Scientific opinions ONLY please: What do scientists (Biologists, Zoologists etc) say about homosexuality?

Question

** Bashing will be reported. Please answer on scientific basis, NOT according to your beliefs. Scientific, realiable links are appreciated concerning these issues:
- Is it genetic or nurtured (Results from something that happened in your life?)
- Does it exist in other species?

Thanx in advance.

Answer 1

I always thought it was a matter of population control since a man can reproduce with many women at once, but a woman can carry only one baby. It would be interesting to see what are the percentages of male vs female homosexuals.

Answer 2

Recent scientific studies indicate that human beings have a gene which they believe makes a person more "predisposed" toward homosexuality. That would indicate homosexuality is pre-programmed. On the flipside, psychologists who study homosexuality report some type of life event (sexual abuse, rape, etc.) in almost all homosexual men and women interviewed. So that would indicate that homosexuality is learned. Who's right? Good question.

As for other species, scientists cannot say with 100% accuracy that homosexual behavior exists in other animals. Several species display behaviors that indicate it may occur, but we can't exactly ask the animals about it, can we?

Answer 3

As you can imagine, the topic is controversial even among scientists. Joan Roughgarden has written a book on the topic, with examples from a variety of species. The book is titled 'Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People' - link is below.

Answer 4

Depending on which scientists you are talking to, there is a contigent that says that the part of the brain responsible for sexual orientation/activity is found to be smaller in Homosexual people as opposed to Hetrosexual. It seems to be focused on the Nature side of things (as a few people I know who are gay have said "Do you think I'd CHOOSE this lifestyle with all the baggage that comes with it?"). And yes it is found in the animal kingdom, Penguins and Giraffes have been known to show this type of behavior- biologically it's an advantage: it cuts down on competition for breeding partners, and two of the same sex who are attracted are more likely to work together to protect the herd and help raise young.

Answer 5

First, enable me rigidity that there is not any prevalent consensus between psychologists relating to the subject rely of why a guy or woman develops a particular sexual orientation. there have been study that help the two the "nature" and "nurture" arguments whether, not one of the study has been conclusive sufficient to permit for the completed backing of the two edge. maximum interior the psychological field have confidence that sexual orientation is formed by using a complicated intermingling of the two organic and organic and environmental factors and that maximum human beings of human beings have little to no selection interior the priority. on the same time as homosexuality became into as quickly as considered a psychological sickness, a number of many years of study have led us to end that homosexuality is a common ingredient of human sexuality. No direct link between homosexuality and any form of psychopathology has been mentioned. Homosexuals are no further vulnerable to be afflicted by psychological issues than heterosexuals.

Answer 6

I watched a very interesting ETV documentary on homosexuality recently that seemed to indicate that the tendency toward same sex preference is related to an excess or lack of male or female hormones.

Answer 7

The hippocampus (a structure in the brain) is smaller in gay men than it is in straight men.