Homosexuality 2 Essay, Research Paper

Homosexuality

Have you ever just sat back and asked yourself why is Rupaul and George Michael gay? Is it genetic or the result of upbringing? Is it biological or psychosocial? Are people born that way or made that way by man ?

Attitudes towards homosexuality have changed over the centuries. During ancient Greece, homosexual relationships were acceptable, and in some cases expected in certain segments of society. Although, later attitudes towards homosexuality in the Western world were determined largely by Judeo-Christian moral codes, which treated homosexuality as immoral, mental illness or a sin. But, by the 20th century some psychoanalysts viewed homosexuals as having a hormonal imbalance and/or a biological characteristic.

Therefore, tonight I will speak about the biological aspect of homosexuality.

Sexual orientation can determine whom a person is sexually attracted to. Sexual orientation is influenced by biological events that occur at conception or as early in a fetal life before the 17th week of pregnancy. It is in fact similar to being born right- or left-handed in that it results from physiological or genetic conditions. Sexual orientation can be developed early childhood by either genetic or inborn hormonal factors, rather than being solely a matter or choice. Therefore, sexual orientation emerges for most people in early adolescence without any prior sexual experiences. According to researchers Pillard and Bailey Homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual orientations, are examples of the biologic diversity of a human being, a diversity with a genetic basis .

A particular part of the brain influences various sex hormones. This part of the brain is known as the hypothalamus and is the primary drive center. The hypothalamus was found to be smaller in homosexual men and women, than in heterosexual men. The reason for this is because this part of brains development. Although this part of the brain has some known connection to sexual behavior, to the fact that homosexual men are much more likely to be left-handed, dyslexic and stutters all factors related to the development of the brain hemispheres, according to Gotestam, Coates, Ekstran researchers for the International Journal of Neuroscience.

A particular chromosome is passed to the male child. The X chromosome is passed through the maternal line, giving the mothers some responsibility for their sons homosexuality. Researchers Bailey, and Pillard said the male homosexuality is X-linked, that is, only carried by women (who are heterosexual) and transmitted to their sons but not their daughters. The reason is the immune system recognizes one or two particular proteins that the male fetuses have on the cell surface. And somehow affects the fetal brain in a way that predisposes the child to homosexuality.

Also, the mothers of homosexuals have more sisters than brothers at a rate suggesting that 50% of the males conceived in the mother s generation never cam to term. Turner, a professor from University of New Mexico, said In addition to there are many more miscarriages than on the father s side, many more suicides, much more infertility, and an abundance of people who remained single past the age of 30. Also, there are more gay relatives on the mother s side of the family.

Many studies have been based on twins. The reason being identical twins have the same genetic code, and fraternal twins have more in common genetically than any other siblings. Family Research Report of February 1992 stated, of homosexuals who had identical twin brothers, 52% of those twins were also homosexual, 22% of those who had fraternal twin brothers said that their twin was gay, and only 11% of those who had adopted siblings said that their adopted brothers were also homosexual.

You will have an apples and apples comparison people long out of the closet, along side people long out of the lifestyle. A biological view is structured as homosexual orientation is programmed in the genes, fashioned by hormones and displayed in the brain structure.

Keep in mind, with research still being performed there is increasing evidence to suggest that homosexuality may well be inherited, and hopefully homosexuality will be accepted rather than treated as an abnormality.