User:C.ler2022/Biology and sexual orientation

The relationship between biology and sexual orientation is a subject of research. While scientists do not know the exact cause of sexual orientation, they theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences. Studies have proven that sexual orientation in humans may be due to interactions between sex hormones and the brain. 

Multiple genes have been found to play a role in sexual orientation. Scientists caution that many people misconstrue the meanings of genetic and environmental. Environmental influence does not automatically imply that the social environment influences or contributes to the development of sexual orientation. Hypotheses for the impact of the post-natal social environment on sexual orientation are weak, especially for males. There is, however, a vast non-social environment that is non-genetic yet still biological, such as prenatal development, that likely helps shape sexual orientation. There are two main causes of sexual orientation, proximate and ultimate causes. The proximate cause entails that there are instant neurophysiological reasons that are caused by a genotype interacting with the environment. The ultimate cause is evolutionary, and this is what happens when natural selection favors a certain observable characteristics. 

Childhood gender nonconformity is a strong predictor of adult sexual orientation that has been consistently replicated in research and is thought to be strong evidence of a biological difference between heterosexual and non-heterosexuals. A review authored by J. Michael Bailey states: "childhood gender nonconformity comprises the following phenomena among boys: cross-dressing, desiring to have long hair, playing with dolls, disliking competitive sports and rough play, preferring girls as playmates, exhibiting elevated separation anxiety, and desiring to be—or believing that one is—a girl. In girls, gender nonconformity comprises dressing like and playing with boys, showing interest in competitive sports and rough play, lacking interest in conventionally female toys such as dolls and makeup, and desiring to be a boy". This gender nonconformist behavior typically emerges at preschool age, although is often evident as early as age 2. Children are only considered gender nonconforming if they persistently engage in a variety of these behaviors, as opposed to engaging in a behavior on a few times or on occasion. It is also not a one-dimensional trait, but rather has varying degrees. Gender and sex are not the same thing therefore they are easy to separate from one another. 

Childhood gender nonconformity is a strong predictor of adult sexual orientation that has been consistently replicated in research, and is thought to be strong evidence of a biological difference between heterosexual and non-heterosexuals. It is among the leading things that end up predicting adult homosexuality for men. Children that were traditionally gender-nonconforming, more often than not grew up to identify somewhere within the LGBTQ+ community. 

J. Michael Bailey argues that gay men often deny that they were gender nonconforming in childhood because they may have been bullied or maltreated by peers and parents for it, and because they often do not find femininity attractive in other gay males and thus would not want to acknowledge it in themselves. Additional research in Western cultures and non-Western cultures including Latin America, Asia, Polynesia, and the Middle East supports the validity of childhood gender nonconformity as a predictor of adult non-heterosexuality. Identifying as a man or woman is similar to sexual orientation in that it is caused by sex hormones and the brain interacting. The interference of this interaction is known as transsexuality. Studies show that more than half of all male-to-female transsexuals have a sexual preference towards men while 95% of female-to-male transsexuals love femininity.