Apparently gay men and straight women have more in common than previously though.
In today's Toronto Star is an article reporting on the findings of a new Swedish study that compared the brains of both heterosexual and homosexual men and women. According to the results, gay men and straight women share a similarly balanced brain makeup, with both right and left hemispheres being of almost equal dimensions. Straight men, however, had a notably larger right hemispheres than left. Interestingly, lesbians have similar brain makeups to straight men, with larger right hemispheres.
Scientists concluded that this was a natural occurrence, and that no amount of environmental influence could have caused a straight man's right hemisphere to shrink and turn him gay. According to a Canadian researcher who reviewed the project, this is one of several studies that all point to the fact people are born gay, not turned that way by non-biological factors.
The author of the study, found online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, admits that the cause for the difference is unknown, but scientists in the field argue it should help to substantiate the argument that gays and lesbians have no control over their sexuality, disproving claims from far-right groups that maintain homosexuality is a 'lifestyle choice' made at the free will of poorly raised men and women.
To me, this study does exactly that; it proves what we all already know, that I was born gay, that I'm just a bit different than straight men, and that it's not the result of anything anyone did or didn't do in my upbringing. Essentially, it would be going against nature to not be gay if one has such a clearly defined difference in brain makeup.
People everywhere should be celebrating that once again, the scientific community does not condemn homosexuals as deviants, but rather embraces the empirical fact that homosexuals are indeed different than heterosexuals, and not by their own choice and design.
But, I am afraid that anti-gay groups will twist this to further their own agenda. It would be easy to manipulate the language here, to say that gays are 'genetically deficient' because of the difference in hemisphere sizes. After all, what's different from the 'straight norm' is clearly wrong in their opinion, and this study could give them the ammunition to argue that gayness is the result of a diseased, imperfect human being.
Also, I'm curious about the corroboration between gay men and straight women's brains. The radical groups will no doubt pounce on that fact, arguing that we're all a bunch of effeminate girly-men because we share a similar brain makeup to straight women. It makes great fodder for those who want to gay bash by essentially confirming that we have more in common with straight women than straight men...except for the whole penis thing...
It is interesting that gay men and straight women share similar brain characteristics. What does that say? Does that explain why I get along better with straight women than I do with some straight men?
I don't feel particularly effeminate (at least all the time), to be quite honest. Of course, when compared to any straight man, I guess you could say I am; I'm in touch with my emotions, I care openly about those around me, I'm empathetic. That said, I think my personality is split down the middle, more or less...I'm not one to run around crying in public, or exhibiting any of the stereotypical flamey mannerisms. I'm stubborn and sometimes think with my dick and don't get squeamish when I have to kill a spider or set a trap for a mouse.
The point I'm trying to make is, while I agree that there are certainly similarities between gay men and straight women, I don't think that it necessarily equates to 'gay men and straight women are the same'. Naturally, everyone is different. Some gay men are more queeny than the 'average' girls I know. Some straight women are rougher around the edges, preferring rugby and beer instead of cocktails and runways.
The bottom line is, we are all unique and different for different reasons. It's unfortunate that in 2008 people still cling to the traditional notions of 'boys' and 'girls', expecting everyone to act accordingly. Society is still hung up on judging individuals against the standard, criticizing them as not being 'normal' if they don't fit the idealized, all-American boy/girl mould. But in truth, nobody fits the mould to a T; the straightest man still has his hidden femininity, the most lipstick-lesbian her moment of masculinity. Where we all fall in between should be appreciated instead of ostracized, because personally, I'm very happy to have a 'feminine' side too.
Until that happens, I'm good with hanging out with my dear straight girlfriends; now I know we share one other thing in common on top of the desire to find the perfect man.
6 comments:
I read a truncated version of the article, and honestly it did not surprise me.
I did research into "gaydar" for my interpersonal communication class and found that nonverbal and verbal behaviors are (duh!) different across the different sexual orientations. However, the big difference between this newest study and the behavioral studies I read is the linking between gay men and straight women (and gay women and straight men). In interaction studies, evidence seems to suggest that gay men and women take on more androgynous behaviors when compared to the long-standing biological sex-based gender roles (meaning the stereotypes of feminine gay men and masculine gay women may not be the norm, just the popular cultural image). Naturally, as with all research, there are many limitations to consider before accepting the data as "fact." Regardless, the results are intriguing and should generate additional attempts at validation.
Unfortunately, the science exploring the natural variations of gender identity and sexual orientations does not penetrate all sectors of society. Even university gender studies programs seem to cling to a heteronormative perspective that sees all social interaction as dependent upon straight male and female relationships.
For anyone interested, a good academic resource is the Journal of Homosexuality (established in the mid-70's and now over 50 volumes old). It is a multi-disciplinary journal taking articles from researchers in such fields as sociology, psychology, gender studies, and communication studies. Not only does it contain articles exploring homosexuality among men and women (as well as related and socially relevant issues), but a lot of content is devoted to bisexuality and transgenderism.
PS -- Like you, in terms of gender identity I feel neither entirely male nor entirely female ... although I do tend to think of myself as a duchess (not quite a queen, but capable of royal tantrums).
What frightens me is the following: If it's established that the cause for homosexuality is genetic, that will lead to more research to identify the responsible genes. That knowledge could then be used to check the sexual orientation of an unborn child. We all know that that will lead to abortion of the gay foetus.
Being a scientist myself, I fully understand that researchers will be eager to locate those genes, but I really wonder if society is ready for that knowledge.
I've gotta say, I believe it. I may be 6'4'', 200, strap on a big ol' .45 and head to work to kick evil ass, but I'm an emotional bitch.
As you pointed out, it is sad that in 2008, society seems to be still as closed-mind as we were ten years ago.
We have been saying from the day we came out, I was born this way. Now, science has proven what we already knew and most right-wing believers are picking and choosing what science says.
Hopefully someday soon, it will all be apart of the norm to be gay.
Genetic engineering is progressing rapidly. Aren't we close to being able to determine (as in influence) a child's biological sex at conception?
The brave new world is coming.
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