5 myths about homosexuality debunked by science

In nature, relationships and sexuality between individuals of the same sex do not represent any anomaly, in fact it is a relatively frequent practice. It was men who, in different cultures, considered these practices as something anomalous, denatured, etc. Thus, the homosexuality in humans it 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? Uncovering some myths about homosexuality

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

Nevertheless, a good number of studies dismantle this string ofmyths.

5. Homosexuality goes against nature

It should be noted that, in the animal kingdom,

homosexuality is well present. It is something much more common than one might suppose. They are many species that have sex with individuals of the same sex, practices related to survival, the strengthening of social and emotional ties, biological adaptation and factors associated with the evolution of species.

The recurring myth that homosexuality is something that goes against the laws of nature and that we should only maintain relationships with individuals of the other sex, it is not sustained from a natural. In addition to the human being, there are 1,500 animal species that have homosexual relationships, such as penguins, swans, chimpanzees, giraffes... In this sense, the scientific community that studies animal biology agrees that not every sexual act is intended to function reproductive.

4. Homosexual relationships are promiscuous and short-lived

One of the most repeated clichés about homosexuals is the one that adds that their relationships sentimental are more superficial, or less lasting, or less "romantic" than relationships heterosexuals. This idea doesn't seem to make much sense either. Several research developed by the University of Washington they overthrew the stereotype with hard data.

They collected data over 12 years about the development, relationship and activity of homosexual couples, finding that 20% of them had ended the relationship during this period. By contrast, the progression of this data for the percentage of breakups turned out to be less than that of heterosexual couples. Several researchers pointed out that the conclusions should begin to consolidate a greater respect for same-sex couples, away from clichés and phobias.

3. Many pedophiles are gay

Many people agree that pedophilia is one of the most macabre and repudiatable crimes that exist, and they point out that homosexual men are the ones who are usually the protagonists of these acts infamous. 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 is non-existent. For example, a Clark Institute of Psychiatry research, in Canada, showed photographs of children and adolescents of both sexes to homosexual and heterosexual men, while recording data on sexual arousal of the subjects. The results found that heterosexual men tended to be more aroused than homosexuals, particularly when viewing photos of girls..

Years later, at the University of Denver, Colorado, 265 children were studied who had been victims of sexual abuse by adults. In 82% of the participants, the aggressor was a heterosexual person and from the environment close to the child. Only two cases (out of a total of 265) were recorded in which the criminal was a homosexual person. Consequently, the researchers concluded that the link between homosexuality and pedophilia not only had no empirical support, but that it was a much weaker relationship than in people hetero.

2. Homosexuals cannot raise children well

Those against gay marriage are often also against the adoption of children by homosexual couples. They allege that homosexual parents can negatively influence the child, since "the child needs a mother and a father to be able to grow up properly." However, the data again reveal that these claims have no basis in reality.

In 2011 a study which scouted a total of 90 adolescents. Half of them, 45, lived with parents of the same sex, 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 obtain symmetric results, with the note that the children of homosexual parents had slightly higher academic grades.

Other studies they concluded that children raised in homoparental families were less likely to participate in acts of vandalism or criminal than children of heterosexual parents. “The data indicate that children raised with parents of the same sex are people just as valid and with the same performance (or even somewhat higher) 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 retrograde environments, homosexuality is often referred to as a ‘disease’. This idea comes from people who argue that homosexuality is an inclination that can be "cured if the right path is followed." However, the human and biological sciences and especially the genetics, have indicated that same-sex attraction is based on a genetic characteristic, and therefore has a biological foundation.

To see if the genetic material was linked to homosexuality, scientists have observed and compared to identical twins (who share all genes) and fraternal twins (who share roughly the 50%). The results showed that almost all identical twins shared the same sexual inclination, but this was not the case for fraternal twins. This suggested that there is a genetic factor in charge of determining the sexual orientation of the individual.

Other investigations have provided data indicating that some biological factors, such as the exposure of certain hormones in the uterus, can also influence the sexual orientation of the subject. It seems that certain physiological differences, such as some forms of the inner ear between heterosexual and lesbian women, help to reinforce this idea. “The data support the theory that central nervous system asymmetries 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 the University of McMaster, Canada.