Queer Science: The Use and Abuse of Research into Homosexuality

by Simon LeVay

What makes people gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual? And who cares? Written by one of the leading scientists in the research of sexual orientation, Queer Science looks at how scientific discoveries about homosexuality influence society's attitude toward gays and lesbians, beginning with the theories of the German sexologist and gay-rights pioneer Magnus Hirschfeld and culminating with the latest discoveries in brain science, genetics, endocrinology, and cognitive psychology.

Genres: Science, Queer, Nonfiction, LGBT, Psychology, Sexuality, Gay

378 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Dr. Simon LeVay is a writer and lecturer with a background in neuroscience. He is best known for his research on the brain and sexuality, but has also spent many years studying the visual system. He has written or co-authored several books on sexuality, and coauthored books on such diverse topics as earthquakes and volcanoes, extraterrestrial life, and Parkinson's disease. He has even written a novel. Dr. Simon LeVay lives in West Hollywood, California.

Reviews

[Broodingferret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and willing to point out the flaws in all sides of the argument concerning the various scientific inquiries into homosexuality. Highly recommended.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE AUTHOR OF THE FAMOUS 1991 BRAIN STUDY TAKES A HISTORICAL LOOK

He wrote in the Introduction to this 1996 book, "What causes a person to be gay, straight, or bisexual? And who cares? These are the twin themes of this book... this book attempts to portray research into homosexuality in its social context... In the concluding chapter I attempt to make the case that research into homosexuality is worth pursuing... because this research may indeed ... help the larger society recognize what gays and lesbians have generally believed about themselves that their sexual orientation is a central, defining aspect of their identity." (Pg. 1, 7, 9)

He notes, "Most people know that the 10 percent figure derives from the Kinsey Reports, but few people know that it applies only to men... In fact, Kinsey estimated that only about 4 percent of men were exclusively homosexual throughout their adult lives, and the figures for women were even lower... The recent surveys have consistently produced figures lower than 10 percent. In the British study cited earlier, 1 percent of the men and only 0.5 percent of the women said that they were sexually attracted `mostly' or `only' to people of their own sex, and the same percentage stated that they had had `genital contact' with a person of their own sex within the previous five years... Quite similar results have been obtained in surveys carried out in France (men only) and Norway." (Pg. 61-62) He adds that "gay people, especially men, are liable to develop a wholly inflated notion of the prevalence of homosexuality, based on their immediate environment." (Pg. 63)

Of females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)---which causes much higher levels of androgen---"When CAH girls grow up, they are more likely than other women to experience sexual attraction to women, or to both women and men... the results strongly support the belief that hormones do play a significant role." (Pg. 122-123)

Of his own studies ("I set out to test the idea that the size of [brain] structures such as INAH3 might vary with sexual orientation as well as with sex"), he frankly admits, "it is important to stress several limitations of the study. First, the observations were made on adults who had already been sexually active for a number of years. To make a really compelling case, one would have to show that these neuroanatomical differences existed early in life---preferably at birth. Without such data, there is always the theoretical possibility that the structural differences are actually the RESULT of differences in sexual behavior... Another limitation arises because most of the gay men whose brains I studied died of complications of AIDS... there is always the possibility that gay men who die of AIDS are not representative of the entire population of gay men." (Pg. 143-144)

He notes, "Although homosexual BEHAVIOR is very common in the animal world, it seems to be very uncommon that individual animals have a long-lasting predisposition to engage in such behavior to the exclusion of heterosexual activities. Thus, a homosexual orientation, if one can speak of such a thing in animals, seems to be a rarity." (Pg. 207)

He critiques the infamous Bieber study [Homosexuality: A Psychoanalytic Study]: "Considering that most of these men were not exclusively homosexual to start with, that they were unusually motivated to change their sexual orientation, that the treatment was extraordinarily arduous and expensive , that the men were not followed up after the termination of their treatment... the Bieber study seems more like a testament to the immutability of homosexuality than its mutability." (Pg. 242)

This frank and detailed historical study will be "must reading" for anyone interested in this issue.

[Ed Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book itself is excellent – even-handed and accepting the limits of scientific enquiry as it was when the book was written (1996). But diagnostic methods, both in brain-scanning technology and endocrinology, have improved so much in the intervening quarter of a century that I constantly felt that the book needs an update in those many areas where the author suggests that the next few decades will shed more light on the biological basis of ‘queerness’ (if the term is acceptable). Since the author is now 81, he may feel that his contribution to the debate has been accomplished (and in my opinion well accomplished), but it is to be hoped that other well qualified authors might take up the challenge and build upon Simon LeVay’s outstanding work.

[Mooncalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this.

The research presented on the effects on sexual orientation of exposing prenatal mice to hormones was useful to me. I think it's a good explanation of why transgendered people are more likely to have abnormal sexual orientations as well and why some homosexual/lesbian people have some traits of the opposite gender (another topic discussed in the book).

The discussion and analysis of findings on the prevalence of homosexuality was useful as well.

The points about what ethical conclusions we can get from these empirical findings were as good as it tends to get most books.

[Abbie Simons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Know thyself, amirite.