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Texte rédigé par Huma Q. Rana uniquement en anglais.

Huma Q. Rana

In 1992, Vice-President Dan Quayle said that homosexuality "is more of a choice than a biological situation...It is a wrong choice." Quayle's statement counters the sentiment of many homosexuals that their sexual orientation is neither a lifestyle nor a personal choice, it is innate and unchangeable. Is homosexuality a choice or does sexual preference have a biological basis? This question is at the forefront of academic, scientific, political, legal and media consciousness. The debate over homosexuality has influenced a myriad of research in finding a biological cause for differences in sexual behavior.

Recently, a plethora of research has been done on determining brain differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals. Simon LeVay's work on the anterior hypothalamus is the most widely discussed and debated research in the area of sexual orientation and neuroscience. This paper will examine Simon LeVay's research which declares that there is a physiological difference between the brains of heterosexual and homosexual men. Furthermore, it will discuss the shortcomings of his research and the need for more conclusive studies on sexuality and its link to biology.

Before delving into LeVay's study, it is important to examine pre-existing evidence for brain differences and sexual dimorphism in humans. Prenatal and perinatal hormones organize the components of the brain and create either a male or female brain and thereby produce male or female typical behavior. The most sexually dimorphic region of the brain is located in the hypothalamus. The sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) is the most differentiated portion of the brain between sexes. The importance of these regions in sexual differentiation (between the sexes) led scientists to believe that sexual orientation could be on a continuum in this area of neurological research.

LeVay said, "The discovery that a nucleus differs in size between heterosexual and homosexual men illustrates that sexual orientation in humans is amenable to study at the biological level."

Even if LeVay's work is reproduced and receives the backing of the scientific community, the ineffable nature of human sexual preference makes this research difficult. For instance, observing differences between the brains of homosexual and heterosexual men does not tell us when these differences arose. It is quite possible that the INAH-3 in homosexual men started out the same size as the INAH-3 in heterosexual men and then became smaller due to their experienced sexual behaviors.

Genetic studies such as one done by Bailey and Pillard have shown a 52% concordance rate of homosexuality in monozygotic twins. This suggests that homosexuality is highly attributable to genetics.These findings as well as those of LeVay's (although debatable) are setting the groundwork for a biological cause of homosexuality. They are the key to unlocking the mystery of sexuality and are proving more than ever that brain does equal behavior.

Si t’as des questions ou des problèmes ou que tu veux des conseils ou de l’aide, je ne suis pas diplômé mais j’ai pas mal d’expérience quand même.