I. DEFINING HOMOSEXUALITY

A. KINSEY - SCALE OF ACTUAL BEHAVIOR

• SEXUAL CONTACT TO ORGASM IN ADULTHOOD

B. OTHER ESTIMATES

1. HATFIELD (1989):

• NATIONAL SAMPLE
• 6.2% EXCLUSIVELY HOMOSEXUAL

2. SELL ET AL (1990); N-5,700; 3 NATIONS

HAD SAME-SEX SEX	FRANCE	UNITED KINGDOM	UNITED STATES
SINCE AGE 15	11.6%	7.8%	11.6%
LAST 5 YEARS	10.8	4.5	6.3

3. WEINBERG & WILLIAMS (1974)

• US, HOLLAND, DENMARK
• 36-59% OF GAY MEN HAD HETEROSEXUAL INTERCOURSE

4. REINISCH ET AL (1989)

• 74-81% OF LESBIANS HAD HETERO. INTERCOURSE

5. WORKING DEFINITION

• HOMOSEXUAL - ADULT WHO HAS A PREFERENTIAL EROTIC ATTRACTION FOR SOMEONE OF THE SAME-SEX, WHO USUALLY (BUT NOT NECESSARILY) ENGAGES IN SEX WITH A SAME-SEX PERSON

   

6. STORMS 1980 - TWO DIMENSIONAL SCHEME

II. ATTITUDES

A. MANY NEGATIVE -

• 49% OF COLLEGE STUDENTS DISAPPROVE OF HOMOSEXUALITY AS A LIFESTYLE FOR OTHERS

B. HISTORICAL

• SIN - RELIGIOUS VIEWS
• CRIMINAL

SODOMY; DEVIATE SEXUAL INTERCOURSE

MISDEMEANOR - 1 YEAR PRISON AND/OR $1000

BOWERS V. HARDWICK - JUNE 30, 1986

• OK FOR STATES TO CRIMINALIZE CONSENSUAL SAME-SEX BEHAVIOR

SICKNESS - MENTAL ILLESS

DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL (DSM)

A. LESBIAN SHOE SIZE

B. PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORIES

1. BIEBER - 100 GAY MALE PATIENTS; 100 HETERO

PASSIVE OR ABSENT FATHER;

OVERPROTECTIVE MOTHER

2. WOOLF -

• 100 NONPATIENT LESBIANS;
• 100 HETERO WOMEN

 

	LESBIAN	HETERO WOMEN
DISTANT MOTHER	27%	10%
DISTANT FATHER	10	0

3. CONVERSION THERAPY

ELECTRIC SHOCK IN RESPONSE TO HOMOEROTIC PICTURES

A. EVELYN HOOKER (1970S)

• 20 NONPATIENT GAY MEN; 20 HETERO MEN
• EXTENSIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
• PANEL OF PSYCHIATRISTS AS JUDGES -
• CLASSIFY WHO IS HOMOSEXUAL/DISTURBED
• CONCLUSION: HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT MENTAL ILLNESS

B. DSM

• REMOVED AS MENTAL ILLNESS IN 1973 - AM PSYCHIATRIC
• 1974 REMOVED BY AM. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC.

V. ORIGINS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION

(SEE TEXT, PP. 380-381; 386-388)

A. BRAIN STUDIES

1. LEVAY (1991)

• 19 GAY MEN, 16 HETERO MEN, 6 HETERO WOMEN - DECEASED
• BRAIN DISSECTION: LOOKED AT CELLS IN ANTERIOR PORTION OF HYPOTHALMUS (INAH-3)
• HETERO MEN INAH-3 WAS LARGE
• GAY MEN INAH-3 WAS LESS LARGE
• HETERO WOMEN INAH-3 SMALL

2. FLAWS IN LEVAY STUDY

• ALL OF GAY MEN DIED OF AIDS; 6 OF HETERO MEN; 1 HETERO WOMAN ALSO DIED OF AIDS; AIDS KNOWN TO AFFECT BRAIN
• NO LESBIANS IN STUDY
• GAY MEN KNOWN TO BE GAY; SEXUAL ORIENTATION OF OTHERS NOT DETERMINED - THEY WERE “PRESUMED” TO BE HETERO.
• A FINDING OF BRAIN DIFFERENCES DOES NOT DETERMINE CAUSE - CANNOT CONCLUDE BRAIN CAUSED BEHAVIOR; IT COULD BE THAT BEHAVIOR CAUSED CHANGES IN BRAIN; E.G., MUSICIANS HAVE DIFFERENT BRAIN SCANS THAN NONMUSICANS

B. HORMONE IMBALANCE

1. 12 STUDIES OF HORMONE LEVELS WITH MEN

• 8 STUDIES, NO DIFFERENCE GAY MEN VS. HETERO MEN
• 2 STUDIES, HETERO MEN HAD HIGHER TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
• 2 STUDIES, GAY MEN HAD HIGHER TESTOSTERONE LEVELS

2. 2 STUDIES OF LESBIANS, NOT CONCLUSIVE

• OTHER RESEARCH, IF PEOPLE GIVEN MORE TESTOSTERONE, IT INCREASES SEX DRIVE BUT DOES NOT CHANGE SEXUAL ORIENTATION

C. GENETIC EVIDENCE

1. GAY MEN TWIN STUDIES- (BAILEY & PILLARD, 1991)

(A) DESIGN

• RECRUITED GAY MEN FROM FOLLOWING GROUPS
• IDENTICAL TWINS (MZ-MONOZYGOTIC)
• NONIDENTICAL TWINS (DZ-DIZYGOTIC)DOPTIVE BROTHERS
• LOOKED TO SEE WHICH GROUP HAD MORE GAY BROTHERS
• HYPOTHESIS: GAY MEN TWINS (MZ) SHARING MORE GENETIC TRAITS WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A GAY BROTHER THAN DZ TWINS OR ADOPTIVE BROTHERS

(B) FINDINGS

• MZ TWINS: 52% HAD GAY TWIN (29/56)
• DZ NONIDENTICAL TWINS: 22% HAD GAY TWIN (12/54)
• ADOPTIVE BROTHERS: 11% HAD GAY BROTHER (6/57)

(C) PROBLEMS WITH CONCLUSIONS

• RECRUITMENT MAY HAVE AFFECTED FINDINGS - POSSIBLE OVERREPRESENTATION OF GAY TWINS
• DIFFICULT TO SEPARATE ENVIRONMENTAL VERSUS GENETIC EFFECTS WHEN TWINS ARE REARED TOGETHER.
• IF BIOLOGY WAS CAUSE OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION, WOULD EXPECT HIGHER RATE OF GAY TWIN IN MZ GROUP THAN 52%

2. LESBIAN TWIN STUDIES (BAILEY & PILLARD, 1993)

• IDENTICAL TWINS (MZ): 48% CONCORDANCE (HAD LESBIAN TWIN)
• DZ NONIDENTICAL TWINS: 16%
• ADOPTIVE TWIN: 6%

3.BEST OVERALL CONCLUSIONS

• SOME PART OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION MAY BE GENETIC, BUT CANNOT ACCOUNT FOR ALL HOMOSEXUALITY
• EVIDENCE THAT SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN WOMEN IS CAUSED BY BIOLOGY IS WEAK
• BIOLOGICAL FACTORS MIGHT BE INVOLVED SOMEWHAT IN MALE SEXUAL ORIENTATION BUT IT IS NOT A DIRECT CAUSAL EFFECT (THERE IS NOT A SPECIFIC GENE OR BRAIN AREA THAT CAN BE LINKED TO SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS)

VI. ISSUES FOR LESBIANS/GAY MEN

A. HOMOPHOBIA -

IRRATIONAL FEAR OF HOMOSEXUALS OR HOMOSEXUALITY

B. HETEROSEXISM -

BELIEF THAT HETEROSEXUALS AND HETEROSEXUALITY IS SUPERIOR

C. LESBIAN AND GAY YOUTH

1. D'AUGELLI (1993); 200 LGB YOUTH, 15-21 YRS

• MOST AWARE OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AT AGE 10

AGE 15: FIRST SAME-SEX EXPERIENCE

CAME OUT: AGE 16

• ONLY 1 IN 4 TOLD FAMILY MEMBER
• MANY WERE DISTRESSED
  • 50% WERE DEPRESSED; ANXIOUS, HIV CONCERNS; HAD RECEIVED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING
• MUCH EVIDENCE OF SUICIDALITY

60% HAD CONTEMPLATED

• 42% PAST SUICIDE ATTEMPT (COMPARED WITH 6-13% OF NONGAY YOUTH)
• YOUNGER THE AGE OF COMING OUT, MORE PROBLEMS

2. HARASSMENT/VIOLENCE

• 80% VERBAL HARASSMENT
• 44% THREATENED WITH PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
• 17% BEATEN UP B/C LESBIAN/GAY/BI

A. INTERNAL CONSISTENCY

B. SELF-DEFINITION

• LESBIANS MORE INDEPENDENT AND AUTONOMOUS

C. COMMUNITY

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