Masculine/feminine homosexuals

[Amicale]

In a book by Dr. Robert Winston (a very anti-cool and inspiring writer and broadcaster) called 'The Human Mind' he explains the reason for the physical differences in male and female brains. It's all to do with testosterone. Testosterone inhibits the cross-wiring of neuron connections across the hemispheres of the brain in development. Of course testosterone levels are typically higher in males leading to greater intra-hemisphere connections. This accounts in no small way for the typically more emotionally connected female thinking and typically more focussed mathematical thinking of males.

Testosterone levels in the unborn are only one factor in gendering a person.  This hormonal difference is sometimes used to explain transgender experiences, but feminine or masculine traits are subtle behavioural cultural things.  Even traits like women being better at reading emotions or men being better at reading maps have been shown to be based on people behaving as they are expected to behave for their gender, and not a true sex difference (Fine, C (2010) Delusions of Gender London:Icon Books).

There was a piece of research published in 2009, which I can't cite off the top of my head, which demonstrated that neuropsychs can tell whether a man is gay or not from a brain scan, but I argue that this is not evidence that sexuality is innate, on the grounds that neurological development is dependant on being raised in a culture.

I wonder about that research. Just from a brain scan, how would they be able to determine whether someone's gay? On the Kinsey scale (and other diagnostic/assessment criteria as well) there are different degrees of the sexual spectrum, ranging everywhere from exclusive heterosexual physical relationships to exclusive homosexual ones, and absolutely everything inbetween. How would they be able to tell, for instance, if someone is attracted to someone of the same sex, but perhaps also attracted to the opposite sex? What would they make of people who are trans? How about people who say they deliberately choose relationships with the same sex, but don't believe it's biological in themselves (yes, these folks exist). Like you said, being raised in a culture is a HUGE factor for sure.

I think that we are sensitive to differences in gender performances and tend to take note when a behaviour varies from a clear set of gendered expectations.  I think the idea that gay couples can be divided into one masculine and one feminine partner is an attempt to understand gay relationships in more comparable terms to heterosexual relationships.  This has not been my experience, and I've had more girlfriends than I have hot dinners.

Sorry this seems like only half an argument, but I'm not being marked on it.
x
Willow.

Either you've eaten a lot of cold dinners, or you're just really, really lucky.

[Siz]

I wonder about that research. Just from a brain scan, how would they be able to determine whether someone's gay? On the Kinsey scale (and other diagnostic/assessment criteria as well) there are different degrees of the sexual spectrum, ranging everywhere from exclusive heterosexual physical relationships to exclusive homosexual ones, and absolutely everything inbetween. How would they be able to tell, for instance, if someone is attracted to someone of the same sex, but perhaps also attracted to the opposite sex? What would they make of people who are trans? How about people who say they deliberately choose relationships with the same sex, but don't believe it's biological in themselves (yes, these folks exist). Like you said, being raised in a culture is a HUGE factor for sure.

Neuro connections in the brain are made and atrophied all the time. Any pattern of thought is a series of physical connections. The more a 'pattern' is used, the more solid are the connections made. (This is how's skills are learned). And if those neural pathways are not used they die away (we forget skills we haven't practiced for a while).
A gay person is going to make (or was inherently wired with) connections between the parts of the brain related to amorous and/or sexual arousal and the parts of the brain related to imaging people (or individuals) of the same sex. There is a physical aspect to the thought process.
So, it does seem reasonable to see how the thought processes (neuro connection patterns) involved in sexuality may be studied in a physical way. And I'd speculate that depending on the level of activity in the centres relating to male or female imaging, concurrently with arousal centres we may even be able to ascertain where on the sexual spectrum we are.

As Willow has said, none of this either proves or disproves the innate nature of sexuality.

Why are there cultural differences in gender to begin with? Because there is inherent gender-specific behaviour as a result of brain wiring. It can be seen in animals too; comparative gender roles are obvious.

I had read a bit about this subject in the run-up to the birth of my firstborn and I was mindful of the question of nature v's nurture. So we were consciously very gender neutral with our boy. But it was proven, from a very early age that there were gender characteristic behaviours being demonstrated - despite a concerted effort in our aggregate choice of toys and modes of play to be neutral.
Of course I cannot garantee that our own cultural programming didn't interfere, but what can you do?!

[Amicale]

Scissorlegs, thanks for explaining it that way. That makes sense.