Sexual Orientation

1. Sexual Orientation

2. Definitions • Sexual Orientation • Whom we are sexually attracted to • Capable of falling in love with • Sexual Identity • Ones’ self identity • Usually seen as a dichotomy • Homosexual • Heterosexual • Bisexual

3. Definitions • The scientific study of homosexuality • Frequency • Who is? • Need a definition • Self-label • Behaviour • How often? • When? • Tea room men, Indonesian men • Causes

4. Definitions • Kinsey • 37% of all males had at least one same sex experience to orgasm in adulthood • 1 – 10% of the population • Canadian Community Health Survey • National Health and Life Styles Survey • Twice as many men as women

6. Definitions • Asexual category: • Not attracted to either sex • Non-existent sex drive • Hormonal deficiency • Central nervous system misconnection • Possible early trauma

7. Definitions • Bisexuality • 33% - if based on one encounter • Higher sex drive • More sexual activity in general, including masturbation. • More high risk behaviour • Majority married (heterorole) • Sexual pleasure oriented • Few cultural images

8. Definitions • Danger • 71% of bisexual men do not tell their female partners • STDs – AIDS • Adolescent males • Very common transitional stage • Difficulty • Rejected by both hetero and homo • Called fence-sitters, some feel pressured to go in either direction • Many gays reject the concept, saying that bi’s are misguided homosexuals

9. Attitudes • Heterosexism • Heterosexual = normal • Homophobia • Strong, irrational fears of homosexuals • Homonegativity • Negative attitudes and behaviors toward homosexuals • Cultural attitude based on religious teachings

10. Attitudes • Same sex marriage • Equal rights • Minority group • Stereotypes • Many negative consequences • Assault • Rejection • Discrimination • Suicide

11. Attitudes • Same-sex sexual activity illegal in Canada • Decriminalized in 1969 • Criminal code still discriminates • Age of consent for anal sex is 18 (14 for vaginal) • Charter of Human Rights • Sexual orientation prohibited ground for discrimination

12. Research • Adams, Wright and Lohr (1996) gave test to measure homophobia to male college students • Group 1: high scores • Group 2: low scores • All participants were hooked to plethysmograph that measured erection • They all watched film clips of hetero, gay and lesbian sex • Group 1: 54% had increased penile errection • Group 2: 24% had increased penile circumference

13. Gender Differences • In an experiment heterosexual and homosexual males and females watched videos of • Heterosexual sex • Male gay sex • Lesbian sex • Nude males • Nude females • Bonobos having sex • The participants were hooked to a plethysmograph and were asked to report verbally when they were aroused

14. Gender Differences • Heterosexual males became aroused when watching • Heterosexual sex • Lesbian sex • Nude females • Homosexual males became aroused when watching • Male homosexual sex • Nude males • 100% concordance between plethysmograph results and self report

15. Gender Differences • Both heterosexual and homosexual women were aroused by all the videos according to the plethysmograph • Self reports were at odds with objective data • Women are not aware when they are aroused • Another gender difference: • More women self-label bisexual than males • More women switch sexual orientation over their life times

16. Development of Sexual Orientation • Several possible ways to acquire sexual orientation • Basic human needs shared by all • Sensual/sexual fulfillment • Socio-emotional connection

17. Development of Sexual Orientation • Possible variables involved • Genes • Hormones in utero • Subtle intrauterine interactions • Brain: timing • Early influences • Identity problems • Social stereotypes, prejudice

18. Development of Sexual Orientation • Cannot look for THE cause • INTERACTIONS • Individual differences in etiology • Circumstances: • Jail, boarding school • Cross-cultural evidence: • Prescribed homosexuality at certain age-stage • Definition found in many cultures: • gay man is the one that is penetrated

19. Development of Sexual Orientation • Genetic: • Twin Studies

20. Development of Sexual Orientation • Prenatal factors • Sexual differentiation and innappropriate hormones • Severe maternal stress (animal studies) • Maternal stress is retrospective • No tally of stressed expectant mothers who had heterosexual children

21. Development of Sexual Orientation • Prenatal factors • Very high levels of estrogen • Lesbian offspring • Birth order (Canadian): • Males with several older brothers • 2D:4D finger-length ratio • Handedness • No agreement in different studies, contradictory data

22. Development of Sexual Orientation • Brain differences • Hypothalamus • Small sample • Non-comparable • Cause of death • Difference due to orientation or to disease and its treatment? • Other differences found, but all in adults after the fact (chicken/egg) • Endocrine imbalance • No differences found

23. Development of Sexual Orientation • Learning: • Possible in some cases • Polymorphously Perverse • Personal negative experience could override social reinforcement patterns • Also, peer group can provide more reinforcement than society at large.

24. Development of Sexual Orientation • Sociological theories: • Importance of labels • Labels affect perception • Perception affects behaviour • This can influence self-perception • Leading to self-labelling.

25. Development of Sexual Orientation • Reiss • Negative pathway • Rigidly polarized societies have higher incidence of male-male sex • High maternal involvement; Low paternal • Little opportunity to learn • Positive pathway • Very permissive societies • Experimentation OK.

26. Bem: The Exotic Becomes Erotic Boys more active and aggressive Different = exotic

27. Bem’s Theory – Criticisms • There is NO abundant evidence of inborn aggression and activity levels by gender • Contaminated by culture. • Homosocial activities are mostly a cultural phenomenon. • Children who don’t fit the gender stereotypes are clearly told they are odd and wrong.

28. Bem’s Theory – Criticisms • Many gays are “gender typical” in their interests, appearance, etc. Bem fell for the effeminate guy/macho woman stereotype of gays. • Many atypical (i.e., boys who played with dolls, girls who played with trucks) kids do not go on to become gay.

29. Bell and Weinberg Typology • Sample of 979 • Close coupled • One long-time partner • Marriage type relationship • Few problems • Few sex partners • Infrequent cruising

30. Bell and Weinberg Typology • Open coupled: • steady live-in partner • Also many outside partners • Frequent cruising • More likely to have problems • More likely to regret being gay

31. Bell and Weinberg Typology • Functional • Not coupled • High number of sex partners • Few problems • Younger • High sex drive • Few regrets

32. Bell and Weinberg Typology • Dysfunctional • Not coupled • High number of partners • Many sex and psychological problems • Tense • Unhappy • Depressed

33. Bell and Weinberg Typology • Asexual • Low in sexual interest and activity • Less exclusively gay • Very secretive • Loners • Highest incidence of suicidal thoughts

34. Bell, Weinberg and Hammersmith • In depth interviews comparing gays/ lesbians and straights. • No support for psychoanalytic, learning or sociological (labelling) theories. • They speculate a biological basis but have no data.