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True or false:
left-handedness is correlated with sexual orientation.
Birth order in males is correlated with sexual orientation but not in females.
Bisexuals report higher rates of being ambidextrous than homosexuals or heterosexuals.
All quite true (see citations, below).
Neurological and psychological research is finding a lot of interesting correlations between biology and sexuality. The research is fascinating, validating and sometimes a little disturbing. Validating in that the evidence is certainly out there that our sexual urges are at least in part biological in origin. Disturbing because, in at least one citation I read, the language is loaded toward "heterosexual=normative; homosexual=deviation."
Science and sexuality have a long and storied history together. Ever since Kinsey released his extensive data collection onto the world, all of a sudden what was considered a very private matter became the object of discussion and speculation. We're not that far from our primate ancestors in the uses of sexuality-- not just as a tool for reproduction, but as a form of bonding, companionship and yes, intimidation and social control. Variations in sexuality started to become divorced from "the unnatural" and placed solidly in nature. And, despite the protestations of a certain subset of fundamentalist religious types, sexuality went from the moral realm into the biological and social realms.
I've worked with researchers for up to 20 years now, all of it in AIDS and STD research. There's a fair amount you need to learn about the complexities human sexuality in order to deal with something as seemingly straightforward as sexually transmitted diseases. Plus, growing up lesbian, a very un-feminine one, certainly prompted me to read as much about sexual orientation as I could get my hands on. Later comings-out-- transgendered to a certain extent, definitely polyamorous-- made it even more apparent that the more I knew, the better off I felt about myself and my world. Knowing that variation is just that, variation and not abnormality, certainly makes it easier on one's psyche.
In the meantime I've become fascinated by what and how we're researching sexual orientation. Neurology and cognitive research has made it easier to peer directly into the brain at work. The internet has made it easier to reach out and survey a large diversity of people. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered scientists have brought their own unique perspective into how research on our communities are done. Additionally, the wide variation in sexual stimulus that attracts people-- from exotic fetishes to the glance of the hot stranger at the coffee shop-- is rich ground for research and speculation.
I've been looking for a place like Sex in the Public Square to blog about science, medicine & sexuality. Intelligent, well-informed discussions on the internet about sexuality and ts related subjects are all too few and far between, unfortunately. Sex on the internet-- now, there's plenty of that, and I do partake, don't get me wrong, but truly rich, nonjudgemental conversations about sex? Finding good, solid discussions about sex and relationships as practiced by actual human beings? Rare.
I want to take the time to look at the research coming out of medicine, cognitive science, sociology and psychology (among other disciplines) and see what it has to say about sexuality. I'm looking orward to being a part of this blog, and adding my voice into this amazing mix.
Citations:
Bogaert, Anthony F, Extreme right-handedness, older brothers, and sexual orientation in men. Neuropsychology [0894-4105] yr:2007 vol:21 iss:1 pg:141 -8
Ray Blanchard and Richard A. Lippa, Birth Order, Sibling Sex Ratio, Handedness, and Sexual Orientation of Male and Female Participants in a BBC Internet Research Project,Archives of Sexual Behavior, Volume 36, Number 2 / April, 2007
http://www.springerlink.com/content/0417v7308624l342/fulltext.html
Blog: Literate Perversions
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Its no wonder people get so confused. When we sociologists talk about "norms" we are usually talking about a culture's expectations for behavior, and we're using the term in a descriptive and not in a moral/judgemental way. We are sometimes also, as many scientists are, using the term to describe a kind of commonly occuring type, as Alex points out. Again, a descriptive and not a judgemental use of the term.
But as Mojave66 notes, that scientific language often gets read as normative, and often gets used to support moral judgements or to argue that one kind of behavior is healthy while other kinds of behavior is a sign of illness or disease.
I don't see an easy way to prevent those leaps from being made, but I do think it points to just how important it is that we're out there helping make sense of science reporting, and helping to reshape the discourses that come out of misinterpretations and misapplications of research findings!
...because public space really matters!
Elizabeth
Actually, after reading your comments the sentence that pinged me didn't bother me nearly as much. The quote in question:
"Lalumière et al. discussed several alternative explanations for why non-right-handedness is associated with homosexuality in both men and women. One possibility they suggested was developmental instability: a compromised ability to compensate for perturbations of development." (Blanchard & Lippa, "Birth Order, Sibling Sex Ratio, Handedness, and Sexual Orientation of Male and Female Participants in a BBC Internet Research Project", Arch Sexual Behav, Volume 36, Number 2 / April, 2007, http://www.springerlink.com/content/0417v7308624l342/)
Still, I question the use of "developmental instability" instead of "developmental variation", for instance. Instability implies there is a "stable" development associated with a normative heterosexuality. A nitpick perhaps, but given that 50 years ago lesbians were "treated" with clitoridectomies, I'd rather err on the side of slightly paranoid rather than complacent.
...because public space really matters!
Elizabeth
