Bem, D. J. (1996). Exotic becomes erotic: A developmental theory of sexual orientation. Psychological Review, 103(2), 320-335. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.103.2.320 http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/rev/103/2/320.html
"A developmental theory of erotic/romantic attraction is presented that provides the same basic account for opposite-sex and same-sex desire in both men and women. It proposes that biological variables, such as genes, prenatal hormones, and brain neuroanatomy, do not code for sexual orientation per se but for childhood temperaments that influence a child's preferences for sex-typical or sex-atypical activities and peers. These preferences lead children to feel different from opposite- or same-sex peers—to perceive them as dissimilar, unfamiliar, and exotic. This, in turn, produces heightened nonspecific autonomic arousal that subsequently gets eroticized to that same class of dissimilar peers: Exotic becomes erotic. Specific mechanisms for effecting this transformation are proposed. The theory claims to accommodate both the empirical evidence of the biological essentialists and the cultural relativism of the social constructionists."
"Genetic influences on human sexuality. There has been considerable theoretical and research interest in the genetics of one of our two key topics (sexual orientation) but not the other (attraction). Bailey and Pillard (1991) studied 56 gay men who had an identical twin brother. They found that 52% of the co-twins were also gay, i.e., there was a 52% concordance rate. There was a 22% concordance rate for gay men with nonidentical twin brothers and an 11% concordance rate for gay men and their adoptive brothers. Bailey, Pillard, Neale, and Agyei (1993) found a 48% concordance rate among lesbians with identical twin sisters, compared with a 16% concordance rate for nonidentical twin pairs and 6% for adoptive sister pairs. (See Whitam, Diamond, & Martin, 1993, for similar results.) These studies seem to provide evidence of a genetic influence on sexual orientation in both men and women. They do not, however, provide evidence of complete genetic determination, which would require a concordance rate of 100% for identical twins." .... "Hormones. For decades researchers have speculated that some kind of hormone imbalance was responsible for homosexuality. Perhaps, the reasoning went, gay men are low on testosterone and lesbians are low on estrogen or perhaps high on testosterone. Recent studies fail to show any differences in testosterone levels DeLamater and Hyde 13 between male homosexuals and male heterosexuals (Banks & Gartrell, 1995; Gooren, Fliers, & Courtney, 1990). Fewer studies of hormonal differences between lesbians and heterosexual women have been conducted. These studies showed no differences between the two groups in testosterone levels (Banks & Gartrell, 1995; Dancey, 1990; Downey, Ehrhardt, Schiffman, Dyrenfurth, & Becker, 1987). There has also been speculation that there might be differences between heterosexuals and homosexuals in other hormones such as the gonadotropins FSH and LH. Five of seven studies on LH levels in gay men compared with straight men showed no differences, and two showed higher LH levels in gay men (Banks & Gartrell, 1995), so there is not strong support for differences in LH levels."
no subject
Bem, D. J. (1996). Exotic becomes erotic: A developmental theory of sexual orientation. Psychological Review, 103(2), 320-335. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.103.2.320
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/rev/103/2/320.html
"A developmental theory of erotic/romantic attraction is presented that provides the same basic account for opposite-sex and same-sex desire in both men and women. It proposes that biological variables, such as genes, prenatal hormones, and brain neuroanatomy, do not code for sexual orientation per se but for childhood temperaments that influence a child's preferences for sex-typical or sex-atypical activities and peers. These preferences lead children to feel different from opposite- or same-sex peers—to perceive them as dissimilar, unfamiliar, and exotic. This, in turn, produces heightened nonspecific autonomic arousal that subsequently gets eroticized to that same class of dissimilar peers: Exotic becomes erotic. Specific mechanisms for effecting this transformation are proposed. The theory claims to accommodate both the empirical evidence of the biological essentialists and the cultural relativism of the social constructionists."
Essentialism vs. social constructionism in the study of human sexuality
DOI:10.1080/00224499809551913
John D. DeLamatera & Janet Shibley Hydeb
pages 10-18
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499809551913
"Genetic influences on human sexuality.
There has been considerable theoretical and research interest in the genetics of one of our two key topics (sexual orientation) but not the other (attraction). Bailey and Pillard (1991) studied 56 gay men who had an identical twin brother. They found that 52% of the co-twins were also gay, i.e., there was a 52% concordance rate. There was a 22% concordance rate for gay men with nonidentical twin brothers and an 11% concordance rate for gay men and their adoptive brothers. Bailey, Pillard, Neale, and Agyei (1993) found a 48% concordance rate among lesbians with identical twin sisters, compared with a 16% concordance rate for nonidentical twin pairs and 6% for adoptive sister pairs. (See Whitam, Diamond, & Martin, 1993, for similar results.) These studies seem to provide evidence of a genetic influence on sexual orientation in both men and women. They do not, however, provide evidence of complete genetic determination, which would require a concordance rate of 100% for identical twins."
....
"Hormones. For decades researchers have speculated that some kind of hormone imbalance was responsible for homosexuality. Perhaps, the reasoning went, gay men are low on testosterone and lesbians are low on estrogen or perhaps high on testosterone. Recent studies fail to show any differences in testosterone levels DeLamater and Hyde 13 between male homosexuals and male heterosexuals (Banks & Gartrell, 1995; Gooren, Fliers, & Courtney, 1990). Fewer studies of hormonal differences between lesbians and heterosexual women have been conducted. These studies showed no differences between the two groups in testosterone levels (Banks & Gartrell, 1995; Dancey, 1990; Downey, Ehrhardt, Schiffman, Dyrenfurth, & Becker, 1987). There has also been speculation that there might be differences between heterosexuals and homosexuals in other hormones such as the gonadotropins FSH and LH. Five of seven studies on LH levels in gay men compared with straight men showed no differences, and two showed higher LH levels in gay men (Banks & Gartrell, 1995), so there is not strong support for differences in LH levels."
Etc.