Analysis Of Homosexuality By Simon Levay
Christina Coatney
November 13, 2012
Homosexuality
I read some interesting information in Chapter 10 about sexual orientation. I never have had much experience with homosexual people. I accept these people as they are, but I will admit that I did think homosexuality was a choice. The book had a lot of information that supports the idea that being homosexual is not a choice. Researcher Simon Levay studied the brain clusters of deceased heterosexual and homosexual people. He did find a difference in the size of the clusters. He was unable to prove whether sexual experience influences brain anatomy or if it is the other way around. Then, there was a section on genes and sexual orientation. Homosexuality seems to run in families.
Scientists are able to create homosexual fruit flies by genetic manipulation. At the end, there was a bit of information about prenatal hormones and sexual orientation. Pregnant sheep injected with testosterone during critical female development went on to have female offspring showing homosexual tendencies. Each section had experiments that supported homosexuality as being biologically influenced.
I learned a lot from the sections on homosexuality. I don’t have any homosexual friends or family right now, but it could always happen. I am open to the possibility. I previously accepted homosexuality as being a personal choice but now I see that may not be true. It didn’t change my opinion of homosexual people. Biological or by choice, I still openly accept their sexual orientation. I do think, however, that what I learned can help me to convince other people to accept homosexuals as well. The book stated that people were more accepting when they believed homosexuality was biologically based. I am now better equipped to educate others on the current research.
November 13, 2012
Homosexuality
I read some interesting information in Chapter 10 about sexual orientation. I never have had much experience with homosexual people. I accept these people as they are, but I will admit that I did think homosexuality was a choice. The book had a lot of information that supports the idea that being homosexual is not a choice. Researcher Simon Levay studied the brain clusters of deceased heterosexual and homosexual people. He did find a difference in the size of the clusters. He was unable to prove whether sexual experience influences brain anatomy or if it is the other way around. Then, there was a section on genes and sexual orientation. Homosexuality seems to run in families.
Scientists are able to create homosexual fruit flies by genetic manipulation. At the end, there was a bit of information about prenatal hormones and sexual orientation. Pregnant sheep injected with testosterone during critical female development went on to have female offspring showing homosexual tendencies. Each section had experiments that supported homosexuality as being biologically influenced.
I learned a lot from the sections on homosexuality. I don’t have any homosexual friends or family right now, but it could always happen. I am open to the possibility. I previously accepted homosexuality as being a personal choice but now I see that may not be true. It didn’t change my opinion of homosexual people. Biological or by choice, I still openly accept their sexual orientation. I do think, however, that what I learned can help me to convince other people to accept homosexuals as well. The book stated that people were more accepting when they believed homosexuality was biologically based. I am now better equipped to educate others on the current research.