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Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues
(06/27/2004) by Blaise Parker
This web page exists to give people factual information about gay, lesbian and bisexual issues. To do that, we would like to spend a little time defining some of the terms we use here. If we want to understand one another, it is important that we are all speaking the same language!
Often, people want to ask questions such as, "How many people are really gay or lesbian?" or "What causes people to be gay?" The answers to these questions are dictated, generally, by one's position on gay, lesbian and bisexual issues. Those people in favor of gay, lesbian and bisexual rights will often cite that 10% of people are gay, lesbian or bisexual (a number derived from Kinsey's research in the 1950s). They will also argue that sexual orientation is biologically determined. Those against gay, lesbian and bisexual rights will cite that only 1-2% of the population is gay, lesbian or bisexual and that sexual orientation (or preference) is a choice or the negative result of some traumatic experience.
It may disappoint you to learn that there are no simple answers. Below, I have presented my best efforts to help you think about gay, lesbian and bisexual issues. However, what you do, think, and feel are, in the end, your own decision.
Research on sexual orientation and identity is notoriously difficult. In order to understand why, we must delineate between these domains: 1) sexual behavior, 2) sexual attraction, 3) romantic attraction, and 4) sexual identity. If we assume a continuum (as Kinsey did) of human sexuality (with heterosexuality on one end, homosexuality on the other, and bisexuality as a midpoint), individuals may be at different places on this continuum with respect to the domains I just mentioned.
Sexual behavior refers to those people with whom an individual participates in sexual activity. In other words, do you have oral sex with men? Do you have penis-in-vagina sex with women?
Sexual attraction refers to those people to whom an individual is attracted. In other words, do you fantasize about men? Are you sexually aroused by women?
Romantic attraction refers to those people with whom you want to have relationships. In other words, do you prefer to date men? Do you fall in love with women?
Finally, sexual identity refers to that which you call yourself. In other words, do you identify yourself as gay? Lesbian? Queer?
There is not always a perfect "fit" between these domains. For instance, a woman may call herself a lesbian, she may be more attracted to women sexually and romantically, but she may occasionally have sex with men anyway. A man may call himself straight but continue to frequent gay male strip clubs because he is aroused by men. So which is the "right" definition of one's sexual orientation? That's something you'll have to decide for yourself. Even prominent researchers don't agree what makes someone "really" gay, lesbian or bisexual.
So, what is the answer? How many people are gay, lesbian or bisexual? It really depends on which question you're asking. How many people have sexual activity with a member of the same gender? Or how many people have a gay, lesbian or bisexual self-identity? It also depends on whether you are considering a lifelong estimate (how many people have ever considered themselves gay, lesbian or bisexual) or a point estimate (how many people currently consider themselves gay, lesbian or bisexual?). Finally, the answers that you get will always be skewed by the problems inherent in research. When it comes to sex research, people who are willing to participate in the research are not necessarily representative of people who are not willing to participate. And we must assume that when we are asking about personal experiences (which may be a source of shame or anxiety), people will occasionally lie. Given those caveats, one of the best estimates (Michael, Gagnon, Laumann, & Kolata, 1994) suggest that 10.1% of men and 8.6% of women could be considered homosexual when using desire, behavior or self-identity as a measure. When using only self-identification, that figure drops to 1.4% of women and 2.8% of men.
What causes homosexuality? A number of studies have suggested there are definitely biological differences in gay men, lesbians, and heterosexual people (Bailey, 1995). However, we must not forget that culture is always a mediating factor. In some societies, notions of what makes someone gay or lesbian are very different than in American societies. In the Sambian culture, for instance, ritualized homosexuality was historically practiced. It was a stage that boys went through in their development into men (Herdt, 1993). In other cultures, whether a man is considered "gay" or not is based on whether the man is an active (top, insertor) or passive (bottom, receiver) participant. Typically the active participant can still call himself heterosexual (Leyva, 1991). So, the best answer to this question is that sexual orientation seems to be a combination of factors.
Below are some common reasons that people may visit this web page. Click on each to learn more about that topic.
What do gays, lesbians and bisexuals do? What are they like? Why do they act like that?
Someone I care about just came out to me! What do I do now?
I'm interested in political issues around gay, lesbian and bisexual rights, or I'm looking for resources for gay, lesbian and bisexual people.
Are gays, lesbians and bisexuals "natural"? Are they sinners? Are they pedophiles? Are there any good answers to the moral debates surrounding gay, lesbian and bisexual issues? This article appears in the following topics:
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