Homosexuality and Hope...?

[rampala_quistis]

Some thoughts

Comments

playing devil's advocate

[schwanensee]

From a strictly evolutionary point of view, heterosexuality is more viable than homosexuality, because it's how we reproduce. This isn't to suggest that there's anything wrong or bad about homosexuality; this is simply to suggest that it makes more sense for scientists to wonder about the origins of homosexuality, since there doesn't seem to be an evolutionary reason for it, the way there is for heterosexuality. In studying it, perhaps they will discover an evolutionary reason for it, in which case, perhaps a lot of homophobes will shut their traps.

Re: playing devil's advocate

[rampala_quistis]

But we also have to take into consideration the fact that humans are one of (two, three?) animals that have sex specifically for pleasure. While sex is pleasurable for all animals, it's most often a reproduction driven period (i.e. being in heat). Since humans actually do have sex for pleasure and not just specifically for procreation, then, to me, homosexuality just doesn't seem that strange.

Re: playing devil's advocate

[schwanensee]

Yes, and the fact that sex is pleasurable also makes evolutionary sense: if the act of procreation is fun, then we're going to be all the more willing to do it. Still, sexual pleasure is only a delightful bonus; the reason we have sex is, on a basic, primeval level, to make babies, to pass along our genes, to ensure the survival of our particular line of the species. It's not that homosexuality is strange. It's just not going to produce offspring (unless some kind of crazy mutation takes place). There's nothing wrong or bad about it.