22 June 2008
by FRANCESCA VELLA
British and Swedish researchers have published the best evidence yet
that one's sexual orientation is a biologically fixed attribute, but
Gabi Calleja from the Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) said, in
effect, that knowing why a person is gay or straight is not really
necessary, or even desirable.
In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences USA (PNAS), two researchers, Ivanka Savic and Per Linström
from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, explain that the research is
particularly interesting in that it "contributes to the ongoing
discussion about sexual orientation by showing that homosexual men and
women differed from the same-sex controls".
Karolinska Institute, one of Europe's largest medical universities and
Sweden's largest centre for medical training and research, was one of
the two academic institutions that published research on the matter.
The second is the UK's Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at
University College London. Like Karolinska Institute, it concluded
that some physical attributes of the homosexual brain resemble those
found in the brain of straight people of the opposite sex.
The studies reveal similarities in key structures of the brain
regulating emotion, mood, anxiety and aggression.
In their PNAS paper, the researchers point out: "Whether they (the
observations) may relate to processes laid down during the foetal or
postnatal development is an open question."
Although previous studies have also shown differences in the brain
structure and functionality of gay and straight people, they were
heavily reliant on behavioural differences that could have been
acquired over time.
Commenting on the findings, Patrick Attard, Alternattiva Demokratika
spokesman for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender/transsexual
(LGBT) issues, said: "The research proves that there are biological
differences in the brain that occur before birth. The findings prove
wrong those who believe that homosexuality is an acquired tendency
that may be cured."
The MGRM spokesperson agreed, pointing out that being gay is not a
disease for which a cure needs to be found.
"While I cannot comment on the validity of the study, since I'm not an
expert on the subject, our sexual orientation is not something that
needs to be fixed," said Ms Calleja.
She explained that knowing why one is gay or straight is not really
necessary or even desirable. "We are gay, and society should treat us
equally, no matter the origin of our same sex attraction. We are who
we are and we're fine with it. Being gay is not a disease for which a
cure needs to be found," she said.
Similarly, Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter quoted Sören Juve
from the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Rights, as saying that while the study is exciting, the question of
whether or not one's sexual orientation is congenital is not
important. "We do not have to legitimise our sexuality to be treated
equally in society," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment