Two top Johns Hopkins University psychiatrists say there is insufficient evidence to conclude people are born with heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual attractions.
“The understanding of sexual orientation as an innate, biologically fixed property of human beings — the idea that people are ‘born that way’ — is not supported by scientific evidence,” the researchers concluded and reported their new study, “Sexuality and Gender” on Monday.
“While minor differences in the brain structures and brain activity between homosexual and heterosexual individuals have been identified … such neurobiological findings do not demonstrate whether [they] are innate or are the result of environmental and psychological factors.”
In addition, studies comparing brain structures of transgender and cisgender individuals demonstrate “weak correlations between brain structure and cross-gender identification” and do not provide any evidence for a neurobiological basis for cross-gender identification, they say.
Written by Lawrence S. Mayer, M.B., M.S., Ph.D. and Paul R. McHugh, M.D., both of Johns Hopkins University, the report explores research from more than 200 peer-reviewed studies across a variety of scientific fields including epidemiology, genetics, endocrinology, psychiatry, neuroscience, embryology and pediatrics.
“I dedicate my work on this report, first, to the LGBT community, which bears a disproportionate rate of mental health problems compared to the population as a whole. We must find ways to relieve their suffering,” writes Dr. Mayer. “And above all, I dedicate it to children struggling with their sexuality and gender.”
marvin@ugchristiannews.com
