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Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. In modern use, the adjective homosexual is used for intimate relationships and/or sexual relations between people of the same sex, who may or may not identify themselves as gay or lesbian. Homosexuality, as an identifier, is usually contrasted with heterosexuality and bisexuality. The term gay is used predominantly to refer to self-identified homosexual people of either sex. Lesbian is a gender-specific term that is only used for self-identified homosexual females. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Queer studies is the study of issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. ... Image File history File links Gay_flag. ... Gender often refers to the distinctions between males and females in common usage. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Transgender (IPA: , from trans (Latin) and gender (English) ) is an overarching term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies that diverge from the normative gender role (woman or man) commonly, but not always, assigned at birth, as well as the role traditionally held by society. ... LGBT history refers to the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender cultures around the world, dating back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love and sexuality within ancient civilizations. ... LGBT rights Around the world · By country History · Groups · Activists Declaration of Montreal Same-sex relationships Marriage · Adoption Opposition · Persecution Violence This timeline of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) history details notable events in the Common Era West. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... LGBT rights Around the world · By country History · Groups · Activists Declaration of Montreal Same-sex relationships Marriage · Adoption Opposition · Persecution Violence LGBT social movements share related goals of social acceptance of homosexuality or transgenderism. ... Christopher Street Parade Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures concern the culture, knowledge, and references shared by members of sexual minorities or transgendered people by virtue of their membership in those minorities or their state of being transgendered. ... The idea of a gay community is complex and can be very controversial. ... Image:.jpg Six color rainbow gay pride flag flying over Castro Street, San Francisco, June 2005 The gay pride or simply pride campaign has three main premises: that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity, that sexual diversity is a gift, and that sexual orientation and... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Gay slang in linguistics refers to a form of English slang used predominantly among LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people. ... A gay village (sometimes called a gay ghetto and increasingly gayborhood) is usually an urban geographic location with generally recognized boundaries where a large number of gay and lesbian people, as well as bisexual and transgender people live. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... World laws on homosexuality US laws on homosexuality Same-sex unions in Europe. ... Same-sex marriage is a term for a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ... A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to marriage. ... LGBT adoption refers to the adoption of children by homosexual, bisexual, or transgendered people. ... A sodomy law is a law that defines certain sexual acts as sex crimes. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... Romantic love is a form of love that is often regarded as different from mere needs driven by sexual desire, or lust. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... An adjective is a part of speech that modifies a noun or a pronoun, usually by describing it or making its meaning more specific. ... An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship with a great deal of physical and/or emotional intimacy. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... GAY can mean: Gay, a term referring to homosexual men or women The IATA code for Gaya Airport Category: ... A lesbian is a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted only to other women. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The hand mirror and comb of the Roman Goddess Venus is often used to represent the female sex. ...

Erotic love and sexual expression between individuals of the same sex has been a feature of most known cultures since earliest history (see Homosexual relations through history below). However, it was not until the 19th Century that such acts and relationships were seen as indicative of a type of person with a defined and relatively stable sexual orientation. The first recorded use of the word Homosexual was in 1869 by Karl-Maria Kertbeny^[1], with Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing's 1886 book Psychopathia Sexualis popularizing the concept. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sexual orientation describes the direction of an individuals sexuality, often in relation to their own sex or gender. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Karl-Maria Kertbeny Karl-Maria Kertbeny or Károly Mária Kertbeny (born Karl-Maria Benkert) (1824 – 1882), Austrian-born Hungarian journalist, memoirist and human rights campaigner who coined the word homosexual, was born in Vienna, the son of a writer and a painter. ... Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing with his wife Marie Luise Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing[1] (August 14, 1840 – December 22, 1902) was an Austro-German psychiatrist who wrote Psychopathia Sexualis (1886), a famous study of sexual perversity, and remains well-known for his coinage of the term sadism (after... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing. ...

In the years since Krafft-Ebing, homosexuality has become a subject of considerable study and debate. Originally viewed as a pathology to be cured, it is now more often investigated as part of a larger project to understand the biology, psychology, politics, genetics, history and cultural variations of sexual practice and identity. The legal and social status of people who perform homosexual acts or identify as gay or lesbian varies enormously across the world and remains hotly contested. Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing with his wife Marie Luise Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing[1] (August 14, 1840 – December 22, 1902) was an Austro-German psychiatrist who wrote Psychopathia Sexualis (1886), a famous study of sexual perversity, and remains well-known for his coinage of the term sadism (after... Pathology (from Greek pathos, feeling, pain, suffering; and logos, study of; see also -ology) is the study of the processes underlying disease and other forms of illness, harmful abnormality, or dysfunction. ... Biology and sexual orientation is the concept in industrialized societies that there is, at least in part, a biological basis for sexual orientation. ... Psychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. ... Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... History studies the past in human terms. ... World laws on homosexuality US laws on homosexuality Same-sex unions in Europe. ... GAY can mean: Gay, a term referring to homosexual men or women The IATA code for Gaya Airport Category: ... A lesbian is a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted only to other women. ...

Etymology and usage

Main article: Terminology of homosexuality

Zephyrus and Hyacinthus
Attic red-figure cup from Tarquinia, 480 BC (Boston Museum of Fine Arts)

The word homosexual is predominantly used as an adjective, describing behavior, relationships, people, etc. Many object to its use as a noun. The adjectival form literally means “same sex”, being a hybrid formed from the Greek prefix homo–, which means “same”, and the Latin root sex–, which means “sex” or "gender". Its first known appearance in print is found in an 1869 German pamphlet by the Austrian-born novelist Karl-Maria Kertbeny, published anonymously. The prevalence of the concept owes much to the work of the German psychiatrist Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing and his 1886 work Psychopathia Sexualis. As such, the current use of the term has its roots in the broader 19th century tradition of personality taxonomy. These continue to influence the development of the modern concept of sexual orientation, gaining associations with romantic love and identity in addition to its original, exclusively sexual meaning. The terminology of homosexuality has been a contentious issue since the emergence of homosexual social movements in the mid-19th century. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (748x993, 655 KB) The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (748x993, 655 KB) The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Zephyrus, the Greek god of the west wind, and the goddess Flora, from an 1875 painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau In Greek mythology, the Anemoi (Άνεμοι — in Greek, Winds) were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction, from which their respective winds came, and were each associated with various... The Death of Hyacinthos, by Jean Broc Zephyrus and Hyacinth; Attic red-figure cup from Tarquinia, ca 480 BC, Boston Museum of Fine Arts In Greek mythology, Hyacinth (in Greek, Ὑάκινθος — Hyakinthos) was a divine hero, the son of Clio and Pierus, King of Macedonia. ... Attica (in Greek: Αττική, Attike; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a periphery (subdivision) in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece. ... Detail of Athenian calyx krater by the Aegisthus painter — 460 BC Red-figure pottery is a style of archaic Greek pottery, later adopted in southern Italy. ... Tarquinia, formerly Corneto and in Antiquity Tarquinii, is an ancient city in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, Italy. ... Events King Xerxes I of Persia sets out to conquer Greece. ... Paul Gauguin, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? (Doù venons-nous? Que faisons-nous? Où allons-nous?) (1897). ... A word that has one part derived from one language and another part derived from a different language is etymologically called hybrid. ... Karl-Maria Kertbeny Karl-Maria Kertbeny or Károly Mária Kertbeny (born Karl-Maria Benkert) (1824 – 1882), Austrian-born Hungarian journalist, memoirist and human rights campaigner who coined the word homosexual, was born in Vienna, the son of a writer and a painter. ... Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing with his wife Marie Luise Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing[1] (August 14, 1840 – December 22, 1902) was an Austro-German psychiatrist who wrote Psychopathia Sexualis (1886), a famous study of sexual perversity, and remains well-known for his coinage of the term sadism (after... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing. ... Sexual orientation describes the direction of an individuals sexuality, often in relation to their own sex or gender. ... Romantic love is a form of love that is often regarded as different from mere needs driven by sexual desire, or lust. ... Sexual identity is the sex with which a person identifies, or is identified. ...

The adjective homosexual can be used to describe individuals' sexual orientation, sexual history, or self-identification. Many people reject all usage of "homosexual" as too clinical and dehumanizing, as the word only refers to one's sexual behavior, and does not refer to non-sexual romantic feelings. As a result, the terms gay and lesbian are usually preferred when discussing a person of this sexual orientation, whose sexual history is predominated by this behavior, or who identifies as such. The first letters are frequently combined to create the acronym LGBT (which is also written as GLBT), in which B and T refer to bisexuals and transgender individuals. A smaller number of same-sex oriented people personally prefer the adjective "homosexual" rather than "gay", as they may perceive the former as describing a sexual orientation and the latter as describing a cultural or socio-political group with which they do not identify. Sexual orientation describes the direction of an individuals sexuality, often in relation to their own sex or gender. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Transgender (IPA: , from trans (Latin) and gender (English) ) is an overarching term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies that diverge from the normative gender role (woman or man) commonly, but not always, assigned at birth, as well as the role traditionally held by society. ...

Although early writers also used the adjective homosexual to refer to any single-gender context (such as an all-girls' school), today the term is used exclusively in reference to sexual attraction and activity. The term homosocial is now used to describe single-sex contexts that are not specifically sexual. There is also a word referring to same-sex love, homophilia. The term homosocial is used in sociology and denotes same-sex relationships that are not of sexual nature. ... Homosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love, or sexual desire exclusively for another of the same sex. ...

New terms are arising for use in situations where specificity is important. For example, men who have sex with men, or MSM for short, is sometimes used in the medical community when specifically discussing sexual behavior (regardless of sexual orientation or self-identification). Same-sex attraction focuses on spontaneous feeling, but de-emphasizes identification with a demographic or cultural group, and also leaves open the possibility for co-existing opposite-sex attraction. Homoerotic is a synonym for same-sex attraction that is used to refer both to personal feelings and works of art. Non-straight is another attempt at neutrality that is gaining currency. Some other terms are now becoming more prevalent, including heteroflexible to refer to a person who identifies as heterosexual, but occasionally engages in same-sex sexual activities, or metrosexual to denote a straight man with stereotypically gay tastes in food, fashion and design. Men who have sex with men (MSM) is a term used to identify men who have sex with men, but may or may not self-identify as gay or homosexual. ... Same-sex attraction is an intense interest in members of the same sex. ... In the late twentieth century, male homoeroticism flourished in the visual arts. ... Same-sex attraction is an intense interest in members of the same sex. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Metrosexuality is the trait of an urbane man who has a strong aesthetic sense and spends a great amount of time and money on his appearance and lifestyle. ...

A variety of negative terms also exist. Many of these, including words like queer and faggot, have been "reclaimed" as positive words by those against whom they were initially used. The word queer has traditionally meant strange or unusual, but it is also currently often used in reference to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and asexual communities. ... Faggot or fagot may refer to: Faggot (epithet), a derogatory term for a homosexual or effeminate male Faggot (wood), a bundle of sticks or branches Faggots (novel), a novel by Larry Kramer Faggot (unit of measurement), an archaic unit of measurement Fagot (pronounced with a silent T), the NATO reporting...

Academic study

The manifestation of sexual orientation is subject to a considerable variability. Thus it is common for homosexual individuals in heteronormative societies to love, marry, and have children with individuals of the opposite sex, a practice that may be done primarily for social reasons in societies which reject same-sex relations, as a cover for one's orientation (such relationships are known as "beards"). These adaptations are forms of situational sexual behavior. Also some people of either sex want to pass their genes on and have children. Homosexual men or women may marry for that reason. Lesbian women may want a child through artificial insemination. Heteronormativity is a term used in the discussion of sexual behavior, gender, and society, primarily within the fields of queer theory and gender theory. ... In gay slang, a beard is a female companion used to hide a gay mans sexuality by appearing in public as if she and the gay man were a heterosexual couple. ... Situational sexual behavior is sexual behavior of a kind that is different from what is usual for that person (or from what that person normally exhibits) due to a social environment that permits, encourages, or compels those acts. ... Artificial insemination (AI) is when sperm is placed into a females uterus (intrauterine), or cervix (intracervical) using artificial means rather than by natural copulation. ...

A further, and extremely common, manifestation of situational sexual behavior involving homosexual acts is seen in prisons where individuals can only meet members of their own sex for long periods of time.

Anthropology

Forms

Numerous researchers studying the social construction of same-sex relationships have suggested that the concept of homosexuality would best be rendered as "homosexualities." They document that same-sex relations have been and continue to be organized in distinctly categorical ways by different societies in different eras. These variations are grouped by cultural anthropologist Stephen O. Murray^[2] and others^[3] into (usually) three separate modes of association: This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Stephen O. Murray, is a gay sociologist, anthropologist, and independent scholar based in San Francisco, California. ...

Gender-structured and age-structured homosexuality typically involve one partner adopting a "passive" and the other an "active" role to a much greater degree than in egalitarian relationships. Among men, being the passive partner often means receiving semen, i.e. performing fellatio or being the receptive partner during anal sex. This is sometimes interpreted as an emphasis on the sexual pleasure of the active partner, although this is disputed. For example, in gender-structured female homosexuality in Thailand, active partners (toms) emphasize the sexual pleasure of the passive partner (dee), and often refuse to allow their dee to pleasure them, while in ancient Greece the pederastic tradition was seen as engendering strong friendships between the partners, and was blamed for predisposing males to continue seeking the "passive" pleasures they experienced as adolescents even after they matured. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Christopher Street Parade Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures concern the culture, knowledge, and references shared by members of sexual minorities or transgendered people by virtue of their membership in those minorities or their state of being transgendered. ... A bagpiper in Scottish military clan-uniform. ... The Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Berdache (from French, from Arabic bardajo meaning kept boy) is a generic term used by some for a third gender (woman-living-man) among many, if not most, Native American tribes. ... Butch and femme are terms often used in the lesbian and gay subcultures to describe a persons approximate adherence to traditional masculine and feminine gender roles respectively, within a same-sex relationship, or to describe an individual generally. ... For age-structured homosexuality, see Pederasty in the Islamic world // Same-sex intercourse officially carries the death penalty in six Muslim nations: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. ... Berdache (from French, from Arabic bardajo meaning kept boy) is a generic term used by some for a third gender (woman-living-man) among many, if not most, Native American tribes. ... In the culture of the Indian subcontinent a hijra (also known by a number of different names and romanised spellings) is usually considered a member of the third sex — neither man nor woman. ... The term pederasty or paederasty embraces a wide range of erotic practices between adult males and adolescent boys. ... Ancient Greece is the term used to describe the Greek-speaking world in ancient times. ... Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s. ... Man and youth Tryst between a man and a male youth. ... The term pederasty or paederasty embraces a wide range of erotic practices between adult males and adolescent boys. ... Whitman & Duckett Over the course of history there have been a number of recorded love affairs between adult men and adolescent boys. ... Young men sipping tea, reading poetry, and making love; Individual panel from a hand scroll on homosexual themes, paint on silk; China, Qing Dynasty (eighteenth to nineteenth centuries); Kinsey Institute, Bloomington, Indiana The situation of homosexuality in China and Taiwan is currently quite ambiguous, although many instances have been recorded... Horse semen being collected for breeding purposes. ... Roman men having anal sex. ...

Some anthropologists have argued for the existence of a fourth type of homosexuality, class-structured homosexuality, but many scholars believe that this has no independent existence from the other three types. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ...

Usually in any society one form of homosexuality predominates, though others are likely to co-exist. As historian Rictor Norton points out in his Intergenerational and Egalitarian Models, in Ancient Greece egalitarian relationships co-existed (albeit less privileged) with the institution of pederasty, and fascination with adolescents can also be found in modern sexuality, both heterosexual and homosexual. Egalitarian homosexuality is becoming the principal form practiced in the Western world, while age- and gender-structured homosexuality are becoming less common. As a byproduct of growing Western cultural dominance, this egalitarian homosexuality is spreading from western culture to non-Western societies, although there are still defined differences between the various cultures. Rictor Norton, Ph. ... The term pederasty or paederasty embraces a wide range of erotic practices between adult males and adolescent boys. ...

Incidence

Main article: Demographics of sexual orientation

See also: Homosexuality and Islam

Estimates of the modern prevalence of homosexuality vary considerably. They are complicated by differing or even ambiguous definitions of homosexuality, and by fluctuations over time and according to location. // Measurement difficulties Measuring the prevalence of various sexual orientations (e. ... For age-structured homosexuality, see Pederasty in the Islamic world // Same-sex intercourse officially carries the death penalty in six Muslim nations: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. ...

It is important to note, however, that these numbers are subject to many of the pitfalls inherent in researching sensitive social issues. For example, because of the stigma associated with homosexuality, survey results will be biased downward by under-reporting. The frequent use of non-random samples in many studies could also serve to skew the data.

In general, most research agrees that the number of people who have had multiple same-gender sexual experiences is fewer than the number of people who have had a single such experience, and that the number of people who identify themselves as exclusively homosexual is fewer than the number of people who have had multiple homosexual experiences.^{[citation needed]}

The then controversial Kinsey Reports of 1948 found that 37% of males had had some sexual experience with other men, and that 4% had always been exclusively homosexual. Among women, Kinsey found between 2% and 6% had "more or less exclusively" homosexual experience. The Kinsey Reports are two books on human sexual behavior, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), by Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy and others. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...

In the United States during the 2004 elections, exit polls indicated 4% of all voters self-identified as gay or lesbian. However, due to societal pressures, many who are homosexual may not be willing to identify as such. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In Canada, a 2003 report by Statistics Canada indicated that among Canadians aged 18 to 59, 1% reported that they are homosexual, and 0.7% reported to be bisexual. ^[4] At the same time, a Global Sex Survey by Durex for 2005 reports that 19% of Canadians claim to have had a homosexual experience, along with 20% of Americans. 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The brand Durex is used for a number of unrelated products around the world. ...

In North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, where gender- or age-structured relationships are the rule, homosexual practices among men are reported to be widespread, engaged in by many individuals who do not regard themselves as homosexual. ^{[citation needed]}  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, generally divided by the formidable barrier of the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... The term pederasty or paederasty embraces a wide range of erotic practices between adult males and adolescent boys. ...

Biology

Main article: Biology and sexual orientation

Biology and sexual orientation is the concept in industrialized societies that there is, at least in part, a biological basis for sexual orientation. ...

Prenatal hormonal theory

Main article: Prenatal hormones and sexual orientation

The neurobiology of the masculinization of the brain is fairly well understood. Estradiol, and testosterone, which is catalyzed by the enzyme 5α-reductase into dihydrotestosterone, act upon androgen receptors in the brain to masculinize it. If there are few androgen receptors (people with Androgen insensitivity syndrome) or too much androgen (females with Congenital adrenal hyperplasia) there can be physical and psychological effects.^[5] It has been suggested that both male and female homosexuality are results of variation in this process.^[6] In these studies lesbianism is typically linked with a higher amount of masculinization than is found in heterosexual females, though when dealing with male homosexuality there are results supporting both higher and lower degrees of masculinization than heterosexual males. The hormonal theory of sexuality holds that, just as exposure to certain hormones plays a role in fetal sex differentiation, such exposure also influences the sexual orientation that emerges later in the adult. ... Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS, or Androgen resistance syndrome) is a set of disorders of sexual differentiation that results from mutations of the gene encoding the androgen receptor. ... Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) refers to any of several autosomal recessive diseases resulting from defects in steps of the synthesis of cortisol from cholesterol by the adrenal glands. ...

Physiological differences in homosexual people

Several recent studies, including pioneering work by neuroscientist Simon LeVay, demonstrate that there are notable differences between the physiology of a heterosexual male and a homosexual male. These differences are primarily noted in the brain, inner ear and olfactory sense. LeVay discovered in his double-blind experiment that the average size of the INAH-3 in the brains of homosexual men was significantly smaller than the average size in heterosexual male brains.^[7] Some people have interpreted this as showing that some people are born homosexual; however, in LeVay's own words: Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... For more specific information about the human brain, see its main article at human brain A sketch of the human brain by artist Priyan Weerappuli, imposed upon his sketch of the profile of Michaelangelos David In animals, the brain, or encephalon (Greek for in the head), is the control... The inner ear comprises both: the organ of hearing (the cochlea) and the labyrinth or vestibular apparatus, the organ of balance located in the inner ear that consists of three semicircular canals and the vestibule. ... Young boy smelling a flower Olfaction, the sense of smell, is the detection of chemicals dissolved in air. ... Double-blind describes an especially stringent way of conducting an experiment, usually on living, conscious, human subjects. ... The INAH 3 is the third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus. ...

It's important to stress what I didn't find. I did not prove that homosexuality was genetic, or find a genetic cause for being gay. I didn't show that gay men are born that way, the most common mistake people make in interpreting my work. Nor did I locate a gay center in the brain. INAH-3 is less likely to be the sole gay nucleus of the brain than a part of a chain of nuclei engaged in men and women's sexual behavior...Since I looked at adult brains we don't know if the differences I found were there at birth, or if they appeared later.^[8]

– Simon LeVay, Discover, March 1994 Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Discover is a science magazine that publishes articles about science for a general audience. ... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ...

LeVay's work has come under criticism for not taking into account the fact that all of the brains of homosexual men he studied were from homosexual men who had died of AIDS, which was not equally true of the heterosexuals whose brains he studied. However, when comparisons were made of the INAH-3 measurements in only the brains of those in each group who died from complications due to AIDS (albeit a small sample), similar size differences were found. It should also be noted that, currently, no evidence has been found to suggest that HIV or the effects of AIDS would result in changes in INAH-3 size. This article is about the syndrome. ... The INAH 3 is the third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus. ...

To date, no analogous result has been found in women's brains.

Some recent studies have tied a correlation between the number of older brothers a man has and his likelihood of being homosexual^[9] reported that each older brother increases the odds of being gay by 33%. This is now "one of the most reliable epidemiological variables ever identified in the study of sexual orientation."^[10] To explain this finding, it has been proposed that male fetuses provoke a maternal immune reaction that becomes stronger with each successive male fetus.^[9] Male fetuses produce H-Y antigens which are "almost certainly" involved in the sexual differentiation of vertebrates ^[9]. It is this antigen which maternal H-Y antibodies are proposed to both react to and 'remember.' Successive male fetuses are then attacked by H-Y antibodies which somehow decrease the ability of H-Y antigens to perform their usual function in brain masculinization. This is now known as the fraternal birth order effect. In a study comparing the effects of being raised with older "brothers" and having biological older brothers, published July 26, 2006 in PNAS, Bogaert found that there was a link to homosexuality only if the older brothers were biologically related and even when they were not raised together.^[11] Interestingly, this relation seems to hold only for right-handed males.^[12] There has been no observable equivalent for women.

Homosexual behavior in animals

Main article: Animal sexuality#Homosexual behavior

Further information: List of animals displaying homosexual behavior

Squawk and Milou
Male Chinstrap Penguins at the Central Park Zoo in Manhattan.

Homosexual behavior does occur in the animal kingdom, especially in social species, particularly in marine birds and mammals, monkeys and the great apes. Homosexual behavior has been observed among 1,500 species, and in 500 of those it is well documented.^[13] Georgetown University professor Janet Mann has specifically theorized that homosexual behavior, at least in dolphins, is an evolutionary advantage that minimizes intraspecies aggression, especially among males. Animal sexual behavior takes many different forms, even within the same species. ... This list includes animals for which there is documented evidence of homosexual or transgender behavior of one or more of the following kinds: sex, courtship, affection, pair bonding, or parenting. ... This work is copyrighted. ... Binomial name Pygoscelis antarctica (Forster, 1781) The Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) is a species of penguin which is found in the South Sandwich Islands, Antarctica, the South Orkneys, South Shetland, South Georgia, Bouvet Island, Balleny and Peter I Island. ... The Central Park Zoo is located in Central Park in New York City. ... The Borough of Manhattan, highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ... Animalia redirects here. ... Genera The hominids are the members of the biological family Hominidae (the great apes), which includes humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. ... Georgetown University, incorporated as the The President and Directors of the College of Georgetown, is a private university in the United States, located in Georgetown, a historic neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded on January 23, 1789 by Father John Carroll, it is both the oldest Roman Catholic and oldest... Genera See article below. ...

• Male penguin couples have been documented to mate for life, build nests together, and to use a stone as a surrogate egg in nesting and brooding. In 2004, the Central Park Zoo in the United States replaced one male couple's stone with a fertile egg, which the couple then raised as their own offspring.^[14] German and Japanese zoos have also reported homosexual behavior among their penguins. This phenomenon has also been reported at Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium in Auckland, New Zealand.
• Courtship, mounting, and full anal penetration between bulls has been noted to occur among American Bison. The Mandan nation Okipa festival concludes with a ceremonial enactment of this behavior, to "ensure the return of the buffalo in the coming season." ^{[citation needed]} Also, mounting of one female by another is common among cattle. (See also, Freemartin. Freemartins occur because of clearly causal hormonal factors at work during gestation.)
• Homosexual behavior in male sheep (found in 6-10% of rams) is associated with variations in cerebral mass distribution and chemical activity. A study reported in Endocrinology concluded that biological and physiological factors are in effect.^[15] These findings are similar to human findings studied by Simon LeVay.
• Male bighorn sheep are divisible into two kinds, the typical males among whom homosexual behavior is common and "effeminate sheep" or "behavioral transvestites" which are not known to engage in homosexual behavior.^[16][17]

Modern genera Aptenodytes Eudyptes Eudyptula Megadyptes Pygoscelis Spheniscus For prehistoric genera, see Systematics Some penguins are curious. ... Surrogate (from Lat. ... The Central Park Zoo is located in Central Park in New York City. ... Schematic map of Auckland. ... Roman men having anal sex. ... An American Bison is a bovine mammal, the largest terrestrial mammal in North America, and one of the largest wild cattle in the world. ... The Mandan are a Native American tribe that historically lived along the banks of the Missouri River and its tributaries, the Heart and Knife Rivers in present-day North and South Dakota. ... A freemartin is a female bovine with a masculinized behavior and non-functioning ovaries. ... Endocrinology (ISSN 0013-7227) is a biomedical scientific journal published by the Endocrine Society. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Psychology

Behavioral Studies

Main article: Kinsey Reports

At the beginning of the 20th century, early theoretical discussions in the field of psychoanalysis posited original bisexuality in human psychological development. Quantitative studies by Alfred Kinsey in the 1940s and Dr. Fritz Klein's sexual orientation grid in the 1980s find distributions similar to those postulated by their predecessors. The Kinsey Reports are two books on human sexual behavior, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), by Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy and others. ... Psychoanalysis is a family of psychological theories and methods based on the work of Sigmund Freud. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Alfred Charles Kinsey (June 23, 1894 – August 25, 1956), was an American biologist and professor of entomology and zoology who in 1947 founded the Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University Bloomington, now called the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex,