5 myths about homosexuality debunked by science

We debunked a total of five myths about homosexuality and prejudices against gays.

In nature, relationships and sexuality between individuals of the same sex do not represent an anomaly, in fact it is a relatively frequent practice.. It was men who, in different cultures, considered these practices as something anomalous, unnatural, etc. Thus, homosexuality homosexuality in humans is condemned in varying degrees of intensity by almost all societies on the planet.

But, what are the most widespread myths about the gay community?

What does science tell us about gays? Debunking some myths about homosexuality

The homophobia and cultural mistreatment of homosexual people are not usually in the news, and among the many myths and falsehoods that have been uttered against homosexuality, prejudices abound based on their supposed inability to be fathers or mothers, their promiscuity, or the correlation between homosexuality and pedophilia/pedophilia.

However, a good number of studies a good number of studies dismantle this string of myths. myths.

5. Homosexuality is against nature

It should be noted that, in the animal kingdom, homosexuality is well present in the animal kingdom.. It is much more common than one might suppose. Many species maintain sexual relations with individuals of the same sex, practices linked to survival, the strengthening of social and emotional ties, Biological adaptation and factors associated with the evolution of the species.

The recurrent myth that homosexuality is something that goes against the laws of nature and that we should only have relationships with individuals of the other sex is not supported from a natural point of view. In addition to the human being, there are 1,500 species of animals that maintain homosexual relationshipsFor example, penguins, swans, chimpanzees, giraffes... In this sense, the scientific community that studies animal biology agrees in affirming that not every sexual act has the reproductive function as an end.

4. Homosexual relationships are promiscuous and short-lived.

One of the most repeated clichés about homosexuals is that their romantic relationships are more superficial, or less lasting, or less "romantic" than heterosexual relationships. This idea does not seem to make much sense either. Research conducted by the University of Washington overturned the stereotype with hard data.

They collected data over 12 years on the development, relationship and activity of homosexual couples, finding that 20% of them had ended the relationship during this period. In contrast, the progression of this breakup rate was found to be lower than that of heterosexual couples.. Several researchers pointed out that the findings should begin to consolidate a greater respect for same-sex couples, away from clichés and phobias.

3. Many pedophiles are homosexuals

Many people agree that pederasty is one of the most macabre and reprehensible crimes in existence, and point out that homosexual men are usually the protagonists of these infamous acts. Of course, this generalization leaves homosexuals in a terrible place.

For this reason, many researchers have studied this issue to see to what degree this cliché was true, and the results have concluded that such a relationship does not exist. For example, research at the Clark Institute of Psychiatry in Canada showed photographs of children and adolescents of both sexes to homosexual and heterosexual males, while recording data on the subjects' sexual arousal. The results found that heterosexual men tended to be more aroused than homosexual men, particularly when viewing pictures of girls..

Years later, at the University of Denver, Colorado, 265 children who had been sexually abused by adults were studied. In 82% of the participants, the aggressor was a heterosexual person and from the child's immediate environment. Only two cases (out of 265) were recorded in which the offender was a homosexual. As a result, the researchers concluded that the link between homosexuality and pedophilia was not only not empirically supported, but was a much weaker relationship than in heterotic individuals. hetero.

2. Homosexuals can't raise children well

Opponents of gay marriage are often also against the adoption of children by homosexual couples. They claim that homosexual parents can have a negative influence on the child, because "the child needs a mother and a father in order to grow up properly". However, the data again reveal that these claims have no basis in reality.

In 2011, a study was conducted that explored a total of 90 adolescents. Half of them, 45, lived with same-sex parents, while the remaining 45 were children of traditional families. Some factors of their daily life and their academic and social performance were analyzed, and both groups were reported to have symmetrical results, with a note that the children of homosexual parents had slightly higher academic scores.with the note that the children of homosexual parents had slightly higher academic grades.

Other studies concluded that children raised in same-parent families were less likely to engage in vandalism or delinquency than children of heterosexual parents. or delinquent actions than children of heterosexual parents. "The data point to children raised with same-sex parents being equally valid and equal (or even slightly higher) achievers than children raised with heterosexual parents," said Tim Biblarz, a sociologist at the University of California.

1. Homosexuality is a pathology that can be cured.

In somewhat backward circles, homosexuality is often labeled a 'disease'. This idea comes from people who maintain that homosexuality is an inclination that can be "cured if a proper path is followed". However, the human and biological sciences, and especially genetics, have indicated that attraction to persons of the same sex is based on a genetic characteristic, and therefore has a biological foundation. has a biological basis.

To test whether genetic material was linked to homosexuality, scientists observed and compared identical twins (who share all genes) and fraternal twins (who share approximately 50%). The results showed that almost all identical twins shared the same sexual inclination, but the same was not true for fraternal twins. This suggested that there is a genetic factor responsible for determining an individual's sexual orientation.

Other research has provided data that indicate that some biological factors, such as exposure to certain hormones in utero, may also influence a subject's sexual orientation.. It appears that certain physiological differences, such as some forms of the inner ear between heterosexual women and lesbians, help to reinforce this idea. "The data support the theory that asymmetries in the central nervous system exist between individuals with different sexual orientations, and that these differences may be linked to early factors in brain development," explains Sandra Witelson, professor of neuroscience at McMaster University, Canada.