LGB ErasureJulie Bindel: There's no gay gene – and I love the idea I chose to be a lesbian

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[–][deleted] 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

There is a gay gene (at least one that causes it in men.) We don't understand how it works, but it is a simple mathematical, statistical matter of demographic survey and genetic analysis to find that it's there. It's still a Darwinian mystery.

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[–]KingDickThe2nd 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Biological causations does not mean there is a "gay gene". Even the most avid supporter of biological determinism admits that it is caused by a multitude of different genetic markers rather that a single mythical "gay gene".

If homosexuality was purely biologically determined, then those case studies of twins would not have found that there is an increased likelihood that both twins are gay, but would have rather have found that all twins always have the same sexuality.

A more reasonable position is that it is a complicated mixture of biological and environmental factors that comes together to cause someone to be born homosexual.

And I'm not even going to get into "institutionalised homosexuality", which is neither biologically determined nor homosexuality.

[–]hufflepuff-poet 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Institutionalized homosexuality? Like when gay people were put in psych wards/asylums for being same-sex attracted? Or is this a more modern phenomenon?

[–]KingDickThe2nd 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

A more historical term that doesn't seem to be vogue anymore.

It refers to people engaging in homosexual behaviour, but not out of their own free will. That the society that they belong to has created a cultural institution which forces them to engage in sexual behaviour with other males.

These types of cultural institutions could be forced transgenderism, where boys who are not considered masculine enough to be a males will be forced to live their lives as a woman from the age of 12 upwards. Generally because there are not enough females to take on the female gender roles in their society. This cultural norm is often called gender structured homosexuality, but unfortunately many biased historians and anthropologists have ignored the forced element and has subsequently been used by trans activists.

One other type of cultural institution is when same sex acts are performed in educational mentor relationship that is often called age-structured homosexuality. In these societies is a coming of age ceremony where a boy is to be mentored by a adult man, generally starting at the age of 12, although in some rare cases it can be as low as 7 in some particular societies. The man is generally expected to provide practical sex education (how to masturbate) to the boy and to develop a romantic relationship that is often officially recognised in the society (as a temporary civil union). Societies differ on whether the boy remains with his parents or moves into the man's house as a boy wife and on whether the sexual component is limited to mutual masturbation or extends to full anal sex. This behaviour is not something that is sort out by people in that society, but is rather an expected life stage that all individuals are meant to go through. There was also evidence of a woman - girl equivalent in some societies, but that was generally hidden and not celebrated as the male form was.

There is also the forced sex and rape that happens in prisons and historically on naval sailing ships (hence "in the navy").

All of these things are not really anything to do with biologically determined homosexuality, as the individuals are being forced to engage in same sex acts through manipulation and cohesion.

[–]lovelyspearmintLesbeing a lesbian 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I think it's about the cases of straight men having homosexual relations in situations where there are (usually) no women present, such as prison or the army.