Homosexual Orientation

Genetic linkage and male homosexual orientation.

Is homosexual behaviour hard-wired? Sexual orientation and brain structure.

The search for neurobiological explanations for human behaviours is in full flow, spurred on by the same reductionist philosophy and technological advances that are proving so dominant in the investigation of psychiatric diseases. Homosexuality is no exception, with recent studies reporting on its possible genetic basis (Hamer et al. 1993) and biological correlates (Byne & Parsons, 1993). One a...

Sexual Orientation and Household Savings: Do Homosexual Couples Save More?

Sexual Orientation and Household Savings: Do Homosexual Couples Save More? We analyze how sexual orientation is related to household savings using 2000 US Census data, and find that gay and lesbian couples own significantly more retirement income than heterosexuals, while cohabiting heterosexuals save more than their married counterparts. In a household savings model, we interpret this homosexu...

Can some gay men and lesbians change their sexual orientation? 200 participants reporting a change from homosexual to heterosexual orientation.

Position statements of the major mental health organizations in the United States state that there is no scientific evidence that a homosexual sexual orientation can be changed by psychotherapy, often referred to as "reparative therapy." This study tested the hypothesis that some individuals whose sexual orientation is predominantly homosexual can, with some form of reparative therapy, become p...

Sexual orientation, theory of mind and empathy: a comparison of male homosexual and male and female heterosexuals

Background: Researchers have been investigating similarities of and differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals for past few decades. Several studies have shown that in the particular domain (e.g., spatial ability), male homosexuals would resemble female heterosexuals better than male heterosexuals. Executive function, however, has received more attention than social cognition in this lin...