the fetus.
- The brain in all humans begins as ‘female’ and must then be ‘masculinized’ in
males.
- Masculinization of the brain is accomplished by exposure to testosterone during
critical periods of fetal development during the second trimester of pregnancy
- Specific regions of the brain have different critical periods
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In the absence of testosterone or other androgens, or if the brain does not have
the receptors to absorb the available testosterone, the brain remains unaltered
The anterior hypothalamus is a small region at the base of the brain that is known
to affect sexual impulses. In some cases, although the brain masculinizes, the
anterior hypothalamus may remain unaltered due to the timing of the hormonal
release or a lack of androgen receptors in the region, explaining male
homosexuality.
If the hormones are not present in sufficient amounts, an intermediary orientation
may arise, explaining bisexuality.
Likewise, androgens found in females may influence the development of the
female brain.
If androgens are released in significant amounts, the anterior hypothalamus may
masculinize, leading to a homosexual orientation in females.
These findings “have received considerable support from studies on animals … in which
testosterone levels were manipulated and the resulting offspring demonstrated
homosexual behavior.”
There have been many other studies that show the complexity of sexuality extends even
beyond what happens to masculinize the brain. The timing of the development of
male/female physical characteristics does not correlate with the timing of exposure to
testosterone/androgens in the fetus’s brain. Sexuality and brain development may not
always ‘match’ development of male/female physical characteristics.
Another set of studies shows that birth order can have an effect on male homosexuality.
(Chapman 2008: 169) In Chapman’s words, the number of older brothers can be a
predictive variable for homosexual orientation and explains homosexual orientation in
about 15 percent of homosexual males. Studies are showing that during pregnancy a male
fetus produces androgens. The mother’s immune system responds by producing
antibodies to counteract those male androgens. “With each successive male fetus the
mother produces additional antibodies and their accumulation affects the sexual
differentiation of a male fetus’ developing brain.” This doesn’t happen with a female fetus
because the female fetus does not produce hormones foreign to the mother’s body. In
other words, the mother’s body sees the androgens produced by the male fetus as foreign
and something to defend against. The mother’s body produces antibodies to ‘prevent’ or
‘counteract’ or ‘block’ the male androgens. With each male baby that she has, her
antibodies become stronger and more numerous. She becomes more efficient at blocking
male androgens with each male baby she has.
These are just a few examples of how biology influences sexuality. There is a lot more to
understand.