The relevance of scientific research about sexual orientation to lesbian and gay rights

The Power and Promise of Developmental Systems Theory

I argue that it is time for many feminists to rethink their attitudes towards evolutionary biology, not because feminists have been wrong to be deeply sceptical about many of its claims, both explicit and implicit, but because biology itself has changed. A new appreciation for the importance of development in biology has become mainstream and a new ontology, associated with developmental systems theory (DST), has been introduced over the last two decades. This turn challenges some of the features of evolutionary biology that have most troubled feminists. DST undermines the idea of biological essences and challenges both nature/nurture and nature/culture distinctions. Freed from these conceptual constraints, evolutionary biology no longer poses the problems that have justified feminist scepticism. Indeed, feminists have already found useful applications for DST and I argue that they should expand their use of DST to support more radical and wide-ranging political theories.

Size matters: a comparison of anti- and pro-gay organizations' estimates of the size of the gay population

This articles examines estimates of the size of the gay population that are provided in the Websites of pro- and anti-gay groups. There are marked differences in the estimates that are provided by these groups. While most pro-gay groups suggest that approximately ten percent of the population is gay, anti-gay groups argue that only 1-3 percent of the population is gay. While none of the pro-gay groups address the methodological problems associated with the Kinsey data, all of the anti-gay groups that address the issue of size discredit Kinsey's work and/or the ten percent estimate that comes from Kinsey's work and is often cited by pro-gay organizations.

Ethical implications of scientific research on the causes of sexual orientation

In this article, we evaluate the status of current biological research into sexual orientation and examine the relevance of such research on the legal and social status of gay men and lesbians. We begin with a review of hormonal neuroanatomical and genetic studies of sexual orientation. We argue that the scientific study of sexual orientation is, at best, still in its infancy. We turn then to the ethical and social implications of this research. We argue that even if scientists could explain how sexual orientation develops, no significant ethical conclusions would follow. Further, we suggest that the current emphasis on finding a biological basis for sexual orientation is potentially harmful to lesbians, gay men and other sexual minorities in various ways (although perhaps it is in some ways potentially helpful as well).