For centuries, moralists have argued that homosexuality is unnatural, a symptom of humanity's depraved condition. Academia has covertly protected this argument by refusing to acknowledge the prevalence of homosexual behaviour in animals. Finally, a few writers are beginning to bring the wild kingdom out of the closet.
Occasionally I receive queries from readers trying to come to terms with the fact that a friend or relative is gay. Although I have no intention of becoming another Ann Landers, I'm glad to answer these questions as best I can. The world has traditionally been hostile to gay men and lesbians. One of the main reasons I identify as a gay writer is to encourage us all toward greater compassion and self-acceptance.
Social fragmentsThe environment suffers when communities break down. A healthy human society, based on mutual respect and co-operation, will benefit the Earth. To achieve this, we need to understand and accept our diversity and differences, to work together with our different resources and talents.
One of the groups which has been misunderstood and oppressed is the gay community. As a result of this, many young people escape discrimination by moving to urban centres. The gay ghetto provides a place for safe self-identification, but in the long term this isolation benefits no one.
While the terms homosexual and heterosexual didn't exist before 1890, same-sex eroticism, affection, intimacy and partnering have existed in different forms throughout history. In some cultures they were valued, such as Native American communities, where homosexual or bisexual individuals were considered two-spirited, and given the vital role of shaman.
The evidence of this behaviour in other animals suggests it may play a more important social role than many people would like to think.
Hunting for the geneBefore exploring that, let's address a common question about homosexuality, which goes something like this: "Where can I find studies that show homosexuality is an inherited trait?"
The assumption behind this is that if it's genetic, it must be natural. Unfortunately, the answer isn't as simple.
First of all, there are lots of heritable traits—congenital diseases, for instance—that we would like to get rid of. If a scientist succeeds in finding the gay gene, be sure someone will start a crusade to eliminate it, or at least that parents will start aborting unwanted gay children.
But that scenario is unlikely. Most of the evidence for a genetic or purely biological cause comes from limited and flawed studies. In "A long tradition," Robert Finn describes the controversies over these findings (from The Scientist, you will need a free registration with this site to view the article). The debate seems destined to drown whatever shred of truth might flow out of them.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Van Waffle's Living With Nature topic, please visit the Discussions page.