THE UNSPOKEN MYSTERIES IN THE GENES AND MINDS OF THE LGBT

Page | 1 COMMUNITY

A SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL RESEARCH PAPER

PRESENTED TO THE
FACULTY OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
OF AMACC BALANGA

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

OF THE SUBJECT INQUIRIES, INVESTIGATION AND IMMERSION

PRESENTED BY:

Emnas, Natalyn Nicole

Herrera, Patricia

Palad, Shaira

Otivilladar, Joana May

 2021

ABSTRACT

Page | 2 Individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) face unique health

inequalities. Although the word LGBT is used as an umbrella term, and this community's health

issues are frequently grouped together, each of these letters reflects a different demographic with

their own health concerns. In addition, there are subpopulations dependent on race, ethnicity,

socioeconomic status, geographic location, age, and other factors among lesbians, gay men,

bisexual men and women, and transgender people. These groups, stigmatized as sexual and

gender minorities, have been the focus of relatively little health study, although a modest body of

knowledge on LGBT health has been established. In conducting this research, it aims to help

people to realize and know what is behind these LGBT’s and what they really are. Different

theories and studies are stated in this research.

 CHAPTER I

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THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

Almost all of us knows what LGBT stands for, but not everybody knows the truth behind

the seven-colored rainbow flag of the gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender. We must know

well the differences between these different sexual preferences. Gays and lesbians are often

mistaken as bisexual. On the other hand, bisexuals are mistaken as gays. As well as the

transgender misconceived as gays or lesbians. Gays are totally different from bisexual and

transgender. Gays are usually defined as a homosexual person. They are sexually attracted to the

same-sex. Lesbians are a homosexual woman. A female who experiences romantic love and

sexual attractions to other females. While bisexuals are sexually attracted to both men and

women. Transgender are totally different from them all. Transgender are people whose gender

identity does not correspond to their biological sex assigned at birth.

There are different beliefs about the real reason and origin of these sexual preferences and here

are some of the theories regarding to the LGBT community:

 GENETIC THEORY

One of the most consistent explanations for homosexuality is called the fraternal

birth order effect. Essentially, the elder brothers a man has, the more likely he is to be

gay. The effect doesn’t hold for older or younger sisters or younger brothers, or even

for adoptive or step-brothers.

 According to Ray Blanchard, a professor of psychiatry at the University of

Toronto, the reason could be that the mother’s body mounts an immune attack on the

fetus of her unborn son. With the H-Y antigens not functioning, it could be that the “be
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straight” signal in the fetus’ brain never flicks on.

 ENVIRONMENTAL THEORY

Ancient Greece is usually noted as the one of the most open societies

when oglit came to male homosexuality acts, which were seen by some as “the

most praise-worthy, substantive and Godly forms of love.” Greece’s ancient

culture is known to include a form of relationship called pederasty, a social

acknowledged and acceptable form of erotic love between an adult male and a

younger man.

The Sambia in Papua New Guinea. Believing it possesses “masculine

spirit”, boys in the Sambia are required to ingest semen as a part of a ritual to

allow them to mature to men. All boys go through a period in their life where they

are required to perform regular oral sex on older members of the society. When

they become men themselves they then repay the favor by offering their semen to

boys wishing to become men.

 PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY

“As some developmental psychologists have observed, some children may be less

inclined to exhibit classic gender role differences, and this may set them up for the type
 of reactions from peers, such as rejection or teasing, that make them vulnerable to

developing same-sex attraction”

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There are too many things to be considered with regards to different sexual preferences.

Too many questions left unanswered and too many confusions running throughout our mind.

Which theory should we believe in? Which concept should we consider? Does this different

sexual preference come out from our genes, a product of environmental adaptation or just a

psychological state of mind?

“As many as 50 percent of the LGBT teens experience a negative reaction from their parents

when they came out; 30 percent experience physical abuse, and 26 percent are kicked out of their

homes. In fact, LGBT children comprise 40 percent of all homeless youth, and family rejection is

the primary cause. Further, LGBT adults who report family rejection are six times more likely to

be depressed, three times more likely to have attempted suicide than non-rejected young adults.”

-Michael Friedman Ph.D.

The researchers manage to perform this research to acquaint people about the deep mysteries in

the genes and minds of the LGBTs. The way they live, their environment, their genes and to

determine the reality behind every sexual preference. To explain to people about the different

factors of being part of the community; if it is a choice or born with a difference in genes. For a

chance to change some perspectives and lessen the discrimination, psychological and emotional

trauma towards our fellow people. Most of the people think that it is psychological; a mental
 disorder, however some people think that they were born with it and is genetic. Many of them

are bullied and treated the way that all the people wouldn’t wish for. Researchers conducted this

to enlighten people about the dark side of every LGBT member’s colorful life. This study also
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wants to give clarification for those who are confused which to believe. On the present times, we

are seeing a greater acceptance for the LGBT people but until now there is lack of evidences of

its true cause.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The researchers limited this study on the province of Bataan, Philippines because of the

availability. This study will be conducted at selective municipalities of Bataan that has people

who are part of the LGBT. It is also the home of the first transgender woman that is elected to

public office in the Philippines who serves as a hope and inspiration for the people in the

province specially the gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender. We had interviewed

approximately thirty people who are part of the community. We do not have an age limit to know

the LGBT deeper at any perspectives.

Although the research is well prepared, we are still aware of its limitations.

1. The research lasted for a month and it’s a long time but it is still not enough to properly

gather the required information for us to know the unspoken mysteries of the LGBT

people.
 2. We had given a limit on the respondents which is 30 people only and it might not

represent the real situation and opinion of every gays, lesbians, bisexuals and

transgenders.
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CHAPTER II

RELATED STUDIES

“Rice and his colleagues suggested that such uneased epi-marks might lead to homosexuality

when they are passed on from father to daughter or from mother to son. Specifically, they argued

marks that influence a fetus’ sensitivity to testosterone in the womb might “masculine” the brains

of girls and “feminize” of boys leading to same-sex attraction.”

- (Michael Balter, 2015)

“Some of the strongest current evidence that some people are born gay is based on a

phenomenon called the fraternal birth order effect. Several peer-reviewed studies have shown

that men with older biological brothers are likelier to be gay than men with older sisters or no

older siblings. The likelihood of being gay increases by about 33 percent with each additional

older brother. From these statistics, researchers calculate that about 15 to 30 percent of gay men

have the fraternal birth order effect to thank for their homosexuality”

-(Mark Joseph Stern, 2013)

 “Prior to the 1970s, the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA’s) Diagnostic and Statistical

Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) listed homosexuality as a “sociopathic personality

disturbance” (Am. Psychiatr. Assoc. 1952). Pioneering studies on the prevalence of same-sex
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sexuality (Ford & Beach 1951; Kinsey et al. 1948, 1953) and psychological comparisons

between heterosexual and gay men (Hooker 1957) fostered a change in attitudes from the

psychological community and motivated the APA’s removal of homosexuality as a mental

disorder in 1973 (although all conditions related to same-sex attraction were not removed until

1987)”

-Stephen T. Russell and Jessica N. Fish, 2016

“Research has further revealed differences between gay and non-gay men in physical attributes

caused by hormonal influences in the womb. These include differences in physique, brain

structure, finger lengths, penis size (gay men tend to be better endowed than straight men), and

the age of puberty (on average gay men mature earlier than heterosexual men).”

-Peter Tatchell, 2015

People who are attracted to others of the same sex develop their orientation before they are born.

This is not a choice. And scientific evidence shows their parents cannot be blamed. Evidence

points towards the existence of a complex interaction between genes and environment, which are

responsible for the heritable nature of sexual orientation. Family studies have shown that

homosexual men have elder brothers than heterosexual men similarly to lesbian women.

-Beverly Kramer and Michael Sean Pepper, 2017

 “In 1993, American geneticist Dean Hammer found families with several gay males on the

mother’s side, suggesting a gene on the X chromosome. He showed that pairs of brothers who

were openly gay shared a small region at the tip of the X, and proposed that it contained a gene
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that predisposes a male to homosexuality.”

-Professor Jenny Graves, 2017

“The brains of gay and heterosexual people also appear to be organized differently. Patterns of

brain organization appear similar between gay men and heterosexual women and between

lesbian women and heterosexual men. Gay men appear, on average, more “female typical” in

brain pattern responses and lesbian women are somewhat more “male typical”.”

-Qazi Rahman, 2015

“Humans aren’t the only species that has same-sex pairings. For instance, lions, chimpanzees,

bison and dolphins have also been spotted in same-sex pairings. Study in the journal

Psychological Medicine showed that a gene on the X chromosome and a gene on chromosome 8

seem to be found in higher prevalence in men who are gay.”

Tia Ghose, 2015

*“As some developmental psychologists have observed, some children may be less unclined to

exhibit classic gender role differences, and this may set them up for the type of reactions from

peers, such as rejection or teasing, that make them vulnerable to developing same-sex attraction”

-Robert Knight
 “The most studied factors are biological. Studies beginning with Zhou in 1995 have found that

trans women’s brain structure (volume and density of neurons) is similar to cisgender women’s

and unlike cis men’s, even when controlling hormone use.”

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-wikipedia

“The structure of the brain might influence sexual preference. A study published in the journal

Science seemed to show how that the hypothalamus in gay men differ from the hypothalamus in

straight men. The third interstitial in the nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus was found to be

more than twice as large in heterosexual men as in homosexual men.

-Marcia Malory, 2012

“So even though you might expect that the environment only causes temporary changes, that’s

not always the case. The environment can cause brains to be wired in a certain way as it

develops. This wiring can’t be changed easily.”

-A curious adult from the U.S, 2013

“Male fetuses carry male-specific proteins on their Y chromosome, called H-Y antigens.

Blanchard hypothesized that some of these antigens promote the development of heterosexual

orientation in males. Because these H-Y antigens are not present in the mother’s body, they

trigger the production of maternal antibodies. These antibodies bind to the H-Y antigens and

prevent them from functioning.”

-Olga Khazan, 2016

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH METHOD

The researchers will use a qualitative type of research. They conducted open-ended, in depth

interviews with the participants to gather data that will suffice their research. Researchers will

gather information through an interview using a voice recorder and provided a copy of questions

given by each respondent. The research questionnaire is all about how aware the LGBT are when

it comes to their sexuality and how they are being treated because of their sexual preference. The

researchers used purposive/judgmental sampling since this study is about and for the LGBT

community.

Because this research is in the form of quantitative, there would be no numerical analysis and

interpretations; the conclusion or main idea of the whole research will be presented through

verbal forms.

POPULATION
 The respondents of this study are the Psychiatrist, Doctor and those who are part of the LGBT

community in the area of Bataan.

Page RESEARCH
| 12 INSTRUMENT

Survey questionnaires were used in gathering data. It has two parts. The first part is for the

Psychiatrist and Doctors and the second one is for the LGBT community. Through those

questions, the researchers can seek the data needed for the study.