Queer Science
The Use and Abuse of Research into Homosexuality
by Simon LeVay, 1996 People who believe that homosexuality is not chosen by homosexuals and that homosexuality cannot be cured are more likely to be tolerant of homosexuals. As a general rule, this has been understood and used by scientists and theorists. Hirschfield, a German gay activist who died in 1935, theorized that gays constituted a third sex- that they had female brains and male bodies. Hirschfield's own later experiences showed him that some gays were masculine, but to him these were not as gay as say, himself. The idea that gays were different from their own gender, that they had many transgendered traits(but were not transgendered) has been borne out by many studies. One study by Richard Green followed effeminate boys to adulthood. Only a fifth became heterosexual adults. Although therapies have been able to eliminate feminine behavior in boys, they have been able to prevent these boys from growing up to be homosexual. Probably the same thing that motivates the boys to act effeminate also drives them to be androphilic.
As far as I know, the science in this book is mostly up to date. However, the legal situation in the United States as regards homosexuals has changed dramatically in the last 9 years. The Science Fiction Science Future chapter hasn't come to fruition. Nobody is doing prenatal screening for homosexuality, and there still isn't any diagnostic test for same. Cures haven't progressed much either. This book contains a lot of notes, most of which are merely references to books or articles. It also contains an index, useful for writing this review. One of my complaints with this book is that it doesn't mention asexuality, except for noting that the Hirschfield scale can show it.
Question: If screening for homosexual fetuses could be done, would those fetuses be aborted?
Educational reading.
