Is homosexuality biological?

I have been getting an exceptional quantity of mail — paper mail, not e-mail — about a piece I wrote for National Review last December. The piece, titled "Our Crisis of Foundations," was a loose rumination on current metaphysical confusions in the Western world.

Not many of my correspondents were interested in metaphysics. What mainly caught their eyes, and what they wanted to take issue with, were the following two sentences:

It is now taken for granted, for example, that homosexuality is a biological attribute of the human organism. "I was born this way!" the modern homosexual tells us, and science confirms that in most cases, if not exactly all, this is true.

Yet just a few decades ago, well within the memory of middle-aged people, homosexuality was thought of not as a thing people were, but as something they did.... Here, in a largish area of life and jurisprudence, the self has yielded to the organism, morality to biology.

The National Review readers who wrote to me disagreed rather strongly with what I said in those first two sentences — or actually, more often, with what they mistakenly supposed I said. They protested, sometimes quite angrily, at my implication that homosexuality is inborn. No, they said, it is chosen, and science has proved this to be so.

I had some exchanges with the editors over at the magazine (who had themselves received and read some portion of the letters) about whether I could produce a crisp reply to the generality of these readers, a representative letter from one of whom would then be printed in the "Letters" pages of NR, with my riposte underneath. After some struggles, I found I could not condense a satisfactory response to the small word-count required, and we dropped the idea.

I hate to leave things like this hanging, though, and have no time to write letters in reply to all those who took the trouble to write to me. By the magic of the Internet, however, I can answer them fully and carefully here on NRO, and I am going to give over this column to the task.

What causes homosexuality? In the first place, the main point I was making was not about homosexuality, but about current attitudes, and the metaphysics that underlies them. Whether homosexuals are indeed "born that way" is one question; whether it is "taken for granted" in modern society that they are is a separate and independent question. Either could be true without the other's being true. That the second is true seems to me too obvious to be worth arguing. Even the Roman Catholic Church, while condemning homosexual acts as sinful, concedes that the predilection to such acts may be inborn, in which case homosexuals "are called to chastity." (Article 2359 of the current Catechism.)

Leaving that aside, what are the causes of homosexuality — the predilection, not the acts (which I assume to be caused by free will prompted by the predilection)? I can list a baker's dozen of theories that I have heard or seen written up at one time or another. In very approximate order of scientific respectability, as best I can judge it, the theories are:

(1) Satan. Homosexuality may be a manifestation of Satan's work. While the least scientific of current theories, this one is probably the most widely believed, taking the world at large. Most devout Muslims, for example, believe it, and so do many Christians.

(2) Social Construction. There is no such thing as homosexuality. There are only heterosexual and homosexual acts, which different cultures regard differently. The notion of "homosexuality" as a personality attribute is a 19th-century invention.

(3) Brain damage. Some insult to the tissues of the brain, perhaps at birth or in infancy, causes homosexuality.

(5) Family influences in childhood. The Freudian belief is that having a weak father and/or dominant mother can form the child's personality in the direction of homosexuality.

(6) Social stress. Rats kept in overpopulated environments, even when sufficient food and access to females are available, will become aggressively homosexual after the stress in the environment rises above a certain level.

(7) Imprinting. The individual's early sexual history can "imprint" certain tendencies on animals and humans. Many homosexuals report having been same-sexually molested in childhood or youth.

(8) Socialization theories. The high levels of homosexual bonding in some ancient and primitive societies suggests that the common mores of a culture have some power to socialize large numbers of people into homosexuality.

(9) Genetics, direct. Homosexuality is the expression of some gene, or some combination of genes.

(10) Womb environment — too much of a good thing. The presence of certain hormone imbalances during critical periods of gestation can have the effect of hyper-masculinizing the brain of a male infant. Paradoxically — there are plausible biological arguments — this might lead to the infant becoming homosexual.

(11) Infection. Homosexuality may be caused by an infectious agent — a germ or a virus. This is the Cochran/Ewald theory, which made a cover story for the February 1999 Atlantic Monthly.

(12) Genetics, indirect. Homosexuality may be an undesirable (from the evolutionary point of view) side effect of some genetic defense against a disease — analogous to the sickle-cell anemia mutation, a by-product of genetic defenses against malaria, negative to the organism but nothing like as negative, net-net, as susceptibility to malaria.

(13) Womb environment — too much of the wrong thing. Here the effect of the rogue hormones is to feminize the brain of a male infant. (I assume that there are theories corresponding to 10 and 13 for female infants, though I have never seen them documented.)

Note that theories number 9, 10, 12, 13, and conditionally (depending on the age at injury or infection) 3 and 11, could all be taken as saying that homosexuality is "inborn," while only two of these six theories have anything to do with genetics. The confusion between "genetic" and "inborn" is epidemic among the general public, however, to the despair of science writers. To readers suffering from that confusion — an actual majority of those who wrote to me suffer from it — I recommend the purchase of a good dictionary.

Which is it? Which of these theories is true? In the current state of our understanding, I don't believe that anyone can say for sure. From what I have seen of the scientific literature, I should say that numbers 12 and 13 currently hold the strongest positions, with much, though I think declining, interest and research in 9 and 10, modest but growing interest in 11, and some lingering residual attachment to 6, 7, and 8. The other theories are not taken seriously by anyone doing genuine science, so far as I know. If anyone has information to the contrary, I should be interested to look at it — though I should only be interested in research written up in a respectable peer-reviewed journal of the human sciences.

My own favorite is the infection theory, number 11. I favor it because it seems to me to be the most parsimonious — always a good reason for favoring a scientific theory. Until an actual agent of infection can be identified, however, the infection theory must remain speculative and the evidence circumstantial.

The theories involving genetics all suffer from mathematical problems. Homosexuality imposes such a huge "negative Darwinian load" on the affected organism that it is hard to see how genes inclining to homosexuality could persist for long in any population. Various ingenious theories have been cooked up in attempts to finesse the issue, but nobody has been able to make the evolutionary math work. Which is baffling, because there are persistent nagging hints, in identical-twin studies for instance, that homosexuality does have some genetic component. Science is full of conundrums like this, to the delight of unscientific cranks, who leap on them as evidence of supernatural intervention. History shows that these puzzles always get resolved sooner or later in a natural way, however, sending the "God of the Gaps" traipsing off to find a new place where he can hang his starry cloak for a while.

The "socialization" theories, while not scientifically contemptible, do not hold up well under rigorous examination. It is indeed true that large numbers of men and women, deprived of the companionship of the opposite sex by confinement or social custom, will form erotic bonds with their own sex. As soon as the constraints are removed, however, the great majority revert to heterosexuality. Graduates of English boys' boarding schools marry and raise families; the convict who spent his sentence bullying weaker inmates into giving him sexual gratification will, upon his release, immediately seek out old girlfriends. Lab studies — measuring sexual arousal caused by various kinds of images, for instance — confirm that the great majority of people everywhere are, in their inner lives, heterosexual, however they may express themselves under the constraints of their immediate environment.

The "choice" theory, which most of my correspondents seem to cleave to, has as its main supporting evidence the fact that some people have been "converted" from a homosexual lifestyle to a heterosexual one, usually by counseling, often by religious conversion. I don't myself find this very impressive. The numbers involved are small, and these conversions seem to fall into the category of fringe phenomena you are bound to get when investigating something as complex and variable as the human personality.

Strange bedfellows My own inclination, therefore, is to believe that most homosexuality is inborn, or acquired early in life, possibly by infection, or by biochemical imbalances in the womb, perhaps helped along by some genetic predisposition. As I have said, the human personality is a thing of fantastic complexity and mystery, and I am sure there are cases of socialization, "imprinting," and conversion (in both directions), too. These are, however, fringe phenomena, occurring in small numbers. Most homosexuality is, I believe, inborn, or acquired very early in life.

The issue is confused by the fact that homosexualists, who obviously have the biggest axe to grind here, are the most vocal proponents of the can't-help-it school of thought. "We are born this way," they say. "Therefore it is mean of you to discriminate against us!" Whether the second proposition follows from the first, I shall come to in a moment. That they are indeed born that way, though, I find highly probable. Since I am not a homosexualist, nor even a homosexual (the first of those words names a type of ideologue; the second, a type of personality) — and since I in fact believe that homosexual behavior is a social negative, and ought to be discouraged — it's a bit odd to find myself in the same theoretical company as the homosexualists.

I am, though I say this with all appropriate modesty, something of a hate figure to the more fanatical kind of homosexualist, as you can easily see by Googling my name. One has for several years been running an energetic campaign to get me fired from National Review. That I am in broad agreement with these folk about the inborn nature of their homosexuality therefore puts me in company with people who hate me, and whom I myself generally dislike. There is not much point in being embarrassed about this. That's science for you. Science is "cold," and doesn't care what we think or wish for. (This is a point about science that many people simply cannot grasp. The opposite of science is not religion; the opposite of science is wishful thinking.)

Majority and minority rights As to what the consequences for our attitudes and public policies should be, supposing I am right about the causes of homosexuality, I offer the following.

I don't think that the fact of a predilection's being inborn should necessarily lead us to a morally neutral view of the acts it prompts. If you could prove to me that pyromania is inborn, I should not feel any better disposed towards arson. On the other hand, I should have a somewhat more sympathetic attitude towards arsonists than I had before. In that spirit, I favor a tolerant attitude towards homosexuals. I certainly do not believe, as around 40 percent of Americans say they do, that homosexual acts ought to be illegal.

I can't even agree with the Roman Catholic church that homosexuals are "called to chastity." While I have nothing against chastity per se — I think it can be an honorable choice for a person to make in some circumstances, and would even go so far as to say that I believe the very low status of chastity in popular culture is regrettable — it seems to me arrogant and unkind to tell people that they are "called to chastity" if they do not hear the call themselves.

Homosexual behavior is a social negative, suggesting as it does that normal heterosexual pairing, the bedrock institution of all societies, is merely one of a number of possible, and equally moral, "lifestyles," and thereby devaluing that pairing — perhaps, on the evidence from Scandinavia presented by our own Stanley Kurtz on this site, fatally. Male homosexuality is also the source of public-health problems (and was so even before the rise of AIDS).

Further, homosexuality is offensive to many believers in all three of the major Western religions, who form a large majority of the American population. I think that while minority rights ought to be respected, civic majorities ought not be asked to endure offense for the sake of abstract metaphysical or juridical theories, unless dire and dramatic injustices like slavery are in play. Majorities have rights too; and while I want to see minority rights respected, I don't think that every minor inconvenience consequent on being a member of a minority should be raised to the level of an intolerable injustice requiring drastic legislative or judicial remedy. We all have to put up with some inconveniences arising from our particular natures.

Tolerance is not approval; and while I do not agree with the pope that homosexuals are "called to chastity," I do think that they are called to restraint, discretion, reticence, and a decent respect for the opinions of the majority. I certainly do not think that they ought to be allowed to transform long-established institutions like marriage on grounds of "fairness." Nor do I think they should be allowed to advertise their preference to high-school students, as they do in some parts of this country. Nor should they be strutting about boasting of "pride." (How can you feel pride in something you believe you can't help?)

So far as those sentences in my National Review article to which so much objection has been made, though: Yes, I believe it is now taken for granted that homosexuality is a biological attribute of the human organism, either inherited or acquired in the course of early development; and yes, so far as I can judge, science does confirm that in most cases, if not exactly all, this is true.

has as its main supporting evidence the fact that some people have been "converted" from a homosexual lifestyle to a heterosexual one, usually by counseling, often by religious conversion. I don't myself find this very impressive. The numbers involved are small, and these conversions seem to fall into the category of fringe phenomena

The numbers of homosexuals compared to hetero is so small that they are nothing less than fringe elements using choice to be deviants

Your comments verbalized quite elegantly what I have always believed: homosexuality is a pathology with different causes. However, while I agree that it is probably an inborn condition -- brain damage or hormonal imbalance of some sort -- I wonder if this condition actually indicates someone's sexuality.

Someone may be born with traits associated with the opposite gender. But whether he or she actually becomes a professed homosexual later on may depend on the environment in which that person was raised. Here, the domineering mother/passive father part may come in.

I have met shy & sensitive heterosexuals, or tomboys who later married & had kids. I am inclined to think they grew up in a more nurturing or stable atmosphere. Couple someone with certain biological vulnerabilities and an abusive or chaotic envionment, you've got the ingredients for a hairdresser in the making.

There is, of course, the chicken or the egg question. Do bad genes/biological conditions make for chaotic family life? Or poverty? That is another problem.

No.

It is a result of conditioning, especially between the ages of 3 and a half and eight years of age. What someone is unaware of can influence their conceptual models of the universe and their subsequent behaviour.

A man who impregnates multiple women has a higher increases the likelihood of his genes surviving over time. It is probably the biological basis of men tending to have multiple sexual partners more often than women.

Fornication is a sin, per the Bible. It is also a biological strategy for genetic survival. It is a sin with a biological basis.

A good point. Bisexuals blow the theory of genetic homosexuality out of the water. They clearly choose to be attracted to both males and females. (OK... Which chromosome carries that gene?!?)

It's not necessarily, simply a gene. Sexuality most likely is a combination of biology -- probably more than one gene at that -- and environmental factors. I seriously doubt there is any single cause.

There are plenty of multi-gene traits in the human genome; however, we don't choose whcih ones will or will not be expressed or to what degree. You don't choose how curly your hair will be. You don't choose your skin tone. You do choose who you're going to have sex with and what their gender will be.

However, you don't choose who you are attracted to.

For that matter, natural curliness of hair is genetically determined. However, you can choose to have it straightened or permed. Or dyed, for that matter.

Well s)aid. All behaviors, it can be fairly argued, are part of the "human condition" and therefore biologically programmed, to a certain extent. Murder, rape and arson are all behaviors that humans have exhibited since man has existed. And no, I am not equating homosexuality with any of these behaviors, only making the same point (although obviously not as eloquently and succinctly) as Right Wing Assault.
My response to the genetic homosexuality argument is "so what"? Others say it better, but no sense not repeating it.

You said: I believe they were born with a tendency to be gay. That's why so many of them became preists and nuns...they knew they were different...and believed God made them that way. I do not believe it's a CHoice. You are either attracted to the opposite sex or you're not....it is not a choice.

I agree, our tendencies and desires may not be a choice. I have the tendency, desire and inclination to fondle almost all attractive women I see, but restrain myself (and if I didn't my wife would). The fact that we have these tendencies as biological characteristics does not excuse them nor make them acceptable.

Of course you choose who you're attracted to. Are you telling me that if the right pheromones drifted off of Helen Thomas or Michael Moore, you'd come running?

You choose how to react to attraction, but you don't choose to be attracted. So, if the right pheromones came off Moore or Thomas, I might well be attracted.... OTOH, I'd also have the brains to realize that it wouldn't work for other reasons....

All I am saying is that I believe many of them were born attracted to the same sex. I didn't mention my opinion of accepting it or excusing it. Although......I do not want them to be able to marry (religiously).

So, in other words, you could choose to have gay sex.

If you mean that as me, personally, except for a few very, very good drag queens, I've never been attracted to a man. And then, the attraction was that they looked like really good looking women. (BTW, I've never acted on such an attraction.)

If you mean do people, in general choose to have gay sex, except for rape, everyone who has sex makes a choice to do so. However, I do believe that at least some gay people cannot help being gay.

The question is, if two people of the same sex are attracted to each other -- something that they can't help -- should they be expected to resist acting on that attraction -- something that they can help?

But even that doesn't apply only to gays. I'm a married man, who believes in being faithful. Therefore, even if am attracted to a woman, I would not pursue having sex with her (unless, by some wild chance, my wife told me to).

Celtjew Libertarian, you make some excellent points, and frankly I agree with you 100%.

I used to think of gays as total freaks until someone close to me tried to kill himself because he was gay. Nobody had any idea at the time, but looking back I recognize the signs were there. Anyway, unbeknownst to all of us he tried for many years through therapy and hormone treatments to change but for whatever reason - biological, hormonal, phsycological, metpahysical - he was gay and nothing could change that.

That's why I cringe when people say it's a "choice". Perhaps for some people it is, but I'm convinced that for many others it's not. Needless to say this whole incident challenged a lot of my views and things were downright awkward for a little while. Thankfully he's not one of those "in your face" types and he avoids too much physical contact with his boyfriend in public.

He's happy now and frankly, now that I've accepted it, so am I. We've been through so much crap together, and we were such good friends before he "came out" that it would have been a shame to loose all that just becuase I couldn't overcome my own prejudices.

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