No scientific evidence to support gender ideology, scholars argue
August 22, 2016
There is no compelling scientific evidence to support the theory that some people may be programmed at birth to identify with the opposite sex, two leading scholars argue in a new journal article.
Writing for New Atlantis, Lawrence Mayer and Paul McHugh of Johns Hopkins University conclude that the claims put forward by "gender ideology" advocates are without a scientific basis. They find "no compelling biological explanations for human sexual orientation."
The authors report that same-sex attractions are not necessarily permanent. In fact, among males who report same-sex attractions during adolescence, 80% find that they no longer experience those attractions as adults.
Mayer and McHugh also find that homosexuals and other "non-heterosexuals" are markedly more likely to have suffered abuse in childhood, and dramatically more prone to "adverse health and mental-health outcomes" as adults.
For example, the attempted-suicide rate among people who identify as "transgender" is estimated at 41%-- eight times the rate for the overall population. Sex-change surgery does not improve those odds, the authors report. On the contrary: "One study found that, compared to controls, sex-reassigned individuals were about 5 times more likely to attempt suicide and about 19 times more likely to die by suicide."
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Posted by: loumiamo -
Aug. 23, 2016 3:59 PM ET USA
The reporting here us a mite off. "No compelling bioligical explanations for human sexual orientation?" Of course there is! A man for a woman and a woman for a man! Human Anatomy 101. And 98.5% of us score an A in the subject. Got to love God for His fine work in this area.
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Posted by: garedawg -
Aug. 23, 2016 11:34 AM ET USA
I hope these poor guys already have tenure!
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Posted by: Ave Maria -
Aug. 23, 2016 11:02 AM ET USA
@ mclom2107...I agree! Kids are so impressionable growing up too. Any real life sexual experiences bad or good leave indelible imprints on a person's psyche no doubt. This study is at least a step in the right direction to recognize that sexual orientation is not pre-programmed into our DNA. If society is going to encourage same-sex orientation as a good thing that is even to be celebrated then it is going to be a tough go of it in life. Interesting the correlation of abuse in youth found also.
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Posted by: mclom -
Aug. 23, 2016 3:59 AM ET USA
Very grateful to have this information. How can mainstream media be persuaded to put these statistics out for public discernment and debate? I feel desperately sad for young people who are being pushed into gay or transgender life styles by their teachers, and horrifyingly, sometimes their parents. When I was young, same sex crushes were a normal part of growing up for some children, especially those I think who were shy or had dysfunctional parents; one then matured and moved on.
