Lesson 2.2.

Diversity of Sexual Behavior

Source: https://www.dzbreaking.com/2017/12/11/english-teacher-difference-sex-gender/
 Sexual Orientations
Terms Definition
LGBTQ+ an umbrella term for a wide spectrum of gender identities, sexual
orientations, and romantic orientations.
Lesbian females who are exclusively attracted to women
Gay males who are exclusively attracted to any other males. It can also refer to
anyone who is attracted to his or her same gender.
Bisexual someone who is sexually/romantically attracted to both men and women.
Transgender an umbrella term for people who do not identify with the gender assigned
to them at birth. Trans woman is an identity label adapted by male to
female trans people to signify that they identify themselves as women. A
trans man is an identity label adapted by female to male trans people to
signify that they identify themselves as men.
Transsexualism people who believe they were born with the body of the other gender.
Transsexuals sometimes seek sex-change operations.
Queer/Questioning a useful term for those who are questioning their identities and are unsure
about using more specific terms, or those who do not simply wish to label
themselves and prefer to use a broader umbrella term.
Intersex people who are born with a mix of male and female biological traits that
can make it hard for doctors to assign them a male or female sex.
Asexual a person who is not interested in or does not desire sexual activity
Pansexual people who are attracted to others regardless of their sex or gender
There is preliminary empirical research that strongly suggests sexual orientation is not a choice.
Just as the majority of the heterosexual people do not choose to be attracted to the opposite sex, the
large majority of the LGBTQ+ people do not choose theirs. The only real choice that the LGBTQ+
community has to deal with is whether to be open about their orientation.

What determines whether people become homosexual or heterosexual?

1. Biological
― Evidence for a genetic origin of sexual orientation comes from studies of identical twins. The
studies found that when one twin identified himself or herself as homosexual, the occurrence of
homosexuality in the other twin was higher than in the general population.
― Hormones also may play a role in determining sexual orientation. Research shows that women
exposed before birth to DES (diethylstillbestrol – a drug their mothers took to avoid
miscarriage) were more likely to be homosexual or bisexual (Meyer-Bahlburg, 1997 in Feldman,
2013).
― Differences in brain structures may be related to sexual
orientation. The structure of the anterior hypothalamus (an
area of the brain that governs sexual behavior) differs in
male homosexuals and heterosexuals. Similarly, other
research shows that compared with heterosexual men or
women, gay men have a larger anterior commissure, which
is a bundle of neurons connecting the right and left
hemispheres of the brain.
― Research suggesting that biological causes are at the root
cause of homosexuality is not conclusive because most findings are based on only small samples
of individuals. Still, the possibility is real that some inherited or biological factor exists that
predisposes people toward homosexuality if certain environmental conditions are met.

2. Child-rearing practices or Family Dynamics

― Some evidence suggests that sexual orientation is brought about by child-rearing practices or
family dynamics. Although proponents of the psychoanalytic theories once argued that the
nature of the parent-child relationship can produce homosexuality, research evidence does not
support such explanations.

3. Learning Theory
― According to this view, sexual orientation is learned through rewards and punishments. For
example, a young adolescent who had an unpleasant heterosexual experience might develop
disagreeable associations with the other sex. If the same person had a rewarding, pleasant gay or
lesbian experience, homosexuality might be incorporated into his or her sexual fantasies. If such
fantasies are used during later sexual activities – such as masturbation – they may be positively
reinforced through orgasm, and the association of homosexual behavior and sexual pleasure
eventually may cause homosexuality to become the preferred form of sexual behavior.
― Although the learning theory explanation is plausible, several difficulties rule it out as a definitive
explanation. Because our society has traditionally held homosexuality in low esteem, one ought
to expect that the negative treatment of homosexual behavior would outweigh the rewards
attached to it. Furthermore, children growing up with a gay or lesbian parent are statistically
 unlikely to become homosexual, which thus contradicts the notion that homosexual behavior
may be learned from others.

4. Urban Setting
― Homosexuality is positively correlated with urbanization, which was more substantial in men
than in women. Large cities seem to provide a friendlier environment for same-gender interest
to develop and be expressed than in rural areas.

Because of the difficulty in finding a consistent explanation for sexual orientation, we can’t definitively
answer the question of what determines it. It seems unlikely that any single factor orients a person
towards homosexuality or heterosexuality. Instead, it seems reasonable to assume that a combination
of biological and environmental factors is involved.

One thing is clear though: There is no relationship between sexual orientation and
psychological adjustment.