Scientists in Sweden have produced some of the most compelling evidence to date that sexuality is directly linked to biology. Scanning the brains of 25 straight and 20 homosexual test subjects of each gender, the scientists found that straight men and gay women have asymmetric brains and straight women and gay men have symmetric brains.
Measurements of the blood flow to the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls aggression and fear, also showed matching patterns between gays and straight persons of the opposite sex.
These particular tests were done on parts of the brain that are fixed at birth and can’t be “altered by learning or cognitive processes,” but doesn’t determine whether “the brain differences are inherited, or result from abnormally high or low exposure in the womb to sex hormones such as testosterone.”
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Reacting to news like this is always complicated. On the one hand, it slams the door on the whole “lifestyle choice” argument against equality. On the other, it opens the door to “cures” or “prevention”. What if some pharmaceutical developer came out with a “hormone normalization” pill for women to take during pregnancy?
Brian, very interesting! Great points, Mario. I hadn’t thought about the second part about people possibly using this info to justify looking for a “cure” or “prevention”. Scary thought.
@ mario & jimthomp87: That is an intriguing concept. I’ve written about it before, but the thought didn’t even cross my (symmetrical) mind when I read this latest article.
http://inrepair.net/2007/01/29/a-pill-to-cure-homosexuality/