Saturday, May 07, 2005

human sexuality explained

Okay, for all you people who don't know what's up with sex & orientation, I'm here to explain it to you, in the form of easy bullet points. These are proven scientific facts, or possibly just my opinions, but don't worry about that part -- just relax and enjoy the benefits of my great wisdom, revealed here for you.

* Human sexual desire is an extremely strong urge, and it can attach itself to any number of things, including but not limited to silly costumes, pointy-heeled boots, animals, children, dead people, and rubber chickens.

* Human sexual orientation can be thought of as a position on a spectrum: at one end of the spectrum are people who only and always feel attraction for men. At the other end of the spectrum are people who only and always feel attraction for women.

* People of either gender are found across the spectrum.

* Most males are down near the female-only end, and vice-versa. Which is good because it makes babies happen.

* Some people are in the middle -- they can bat either way, depending on who's pitching and whether there are runners in scoring position.

* Most straight people think they live at the absolute end of the spectrum, but they really don't. Given the right circumstances (or formative experiences), most people could probably learn to respond sexually to their own gender. Not that we're advocating that, just saying.

* A certain percentage of women who are with women are there not so much because of biology as because
a) men have treated them so crappy, or
b) as a philosophical/gender-political statement or position;
Other women are with women because they just prefer them.

* Some men are with men because they just don't get how to be with women, but that percentage is very small compared to the equivalent women-with-women segment.

* Some people know from the time they're very small which gender they're attracted to; it's not a deliberate choice they made.

* Some people develop an attraction for their own gender in their quest for new and varied experiences.

* Sexual experiences when we're very young can have a formative effect -- a young boy whose first experience is with a man (ie, who's abused) has a much higher likelihood of being a gay adult than a young boy who doesn't have that experience.

* People who are sexually abused tend to inappropriately sexaulize other relationships later in life -- they often have trouble with boundaries, and they view sexuality as a natural extension of affection, even in circumstances when society says it isn't.


Any other questions, just ask...

8 Comments:

At Sat May 07, 08:44:00 PM PDT, Blogger unca said...

"Most males are down near the female-only end"

Make up your own joke here.

 
At Mon May 09, 12:10:00 AM PDT, Blogger Erik said...

even though you explained everything here, i'm still glad i took human sexuality in college. and you wanna know why? the teacher taught the class NAKED. and she was a model. so...beat that.

p.s. the above might not be true, but probably is.

 
At Mon May 09, 11:35:00 AM PDT, Blogger Blogball said...

Thanks Dr. Bryan
Who needs the Kinsey Report? Not me now

 
At Tue May 10, 11:06:00 AM PDT, Blogger gemmak said...

Rofl @ unca...I didn't realise on first reading either! Doh.

Is this bit actually true:

* Sexual experiences when we're very young can have a formative effect -- a young boy whose first experience is with a man (ie, who's abused) has a much higher likelihood of being a gay adult than a young boy who doesn't have that experience.

 
At Tue May 10, 02:35:00 PM PDT, Blogger unca said...

My question is the same as gemmak. You stated some of this is science and some your own opinion. Can you clue us in with some references here?

I think you've done a great job of starting a good discussion on these issues. Here's a question: assuming everything you've said is true, what are the societal, legal, ethical, and moral implications?

 
At Wed May 11, 09:43:00 PM PDT, Blogger Lois Lane said...

You know, they say that the guy talking about sex, is the guy not getting any.
I'm just sayin' ;)
Lois Lane

 
At Thu May 12, 07:57:00 AM PDT, Blogger Rob said...

thx for your comments.

i don't have references for any of this, so i could be wrong. (and i guess i could be wrong even if i DID have references...)

but anyway, it is stuff i believe to be true -- at least until someone shows me i'm confused.

lois -
since we're talking a lot about gay sex here, i'm okay with not getting any.
(a guy i know said one time "you know, it might be great to be gay, except for all the icky parts...")

 
At Tue May 17, 08:57:00 AM PDT, Blogger Lois Lane said...

So are you catching up on all that gay sex you missed or are you slacking for no good reason? :P
Hurry back, slacker!
Lois Lane

 

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