Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Homosexuality

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Human society has experienced the thrivings of homosexual people. This has been a part of society from the very onset of human existence. Our society experiences the existence of several young men who remain obsessed in playing with dolls as well as dressing up like girls. They often keep following stereotypical female pursuits and finally end up being a gay. In a similar way, there are girls who follow male instincts.

Homosexual orientation also thrives in the animal kingdom. Scientists have observed homosexual behavior among more than 1,500 species of animals including great apes, monkeys and in the common species of marine birds. Among the penguins, acute homosexual instincts have been noticed. This symptom has also been noticed among rams and the Australian shepherds term the rams with only male inclination as ‘shy breeders.’

There is a wide range of facts related to homosexuality. These facts feature the reasons and other details of homosexuality. Here, we bring you top 10 most fascinating facts on homosexuality.

10. Efforts to change sexual orientation are ineffective and can prove to be harmful

It is scientifically an established fact that an effort to cure homosexuality is a social prejudice draped in psychological outfit. There is no existence of scientific evidence to highlight the effectiveness of any therapeutic measures to cure homosexuality because sexual orientation is not a disease. Indulging to cure homosexuality is similar of trying to cure possession of red colored or brown colored hair. You can cover up the red color of hair with a dye just as any homosexual person would try to cover up the natural instincts and become a straight sexual orientation.

Sexual orientation does not need treatment to be cured, like that of the diseases. A homosexual person does not need to be cured of being gay any longer resembling that of a heterosexual person. The American Psychological Association states that gays and bisexual people are not mentally ill in tune of their sexual orientation and do not need any treatment for their sexual orientation. There are serious perils of forcefully undertaking attempts to treat or cure homosexuality. They are likely to induce excessive anxiety, depression and self-destructive behavior. A large number of medical professions in US staunchly state that they are absolutely against the usage of therapies of changing sexual orientation of gay people. They are observed quoting “There is no scientific evidence that reparative or conversion therapy is effective in changing a person’s sexual orientation”.

9. A man’s chances of being gay increases with the increasing number of elder brothers he has

The results of research and development conclude that more the number of elder brothers a man has, the chances of him being a gay is more profound. Thus, a man having five elder brothers has four times more chances of being gay than a man having one elder brother. The aunts and mothers of gay men have less number of female relatives of heterosexuals than off springs.

Our society experiences huge percentage of boys and young men who follow girl like instincts. In certain young men girl-like instincts prevail, they engage themselves in playing with dolls at a very young age. They even prefer dressing up like girls. These similar instincts find their way among young girls who prefer trucks to Barbies. An extensive survey has revealed that there are certain factors that happen to be significant causes for people developing homosexual feelings.

A survey stated that 97% of problems in father son relationship flare up as they develop SSA (Same Sex Attraction), this happens to be a significant factor. In the next place, the SSA symptom also leads to conflict with male peers. The other major cause is that on undergoing sexual abuse as a child or as a youth by an older or a more powerful person, a person develops improper sexual orientation. In such cases, such activities are undertaken by men and the victims develop SSA. Furthermore, odd sexual experiences also play a role. Other sexual experiences like pornography, sex plays with other boys and sexual fantasy as a youth or a child have resulted in these people developing SSA feelings. Moreover, a large number of people say that personality traits are a vital contributing factor in people developing SSA feelings. Lastly smothering mother syndrome and the relationship of the son with the mother also contributes to the development of SSA among people.

8. Homosexuality and same-sex couplings have been honored in ancient India and Greece

This is revealed from the evidences of homosexuality from the ancient times found in the cave paintings featuring same sex couplings in India and Greece. The Kama Sutra, an ancient Hindu text dealing with various desires depicts sex as one of the four normative goals of life. Kama Sutra is a sex manual but deals with homosexual pieces and practices in various places and tells us about third sex citizens in ancient times who were greatly attached to one another having heartfelt feelings for one another and were also getting married. Another commentary of twelfth century states that men with inclination to other men often renounced women and married men bounded by a deep and trusting friendship. Furthermore, sculptures and paintings from ancient temples and caves in India show that homosexual fellatio was performed by men as well as women. In addition to this, documents of ancient Greece reveal that it was usual for men to maintain sexual relationships with both young men and women. One of the central plots of Homer’s masterpiece The Iliad is about love between two men.

7. The sexual orientation of homosexuals is self-discovered and begins from early adulthood

Homosexual members discover their sexual orientation and they are not recruited or driven into the so-called ‘gay lifestyle.’ Lesbian and gay children are frequently aware of being different from  early on in life. They usually attain awareness of their sexual orientation during early adulthood or during the adolescence period.

6. Unlike heterosexual women, lesbians’ Index finger is shorter, on average, than the Ring finger

The heterosexual women have the ring fingers and index fingers of the same length whereas the heterosexual men have their ring finger longer than the index finger. However, in an average the finger lengths of the lesbians resemble more like that of men. The same concept is also applicable for other traits like that of the functioning of the inner ear and the patterns of eye blinking. This is actually one of the various differences of the sexes that are set before birth depending upon the exposure of testosterone.

5. The hypothalamus of homosexual men are different from that of heterosexual men

It has also been revealed by various scientists that the characteristics that frame out minds as males or females was localized and incubated at a small part of the brain known as the hypothalamus. Autopsies have shown that the relative configuration and size of this master gland is different in males from females. A more extensive research indicates that the hypothalamus of homosexual men were different from that of heterosexual men.

4. Genetically, homosexual men are exactly the same as heterosexual men

The teachings of embryology state that all the early embryos start out as female. At some point of time during the early gestation only if the chromosomes destine the fetus to be male then that female embryo undergoes alterations by the genetically programmed addition of certain hormones termed as androgens. These various androgens especially the testosterone provides instructions to the embryo to mould and develop into male.

The “XX” pair of chromosome yields a female whereas an “XY” pair results in yielding a male. Usually the “X” is contributed by the mother as she has only the “X’s. However, the father can always contribute either an “X” or a “Y”. Thus, the genetic contribution of the father determines the gender of the child and not the mother. Homosexual men possess “XY” pairs of chromosomes that have typically male characteristics in all respects.

3. Stress in the early stages of pregnancy can result in homosexual child

Research indicate that if the mother is being stressed in the times of the early stages of pregnancy she is likely to release adrenalin related hormone into the bloodstream of her own as well as that of her unborn baby. This hormone is termed as androstendione and it features structural similarity with that the male hormone testosterone. The baby on possessing the “XY” chromosomes is eventually destined to become male but the testosterone needs to be more active during the formation of the central nervous system including the hypothalamus. However, the stress hormone inclines to bind the receptors that would usually receive testosterone and the effectiveness of the testosterone undergoes delay or blockage in spite of being plentiful.

It is thought that while the organs and the body become ‘males’ the brain can coincidentally develop along the lines of being ‘female’. This extreme reaction to maternal stress provides a very natural and logical purpose. Comprehending through sensing the stress of the population on being influenced by poor living conditions or of crowding, nature serves this hormonal mechanism as a means to check population growth eventually cutting short the cause of stress. However homosexual instincts results less than heterosexuality among off springs. Thus, homosexuality is absolutely a physical disorder pertaining to the formation of the nervous system.

2. Native Americans hold homosexual people in high esteem

In traditional Native American society, homosexual people are held in high esteem as they are thought to have received a special blessing. They were frequently crowned to the position of ‘Shamans’ or healers of the community for being specially blessed. They were also respected as ‘Berdache’ or ‘two spirited persons.

1. Gay couples are financially richer than straight couples

Surveys provide evidences that gay couples are financially richer straight couples. An online survey of 6,300 self recognized gays respondents, sponsored by OpusComm Group in association with the Syracuse University has found out that the median combined per anum household income of the gay couples is $65,000. This surprisingly happens to be higher than the usual household income.

A detailed survey also proves that lesbians and gay men render service in a diverse variety of careers. They mostly take up careers in the field of medicine and education. Nearly, 8% of gay men and 15% of lesbians are engaged in this field. In the educational avenues, 6% gay men and 9% lesbians are associated whereas 7% of the lesbians are engaged in the governmental and the legal sector. In the sector of accounting and finance, 6% of gay men are associated.

A  survey reveals that the median household income of gay men is $83,000 per year. The gays living together earn $130,000 and gay singles earn $62,000. The lesbians have their median household income of $80,000 per year, with the lesbian singles earning $52,000 and the lesbian couples earning $96,000. Nearly 40% of gay men reported annual household incomes in excess of $100,000 and 36% of lesbians reported annual household incomes in excess of $100,000.

The fact that homosexuality is neither a physical disease nor an ailment and that it should not be mistaken as ailments is being accepted by the modern society. Extensive researches and studies about sexual health have vividly proved this. One must be aware about the fact that homosexuality is not a mental or emotional disorder and attempts to cure it may result in the life of the person being jeopardized. Homosexuality is nothing to be ashamed of and should be accepted the way it exists.