L15 - Homosexuality

Question 1

Homosexual behavior

Answer 1

• sometimes used to refer to ANY behavior involving same-sex individuals, not specifically behavior sexual behavior
• e.g. a hunting group

Question 2

Same-sex sexual behavior

Answer 2

specifically describes sexual behavior between individuals of the same sex

Question 3

Sexual behavior

Answer 3

• hard to define
• usually defined in animal literature as genital manipulation
• in humans, might be more about psychological aspects of sexual stimulation
• does not require sexual pleasure and sometimes doesn’t require a partner

Question 4

Sexual orientation

Answer 4

• stable and internalized preference for same vs. opposite sexual encounters (or both)
• does not necessarily overlap with behavior
• rarely applied in non-human literature - that’s why we don’t call animals gay/lesbian

Question 5

Sexual preference

Answer 5

• observed preference when given choice of same/opposite sex sexual interactions
• reflects behavior, not internal predisposition
• may vary over the life course independently of overall sexual orientation

Question 6

Androphilia / Gynephilia

Answer 6

sexual attraction to males/females

Question 7

Pederasty

Answer 7

Sexual associations between men and adolescent boys

Question 8

Fa’afafine

Answer 8

• Samoan third gender
• some ethnographies state that if a family had more boys and not enough girls to help with domestic duties, male children would be chosen to be raised as Fa’afafine
• help kin more than gynephilic men

Question 9

The Sambia

Answer 9

Ritualized homosexual behavior

Question 10

Western vs non-Western homosexuality

Answer 10

• non-Western homosexuality is seen to dictate other aspects of social identity (typical gender roles, social life, etc)
• could argue Western cultures more homophobic but acceptance confined to dictated social categories/strict circumstances in other cultures

Question 11

Mistaken identity

Answer 11

same-sex behavior might occur because of weak sex discrimination

Question 12

Prison effect

Answer 12

same-sex sexual interactions happen when individuals are deprived of the opposite sex

Question 13

Evolutionary byproduct

Answer 13

same-sex sexual behavior happens as a byproduct when selection acts on a separate trait, such as high sexual responsiveness

Question 14

Maladaptation

Answer 14

same-sex sexual behavior manifests when organisms are imperfectly adapted to their environment

Question 15

Infection

Answer 15

Infection with an external agents, such as a virus, promotes the expression of same-sex sexual preferences

Question 16

Three main hypotheses for homosexuality that are adaptive explanations

Answer 16

1. Kin selection/parental manipulation
2. Alliance formation
3. Sexually antagonistic selection

Question 17

Kin selection/parental manipulation

Answer 17

• individuals that engage in same-sex sexual behavior provide resources to siblings thereby increasing their reproductive success
• behaviors negative for one person but beneficial for close relatives can persist in a population
• but some studies have shown that homosexual men don’t help more than heterosexual men - but benefits don’t have to be substantial for it to persist

Question 18

Alliance formation

Answer 18

• homosexual behavior is selected for because it facilitates social alliances which enhance survival and eventually RS
• homosexual behavior adaptive in the context of bisexuality
• homosexual behavior argued to facilitate social bonds and reduce intergroup tensions

Question 19

Sexually antagonistic selection

Answer 19

• alleles promote same-sex sexual behavior in one sex, increase fitness in the other sex, and are therefore maintained
• could homosexuality be promoting female fertility? Female relatives of gay men had higher fertility

Question 20

Predictions of Alliance Formation

Answer 20

1. that homosexual behavior occurs mainly in the context of bisexuality
2. most homosexuals reproduce
3. homosexual behavior brings social benefits

Question 21

Born Gay Movement

Answer 21

• response to homophobic arguments that being gay is unnatural therefore bad
• but this is the naturalistic fallacy!
• further promotes idea that homosexuality is somehow more acceptable bc it is natural/not product of social influence
• implies that if homosexuality is the production of social factors it would be less acceptable