Reinventing the male homosexual : the rhetoric and power of the gay gene

Reinventing the Male Homosexual: The Rhetoric and Power of the Gay Gene examines the assumption that embracing the biological research on homosexuality is a viable political strategy for the gay rights movement. The biological argument for gay rights is treated as a "bio-rhetoric," a means of incorporating scientific research into public debates. The book investigates the biological research on which this gay rights argument is based, and explores how male homosexuality is conceptualized in the fields of behavioral genetics, neuroendocrinology, sociobiology, and evolutionary psychology. Robert Alan Brookey demonstrates that most biological research begins with the assumption that male homosexuality is a state of physical effeminate pathology. Although biological research may seem to support a pro-gay rights agenda, the same research can actually be used to support conservative political interests.

Reinventing the Male Homosexual: The Rhetoric and Power of the Gay Gene examines the assumption that embracing the biological research on homosexuality is a viable political strategy for the gay rights movement. The biological argument for gay rights is treated as a "bio-rhetoric," a means of incorporating scientific research into public debates. The book investigates the biological research on which this gay rights argument is based, and explores how male homosexuality is conceptualized in the fields of behavioral genetics, neuroendocrinology, sociobiology, and evolutionary psychology. Robert Alan Brookey demonstrates that most biological research begins with the assumption that male homosexuality is a state of physical effeminate pathology. Although biological research may seem to support a pro-gay rights agenda, the same research can actually be used to support conservative political interests.

Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Reinventing the Male Homosexual......Page 12 ONE: Rights, Choice, and the Appeal of Biology......Page 14 TWO: The Sociopsychological Theories of Male Homosexuality......Page 37 THREE: Behavioral Genetics......Page 59 FOUR: Neuroendocrinology......Page 83 FIVE: Sociobiology/Evolutionary Psychology......Page 109 SIX: Beyond the Gay Gene......Page 131 References......Page 162 Index......Page 174 About the Author......Page 181 During the last few years, the debate over gay rights has taken a distinctive direction.