Differences Between Bisexuality And Homosexuality, And Heterosexuality

Heterosexism, according to Warren J. Blumenfeld, is the system of advantages given to heterosexuals based on the social construct of gender roles and heterosexual norms, while marginalizing and oppressing homosexuals and others who do not fit into the heterosexual culture (373). The enforcement of this system is known as heteronormality. This is seen in the binary system, which is a social construct that divides people into different strictly bordered categories organized by “social roles, values, stereotypes, and behavioral and attitudinal imperatives, expressions, and expectations” (Blumenfeld 373). Those who stick to the binary system, maintain power and privilege. People who may live in the binary system, but also intentionally

It is a fair assumption to say that America is approaching a new age in understanding and accepting the many variations of human sexual orientation. More same-sex couples have fostered children than ever before in our nation 's history. Institutions such as military and professional sports have (slowly but surely) began to accept openly gay members. Most importantly, a recent amendment to the Marriage Act of 1961 now defines marriage as a union of two people; an amendment which removed the prohibition of same-sex marriages. These landmarks in the progression of social awareness surrounding sexual orientation are derivative of scientific findings disputing the "choice" theory. As outlined in Simon LeVay 's book, Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why, the result of someone 's sexual orientation "emerges from the prenatal sexual differentiation of the brain" (LeVay 2011: 271) What LeVay means in this context is, "whether a person ends up gay or straight depends in large part on how this process of biological differentiation goes forward, with the lead actors being genes, sex hormones, and the brain systems" (LeVay 2011: 271). Much research, proven and theoretical, has been done on the concept of what makes people gay. Many factors surrounding socialization in regards to sexual orientation have undergone extensive scientific scrutiny (LeVay 2011: 77). Although there is evidence that suggests social and environmental elements play a role in sexual orientation, it is

“It wasn’t always this way-- straight or gay, heterosexual or homosexual, normal or abnormal…. ‘Research

The author used the research that was gathered from the interviews she held with several women as well as several other studies regarding heterosexuality and what she labels as heteroflexibility, a label that is significantly less stigmatized than the bisexual label. I do completely agree with the author’s points and really enjoyed the way she discussed this heteroflexibility. I believe that human sexuality is on a continuum and though some women might experience same sex attraction, it does not make them homosexual. However, I have never understood why

Sexual orientation can be considered as one of America’s most controversial topics. Although the rationale and choice differs from person to person, and is considered to be a private matter of personal preference, many people have experienced negative backlash and harsh criticism due to their individual likings. In general, sexual orientation is defined as: a person 's sexual identity in relation to the gender to which they are attracted; the fact of being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. While the definition seems to be straightforward and concise, the subject of sexual orientation encompasses much more than just the intensity of emotional and erotic attraction and response to members of the opposite sex, the same sex, or both

Masters, N., Casey, E., Wells, E. A., & Morrison, D. M. (2013). Sexual Scripts among Young Heterosexually Active Men and Women: Continuity an

This essay discusses the concept that bisexuality is a true lifestyle and not merely a phase of exploration that one passes through. The focus is on the decades-long psychological debate of nature versus

In the article “What is Sexual Orientation and Do Women Have One” by author M. Bailey elaborates upon many different efforts to identify and answer this question. However, after reading the article it seems to still be a question that cannot be solidified with just one simple answer. Bailey points out that scientists and psychologists have tested batches of men and women with the orientations of heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual to assess their sexual arousal to specific and random stimuli. In the male trials, it was found that most men are driven by physical stimulation to the genitals and their sexual orientation is derived from a strong sexual arousal or attraction. When tested, homosexual men tended to prefer men to obtain their sexual arousal and heterosexual men gravitate to women, accompanied with physical results such as penile erections.

Handful of challengers to biological explanations have been tested and examined. One of the famous neuroscientists, Simon LeVay conducted a study on, “A Difference in Hypothalamic Structure Between Heterosexual and Homosexual Men.” LeVay’s main claim was that, a difference in brain structure (the anterior hypothalamus which participates in the regulation of male-typical sexual behaviour) correlates with sexual orientation. He hypothesised that that INAH 3 in homosexual men to be smaller than presumed heterosexual men and the presumed heterosexual women would be similar in size. And as a result, he hypothesised that INAH 3 is dimorphic and suggests sexual orientation has an underlying biological factor. He brought the idea of the anterior hypothalamus being involved in sexual behaviour of a typical male through a study on nonhuman primates, which showed that lesions in this region in male monkeys damage heterosexual behaviour but excluding sexual drives. The study took three subject groups who died in California and New York and the brain tissue from presumed homosexuals have only been available from AIDS epidemic. Six subjects were presumed heterosexual women, where one woman died of AIDS and others died of other causes. Sixteen subjects were presumed heterosexual men where six died of AIDS and others died of other causes. And nineteen homosexual men who all died of

In the North American Journal of Psychology, William Jenkins, the author of “Can Anyone Tell Me Why I’m Gay,” reviews research that has attempted to determine what causes an individual to develop a

LeVay interpreted the results of the animal and human studies to suggest that the sexually dimorphic structures of the human brain, the INAH, were positively correlated with sexual orientation towards females. He hypothesized that this correlation would hold true in a study of human sexual orientation. Specifically, LeVay hypothesized that INAH-2 and INAH-3 would exhibit increased volumes in heterosexual males and homosexual females compared to homosexual males and heterosexual females7. Brain tissue was obtained from autopsies of patients who died in several New York and California-based hospitals (n=41). The subject pool was split between homosexual males (n=19) , heterosexual males (n=16), and heterosexual females (n=6). Heterosexuality was presumed based upon both antemortem denial of homosexual activity and the statistical prevalence of homosexuality among the population, as reported by Kinsey et al8. Cause of death varied across groups and individual subjects. All nineteen subjects in the homosexual male group died of complications of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Of the sixteen subjects in the heterosexual male group, six died from AIDS and ten died from other causes. Of the six subjects in the heterosexual female group, one died of AIDS and five died from other causes. Brain tissue was stained and volumes of INAH-1-4 were determined. As in previous studies, INAH-1 and 4 exhibited no significant volumetric differences between groups. INAH-2 also exhibited no significant volumetric differences between groups, which did not confirm the results of Allen et al, which showed INAH-2 to be significantly larger in males than females. INAH-3 was the only nucleus to exhibit significant volumetric differences between groups. INAH-3 was found to be significantly larger in the heterosexual male group than the heterosexual female group, confirming previous results by Allen et al. The novel

said he was making unwanted advances at them. I do not believe that environmental surroundings or social settings play any role in determining sexual orientation. While there may be an influencing atmosphere, I believe that it would have more of an impact on your personality and expression rather than your actual sexual preference. I think that if you are gay, then you are born that way. There is no time in your life in which you sit down, weigh the pros and cons, and then make the conscious decision of whether you want to be homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual, that is just not plausible. Sexual orientation is an aspect of life that is determined before birth.

Dr. LeVay did a research and study about the brain to figure out the cause and the differences in the sexual orientation of the different people (LeVay &Valente, 2006). The main focus of his study was the brain of the homosexual and heterosexual individuals. Dr. LeVey’s research was

Women who identified as bisexual and unlabeled tended to find themselves more attracted towards men more than women due to social factors, one being the

Throughout history there has been speculation about what influences sexuality in men and woman. Is sexual orientation biological or cultural in nature? There is a common misconception that sexual identity operate in parallel with gender roles( Sell, 2005 as cited in Wilkinson & Roys, 2005, p.65). Scholars have not came to an agreement regarding what actually comprise a person’s sexual orientation, however a sexual orientation has been deemed a cumulative experience and interaction of emotional and sexual feelings towards one or both genders (Wilkinson & Roys, 2005, p.65). The paper provides provides some clues as to what factors influence sexual orientation in men and woman.