# Do homosexual's have a different brain shape? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624 "2002-12-05T03:58:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TerryW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@TerryW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TerryW)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/1 "2002-12-05T03:58:36Z")
I read that homosexuals have differently shaped brains than heterosexuals… this sounds like a feeble attempt at reinforcing the claim that homosexuals are naturally homosexual, and therefore any critisicm to homosexual’s lifestyles should be considered unfair. He apparentally did the experiment on “gay sheep”… twenty bucks to whoever finds out if it’s true. (thirty bucks to whoever finds out if it’s not true… hahaha) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/2 "2002-12-05T04:20:30Z")
[Preferred partner characteristics in homosexual men in relation to speculated patterns of brain differentiation](http://www.nel.edu/23_4/NEL230402A01_Muscarella.htm) > [@](#): > > ABSTRACT > > OBJECTIVES: The current study was designed to test a neurohormonally based theory of sexual orientation and preferred partner characteristics in homosexual men. The theory holds that the brains of homosexual men are masculinized and feminized directing attraction to targets younger and more masculine than self, and the brains of homosexual adolescents are incompletely masculinized and feminized directing attraction to targets older and more masculine than self. ---
**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/3 "2002-12-05T13:44:49Z")
“Come here, Doctor Smedley. Does this brain look queer to you?” 😃 …and “gay sheep”? How could you tell? Maybe they’re just sexually-frustrated prisoner sheep, like on “Oz”? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/4 "2002-12-05T13:59:54Z")
[The recent Gay Sheep thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=142753). I can’t believe I just typed that. Only on this board … ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/5 "2002-12-05T14:19:40Z")
There have been studies done on the brains of gay men and women, and transgendered people, and the main variation has been found in the size and (somewhat less so) shape of the hypothalamus. Sorry, I have no cites on-hand, got 'em in a filing cabinet at home . . . ---
**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/6 "2002-12-05T19:18:02Z")
Didn’t they also find a corelation between the lengths of the ring finger in relationship to the index finger? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/7 "2002-12-05T19:59:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TerryW \* > \*\*I read that homosexuals have differently shaped brains than heterosexuals… this sounds like a feeble attempt at reinforcing the claim that homosexuals are naturally homosexual, and therefore any critisicm to homosexual’s lifestyles should be considered unfair. > > He apparentally did the experiment on “gay sheep”… > twenty bucks to whoever finds out if it’s true. > > (thirty bucks to whoever finds out if it’s not true… hahaha) \*\* So, when should Astro expect the cash? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/8 "2002-12-05T20:03:54Z")
:smack: That should eb “So, when should Steve Wright expect the cash?” ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/9 "2002-12-05T21:11:16Z")
For a discussion of the various “gay brain” studies from the pro and con perspectives, see Chandler Burr’s _A Separate Creation_. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/10 "2002-12-06T07:03:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SC\_Wolf \* > \*\*Didn’t they also find a corelation between the lengths of the ring finger in relationship to the index finger? \*\* That’s a party gag with no scientific basis, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/11 "2002-12-06T08:50:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KellyM \* > \*\*That’s a party gag with no scientific basis, sorry. \*\* I guess someone needs to tell the researchers in this [BBC story](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/695142.stm), then. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/12 "2002-12-06T12:52:31Z")
**SC\_Wolf** , the “study” has failed in replication since then. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/13 "2002-12-06T15:38:39Z")
Cite? ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/14 "2002-12-06T15:42:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TerryW \* > \*\*this sounds like a feeble attempt at reinforcing the claim that homosexuals are naturally homosexual, and therefore any critisicm to homosexual’s lifestyles should be considered unfair. Here’s the most troubling portion of your post. Regardless of the origins or physiology of homosexuality, criticisms of their ‘lifestyle’ ARE unfair. Live and let live my man. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/15 "2002-12-06T17:13:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KellyM \* > \*\ ***SC\_Wolf** , the “study” has failed in replication since then. \*\* Yeah I’m kind of interested in that cite too. This discussion should remain factually based. It should contain information and references, preferably peer-reviewed ones. I see three references from peer-reveiwed journals suggesting that physical structures are correlated with sexual orientation. If you have references that suggest the contrary, or information that the above studies have failed to be replicated then make with a reference. If you suggest that [_Nature_](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10761903&dopt=Abstract) accepts papers with “no scientific basis” then prepare to hear me laugh at you. And TerryW, if this is simply a thinly-veiled attempted to voice your “criticism to homosexual’s lifestyles” we have another forum for that. I’m sure people will be more than happy to rip you a new assh… er, carefully respond to your well-thought out rant. ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/16 "2002-12-06T17:17:24Z")
The theory you’re probably thinking of is Simon LeVay’s study of the hypothalamus. LeVay, a neurologist, dissected the brains of several women and several men, including a few men who had self-identified as gay. The hypothalamus is an area of the brain typically associated with many of our more primitive instincts, including sexuality. It’s about half the size in women than in men. LeVay found that it was about half the size in gay men, as well. LeVay’s sample size was small, and his study has never been replicated at all, so there’s still a lot of skepticism. Still, since the majority of gay men – including myself – feel we were “born this way,” it makes a lot of sense to us. LeVay’s written a couple of books on the subject. His _The Sexual Brain_ is very interesting, and very readable. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/17 "2002-12-06T17:18:31Z")
:: stands behind Alphagene:: YEAH! ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/18 "2002-12-06T18:15:37Z")
I’ll look into cites. I’m not saying that that study lacked scientific basis, just that attempts to replicate it have resulted in contradictory conclusions. ---
**Author:** ![SC\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SC\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SC_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-homosexuals-have-a-different-brain-shape/140624/19 "2002-12-06T19:10:24Z")
Please do. I’m curious now. Doesn’t matter either way to me if this finger length thing goes the way of Pons and Fleischman. I just came up with my link with a casual Google, and who knows, maybe two or three links down would have been a link to your study. Rules of the game say it’s your turn now, so I’m going to sit back and let you do some hunting for a change. 🙂