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Subject: statistics on being gay From: "Rob Weisskirch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 10:47:45 -0800 X-Message-Number: 20
I ran into this question a couple of years ago. After hunting down as
many resources as I could, I found no answer. The difficult part about
answering this question is a measurement issue. To ask how many people
are gay presents the question of what you mean by "being gay." Does that
mean participate in homosexual acts? Does kissing count? Does one have
to participate in homosexual acts to orgasm to be considered truly "gay?" What if someone feels gay but does not act upon it? Kinsey's work was
based on homosexual behavior (see his scale). From his work, he said that
10% [the magic number] demonstrated homosexual behavior for 3 or more
years, but only 4% considered themselves lifelong homosexuals. What does
this mean? NOTHING.
The more I read about this the more I realize that they way in which you phrase the question totally determines the answer. If we reversed the question and asked "are you straight," then asked about your experience with the opposite sex, things begin to look a little different.
Sexuality is not an either/or classification. It is a complex relationship of desire, attraction, behavior, and identity among many other areas. Our students would be better served by understanding the complexity around sexuality, rather that simplistic definitions.
I whole heartedly agree. They would further be helped by our continued discussion of the variability of biological sex as well. As we are all familiar with varieties of chromosomal make up and the interaction of hormonal response en utero the whole question of homo or hetero sexuality starts to get dicey. One the questions I have my classes wrestle with is how do you characterize a 46 XX male who is attracted to a 46 XY female?
Fausto-Sterling, Anne. The five sexes. The Sciences (March/April, 1993): 20-24.
The other consideration is does it matter how many people are gay?
It certainly matters to those who like to count and classify. However it also matters to those who consider themselves to be in this group if for no other reason to know that you are not alone.
Given
our society's rigidity around sexuality, would more people be gay if society allowed more permeable boundaries?
This is the fear that I think some people have. They fear that once the stigma is removed and people can safely and free admit their orientation that the numbers will grow. I tend to believe that the real fear is in people not wanting to admit things about themselves.
But that's just my opinion...or is it/
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Herb Coleman Instructional Technology Manager Adjunct Psychology Professor ACC/AFT Local 6249 Austin Community College [EMAIL PROTECTED] 512-223-3076 ********************************************* * Every action has a connected and directed * * pre-action. * ********************************************* -Herb Coleman after seeing "Bowling for Columbine"
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