For many decades, primarily at the beginning of this century these sexual deviants were thought of by doctors and psychologists as mentally ill individuals and were treated as such. Some underwent painful procedures to “straighten out” their brain function, others found themselves locked up in institutions heavily medicated and labeled a danger to society, still others endured a battle far worse than any treatment a doctor could prescribe the emotional torture of coming to terms with who they really were and then having to keep it locked up for fear of being found out.

There are many opposing viewpoints dealing with the nature vs. nurture debate regarding homosexuality. Some

It is also important to note that there is growing tension in the argument over whether there really is a “gay gene” and if it were to be discovered what would it mean for those homosexuals who have struggled so long and hard in the battle for equal civil rights? Would they now have solid legal grounds to fall on in a case of discrimination or would the concrete proof of a true “gay gene” be seen as a crutch or an excuse? Would parents have their unborn children screened for the “gay gene” much like the tests used now for unborn children with Down syndrome? Would the newfound gene be seen as a genetic defect that would need to be weeded out of the gene pool? So, many moral and ethical questions surround this issue, however, there is only one that rings in the back of the public’s mind - where will the line be drawn?

As the studies continued they began to move from strictly animal studies to studies including autopsies of human brains. In 1990 Simon LeVay, a British neurologist conducted a study comparing the hypothalamuses of nineteen homosexual men and sixteen heterosexual men. After slicing and observing them LeVay concluded that the homosexual men’s nucleus is roughly the same size as the average female’s (smaller than the average male heterosexual). This possibly supports the idea of homosexual men being naturally “feminized.”

In closing, it is important to recognize the social and moral struggles faced by homosexuals each day. Whether it is discrimination on the job, or deciding to come out to a new friend. We live in a world where it is inevitable that contact with those persons who find the idea of homosexuality difficult to accept in terms of a productive legitimate lifestyle will occur. But it is essential to understand that by treating homosexuals as perverted or diseased these people are attempting to affirm their own normalcy as well as preserving their individual morals and values. Therefore, a sense of rightness is felt by dwelling on the wrongness of a homosexual lifestyle. This is a path that homosexuals have struggled with and will struggle with most likely for the rest of their lives. Only when our culture and society can accept that homosexuals are “normal” people and are prod

Some topics in this essay:
LeVay British, , Roger Gorski, “gay gene”, nurture debate, equal civil rights, based individual’s environment, male rat’s hypothalamus, nature nurture debate, individual’s environment, male rats, able produce, rat’s hypothalamus, based individual’s, male rat’s, strong role, sexual dimorphism,