Title: Queer Science
First published: 1996
Description: What makes people gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual? And who cares? These are the twin themes of Queer Science, a scientific and social analysis of research in the field of sexual orientation.

Written by one of the leading scientists involved in this research, it looks at how scientific discoveries about homosexuality influence society's attitude toward gays and lesbians, beginning with the theories of the German sexologist and gay-rights pioneer Magnus Hirschfeld and culminating with the latest discoveries in brain science, genetics, and endocrinology, and cognitive psychology.

Research into homosexuality exemplifies both the promise and the danger of science applied to human nature. LeVay argues that the question of causation should not be the crucial issue in the gay-rights debate, but that science does have an important contribution to make.

It can help to demonstrate that the traditional and still prevalent view of homosexuality - as a mere set of behaviors that anyone might show - is inadequate, and that gays and lesbians are in a real sense a distinct group of people within the larger society with a privileged insight into their own natures.
Subjects: Social aspects, Research, Homosexuality, Sexual orientation, Homosexuality, history, Hormones, Men, Health, Prejudices, Eugenics, Civil rights, Behavior genetics, Psychotherapy, Attitude (Psychology), Women, Practical Politics, History, Psychology, Brain, Social sciences, Human behavior, Humanities, Social psychology, Abortion, Human rights, Science, Central nervous system, Disease susceptibility, Obstetrics, Surgery, Social control, Biology, Vital statistics, Medical care, Physical sciences, Nervous system, Demography, Life sciences, Operative Surgery, Anatomy, Sociology, Diseases, Public health, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Prevalence, Eugenic Abortion, Sexuality, Prejudice, Behavioral Research, History, 20th Century, Behavioral Genetics, Stereotyping, Attitude, Politics, Behavioral Sciences, Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists, Behavior, Reproductive Physiological Phenomena, Induced Abortion, Morbidity, Behavioral Disciplines and Activities, Social Behavior, Genotype, Persons, Genetics, Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms, Population Characteristics, History, Modern 1601-, Anthropology, Education, Sociology and Social Phenomena, Obstetric Surgical Procedures, Reproductive and Urinary Physiological Phenomena, Formal Social Control, Named Groups, Psychiatry and Psychology, Delivery of Health Care, Natural Science Disciplines, Physiological Effects of Drugs, Disease Attributes, Chemicals and Drugs, Genetic Phenomena, Pharmacologic Actions, Biological Science Disciplines, Health Care Economics and Organizations, Phenomena and Processes, Data Collection, Operative Surgical Procedures, Disciplines and Occupations, Pathologic Processes, Epidemiologic Methods, Epidemiologic Measurements, Chemical Actions and Uses, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Analytical, Information Science, Signs and Symptoms Pathological Conditions, Disease, Investigative Techniques, Environment and Public Health, Sexual Behavior, Homosexualité, Recherche, Aspect social, Orientation sexuelle, Avortement eugénique, Hommes, Santé, Préjugés, Eugénisme, Médecine, Histoire, Droits de l'homme, Génétique du comportement, Psychothérapie, Attitude (Psychologie), Femmes, Politique, Psychologie, Cerveau, Sciences du comportement, Sciences sociales, Comportement humain, Sciences humaines, Psychologie sociale, Avortement, Génotypes, Droits de l'homme (Droit international), Sciences, Système nerveux central, Prédisposition morbide, Chirurgie obstétricale, Contrôle social, Biologie, Statistiques de l'état civil, Prestation de soins, Sciences physiques, Système nerveux, Démographie, Sciences de la vie, Statistique, Méthodologie, Chirurgie opératoire, Anatomie, Sociologie, Maladies, Santé publique, Research (function), Hormone, Men (male humans), History (discipline), Brains, Sciences (philosophy), Biological sciences, Human Sexuality, SELF-HELP, Sexual Instruction
LC classification: HQ76.25 .L497 1996