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from "Born that way" theory
Homosexuality:
The Essentialist Argument
Continues to Erode
By A. Dean Byrd, Ph.D., MBA, MPH
The essentialist argument that homosexuality is biologically determined, and is
therefore not amenable to change, continues to find little support in science.
Finding its way in to the Monitor on Psychology, the official magazine of the
American Psychological Association, another study emphasizes the fluidity of
homosexual attraction.
Dr. Ellen Scheter of the Fielding Graduate Institute presented her research at
the recent meeting of the American Psychological Association. Her qualitative
study included in-depth interviews with 11 women who had been self-identified as
lesbian for more than 10 years. All of these women were in heterosexual
relationships which had been ongoing for more than a year (Greer, 2004).
These findings provide support for the research of Dr. Lisa Diamond whose study
was reported in the Monitor on Psychology in 2000. Dr. Diamond concluded that
"sexual identity was far from fixed in women who aren't exclusively
heterosexual" (Murray, 2000, p. 15; Diamond, 2000).
Dr. Kenneth Zucker, in his careful analysis of the innate/immutable argument of
homosexuality, rostered a plethora of studies to support his conclusion that
"sexual orientation is more fluid than fixed" (2003, pp. 399-400).
Friedman and Downey, the psychiatric researchers at Columbia University, offered
a strongly worded conclusion opposing the essentialist argument: "At clinical
conferences one often hears...that homosexual orientation is fixed and
unmodifiable. Neither assertion is true...The assertion that homosexuality is
genetic is so reductionistic that it must be dismissed out of hand as a general
principle of psychology" (2002, p 39).
Yet the national organizations continue to offer the essentialist argument as a
guide for law and public policy. No reputable scientist on either side of the
political spectrum would disagree with the conclusion of Friedman and Downey.
Even the gay-activist researchers themselves who studies have been used by the
media to trumpet the message that homosexuality is biologically determined do
not support the "born that way" myth.
Simon LeVay, the author of the hypothalamus study, noted, "It's important to
stress what I didn't find. I did not prove that homosexuality was genetic, or
find a genetic cause for being gay. I didn't show that gay men were born that
way, the most common mistake people make in interpreting my work" (Nimmons,
1994, p. 64).
Dean Hamer, the author of the "gay gene" study, agreed: "We knew that genes were
only part of the answer. We assumed the environment also played a role in sexual
orientation, as it does in most, if not all behaviors...(Hamer and Copeland,
1994, p. 82). Hamer further emphasizes, "Homosexuality is not purely
genetic...environmental factors play a role. There is not a single master gene
that makes people gay...I don't think we will ever predict who will be gay"
(Mitchell, 1995).
LeVay, the gay activist researcher, made an interesting observation about the
emphasis on the biology of homosexuality: He noted, "...people who think that
gays and lesbians are born that way are also more likely to support gay rights"
(1996, p. 282).
Psychiatrist Robert Spitzer, a prominent member of the American Psychiatric
Association and historic ally of gay activists, provides even more insight into
how activism has replaced science in the national organizations. He notes,
"There's a gay-activist group that's very strong and very vocal and recognized
officially by the American Psychiatric Association. There is nobody to give the
other viewpoint...There may be a few people...but they don't talk" (Spitzer,
2004).
May be it is time for legislators to call into question the "science" of the
national organizations, particularly when the national organizations employ
activism disguised as science to justify resolutions and policy statements.
References
Diamond, L. M. (2000). Sexual identity, attractions, and behavior among young sexual minority women over a 2 year period. Developmental Psychology, 36 (2), pp. 241-250.
Friedman, R. C. & Downey, J.I. (2002). Sexual orientation and psychoanalysis: sexual science and clinical practice (New York: Columbia University Press). p. 39.
Greer, M. (2004). Labels may oversimplify women's sexual identity, experiences. Monitor on Psychology, 35, 9, p. 28.
______, (2004). I Do Exist (video). Robert Spitzer Interview.
Hamer, D. & Copeland, P. (1994). The science of desire. New York: Simon & Schuster.
LeVay, S. (1996). Queer science. Cambridge, MIT Press.
Mitchell, N, (1995). Genetics, sexuality linked, study says. Standard Examiner, April 30.
Murray, B. (2000). Sexual identity is far from fixed in women who aren't exclusively heterosexual. Monitor on Psychology, 32(3), pp. 64-67.
Nimmons, D. (1994). Sexual brain. Discover, 5, 3.
Zucker, K. J. (2003). The politics and science of reparative therapy. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32, pp. 399-400.
Updated: 3 September 2008
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