Excerpted from "Mapping the Mind" by Rita Carter
In 1991 the prestigious journal Science published a study showing that the brains of a group of homosexual men who had died from Aids were structurally different from the brains of heterosexual men. The nucleus in the hypothalamus that triggers male-typical sexual behaviour was much smaller in the gay men and looked more like that in the brains of women. The author, Simon LeVay, then Associate Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Adjunct Professor of Biology at the University of California was immediately attacked by gay activists who feared that the recognition of homosexuality as a physical-based condition might lead to it being re-stigmatized. LeVay, who is himself gay, then went on to discover that the corpus callosum differs getween gay and straight men, too-in gays it was found to be bigger. Three years later a study led by molecular biologist Dean Hamer of the National Institute of Health in Washington, DC, found evidence to suggest that a specific gene-carried on the maternal line - influenced sexual orientation in men. Put together, these studies provide strong evidence that homosexuality is rooted in biology - and hostility to the idea has largely disappeared.
"In 1991 the prestigious journal Science published a study showing that the brains of a group of homosexual men who had died from Aids were structurally different from the brains of heterosexual men. The nucleus in the hypothalamus that triggers male-typical sexual behaviour was much smaller in the gay men and looked more like that in the brains of women. "
the hypothalamus regulates body temp, sleep, and is near (but does not control) the area which produces hormones.
isnt it more likely that a man, suffering from a disease that is attacking the white blood cells simply had his regulatory system overworked?
these findings do not mention the condition of the heterosexual male.
as for the thigh bone... what does that have to do with anything? i can say "gay men are more prone to wear makeup"
it is also markedly true. is that proof of homosexuality?
"found evidence to suggest that a specific gene"
and until the 1980's, the rings and lines in South American deserts were "evidence that suggests aliens"
this has been found to have a rational, wordly answer.
i am not saying that the hypothesis is false, but it hasnt been proven by those terms.
"The nucleus in the hypothalamus that triggers male-typical sexual behaviour was much smaller in the gay men and looked more like that in the brains of women. "
This means that it is a learned behavior....the brain develops in areas which are stimulated--more development in areas of brain that pertain to math and spacial areas exist if one studies piano, for instance. Orphans in Romania had brains which had underdeveloped areas of the brain which had to do with social interaction.......etc. Repeated behaviors will affect the network and growth of the brain......it is only common sense.
All twin studies, which showed that identical twins ended up with different sexual orientations debunked the "gene" theory and proves that the cause is not genetic.
Waht the media did not tell you is that the hypotahalmus of the brain changes with use. To plut it bluntly, professional basketball players will have enlarged areas of their brain, in comparison to non-professional basketball players/. Ths same goes true for Symphony orchestra conducters, etc...
Even Levay admitted to this, that ultimately his studies did not convincingly prove that the hypothalamus/corpus callosum differences in hetero and homo men were a result of biology. No study has ever proven that. The media distorted the findings to suit their political purposes.
"[His 1991 research] made the unassuming LeVay one of the most misunderstood men in America. "It's important to stress what I didn't find," he points out with the courtly patience of someone who long ago got used to waiting for the rest of the world to catch up. "I did not prove that homosexuality is genetic, or find a genetic cause for being gay. I didn't show that gay men are 'born that way,' the most common mistake people make in interpreting my work. Nor did I locate a gay center in the brain --INAH3 is less likely to be the sole gay nucleus of the brain than part of a chain of nuclei engaged in men and women's sexual behavior. My work is just a hint in that direction--a spur, I hope, to future work."Source: Interview with David Nimmons (March, 1994) "Sex and the Brain", Discover, Vol. 15, No. 3, p. 64-71.