When I first wondered about this issue, little scientific evidence was available on sexual identity per se. In 1965, Milton Diamond published his legendary challenge to John Money's goofy
"psychosexual neutrality-at-birth" theory. Much science has been done since then, some of it by Diamond who, having the evolutionary perspective of a biologist is a proponent of the "sexuality-at-birth" theory.
The scientific evidence is compelling, coming from many different avenues and all of it pointing in the same direction. While the molecular mechanisms are not yet entirely clear, there is a clear answer to the question: "Is sexual identity innate or learned?" The simplest explanation for all of the evidence is in keeping with Diamond's theory: Sexual identity is biological and innate!
After a long hiatus (due to all sorts of personal distractions), I will soon be posting about issues that spring from the important realization that sexual identity is biological and innate. Some of these issues are:
- The significance of the fact that sexual identity is a biological phenomenon and innate - why haven't biologists picked up on this important biological fact? Everyone has a sexual identity!
- Why we should be grateful to transsexual people for teaching us about our human nature
- Why medical science needs biologists. Biologists recognize the value of differences and celebrate diversity but medical doctors pathologize/medicalize differences and attempt to "fix" them. Transsexuality is uncommon but not necessarily a problem for anyone.
- Why transsexuality is a biological variation and transphobia is a cultural disease!
- The treatment of trans people: Should we change the body or the culture?
- Why it was inevitable that a biologist (Milton Diamond) would be right and a psychologist (John Money) would be wrong when theorizing about sexuality (even though psychologists pretend to understand behavior)
- Why parents, educators, and medical professionals need to know that sexual identity is innate
- Why, as a biologist, I can say: It is possible to be a man and a female at the same time. Similarly, it is possible to be both a woman and a male.
- Exactly what is sexual identity? On the brain systems level, cellular level, molecular level?
- What is the neurological relationship between sexual identity and sexual orientation (also innate)?
- What about intersex people?
- The political and social justice issues regarding sexual identity
- Gender binary?...The only thing binary about gender is gamete production (egg or sperm)!
Please feel free to post any questions you would like me to address.
