Study confirms my theory of homosexuality...

I'm a philosopher and a writer, not a scientist. But my beliefs and theories surrounding homosexuality (plus heterosexuality and bisexuality for that matter) have been largely informed by personal observations and experience, not by ideology or faith. I've read every article I can get my hands on dealing with the origins of queerness and why it seems that a relatively constant percentage of all human populations - crossing all demographics, religions, races, classes, etc. - continue to be primarily sexually attracted to their own gender.

Like many, I've found contradictory or inconclusive evidence. A recent theory - that the more older brothers a man has, the more likely he'll be gay - is intriguing but I suspect probably false. Why? Because of my own personal experience. I have an older brother who is straight and married. I'm the middle boy who turned out gay. My younger brother is as straight as they come. Another study says that most gay men's index fingers are even length or longer than their ring finger (just like those of women). Not so for me: my index finger is much shorter than my ring finger, just like most straight men. So much for those theories. This article nicely dissects the various theories and studies circulating out there.

I'm beginning to suspect the roots of our sexuality are ingrained so intangibly within our human make-up that pinpointing the exact gene or exact biological or environmental condition that creates homosexuality in a person may be impossible, at least in terms of today's science. But just because we can't seem to pinpoint how a person's sexuality gets determined, of course doesn't mean such causes don't exist.

This study came to light this week showing that gay male brains have more in common with female straight brains than they do with straight male brains. The study also showed that lesbian brains have more in common with straight male brains than they do with straight female brains.

I've long given great credence to the notion espoused by some Aboriginal communities about 'Two-Spirited Peoples' or others about the so-called "Third Sex" or "Third (gay male) and Fourth (lesbians) Sex."

For me there are two primary forces that manifest themselves in the physical world: Female and Male. Both are equal, yet interchangeably linked, sometimes in conflict. On one end, we have the ultra masculine; on the other end of the spectrum, we have the ultra-feminine. All of humanity finds itself born somewhere along this spectrum. I know many heterosexual women with many masculine qualities. I know many heterosexual men who have many decidedly feminine qualities. At the same time, I know many lesbians whom I would never describe as "butch" and I also know many gay men who are decidedly "straight acting".

We all have varying degrees of masculinity and femininity. Yet when it comes to gender, the world is still pretty clear cut. All humans are either born female or male (with the exception of hermaphrodites). But of course, we don't all fit neatly into the social constructions of male and female, never have and never will.

Human beings don't choose where on the spectrum they'll be born. These innate characteristics are chosen for us, perhaps by fate, or by God, or what have you; our only choice is whether or not we'll accept who we are.

In my mind, homosexuals are those humans who are born near the very cusp between Male and Female. It does make sense to me that among the entirety of the human race, that a certain percentage of people would always be born with a good mix of both feminine and masculine. We don't choose this, it's just the way we turn out. Once born, we are locked in for life, at least in terms of sexual orientation, and why shouldn't we be? Yes, I am saying that gay men are men with strong female sides and lesbians are women with strong male sides. In a way, queer people blur the lines between the genders. I choose to see queers as bridging the divide between the genders, in a way saying that both are valid, equal and worthy of dignity, respect and love. I even ascribe a likely divine design to this reality.

This line of thinking is, of course, in great conflict with the current mainstream world views espoused in Christianity, Islam and Judaism. For a typical extremist Christian response to this week's study, check out this post. The Abrahamic religions have always been about one thing: male supremacy and female denigration. These religious traditions are inherently unhealthy and violate the spirit and dignity of humanity - and this is why these traditions will slowly, over the next few centuries, continue to decline.