This one almost speaks for itself. Users who self-identified as heterosexual were asked whether they had had a sexual experience with a member of the same sex (and if not, whether they would like to). Look at the gender disparity. Over half of heterosexual (heterosexual, not bisexual) women have either tried it or want to try it.
This graph made me laugh heartily to myself. Compared to straight women, gay women are more adventurous, artsy, kinky, and... well... they're just more in general. Except, ironically, sporty. Also of note: straight women really love Jesus, but gay women really love drugs.
“... the gender disparity.”
ReplyDeleteThere is a simple evolutionary explanation for that phenomenon. Female homosexuality did not reduce fitness by the same measure as did male homosexuality in the past. In the past, homosexual women, I hate to say that, but it's a matter of fact, have been raped, so became pregnant anyway, and passed on their genes (alleles actually), while a homosexual man did rarely mate at all, and even if forced into marriage his children probably had been fathered by the neighbor. Times were different in the past :-)
See also here.
There is a simple evolutionary explanation for that phenomenon.
ReplyDeletemebee. but remember that sex differences take 10 X as long to evolve as normal differences, since they have to work via modifiers and regulation. aside from XX/XY, men and women are genetically the same. so if this is an innate difference, it is evolutionarily old. i don't know enough about ape-sex to comment, but that might be informative.
also, male-male sex is common when men have no other option. prisons, young men in the arab world, etc. in the west this isn't an issue because there is some level of sexual access to women, which is the #1 option for most males (being straight).
a further speculation. sex with women is "safe" for a woman, while sex with a man entails a risk of pregnancy (in the "environment of evolutionary adaptiveness"). so part of it might be that women are much more cautious about sex with a man than men are about sex with a woman (since a man doesn't have the "risk" of pregnancy and his cost is more straightforwardly facultative).
also, there's the generalization that men view sex more physically, while women view it emotionally. so the physical difference might be more salient for men, while the emotional aspect might be more attractive in relation to women.
I would prefer to think that it is due to cultural rather than selective pressure in procreation.
ReplyDeleteDeciding to take drugs shows that you are not bothered about transgressing societal norms. Believing in religion, I would suggest, shows the opposite, upholding societal norms despite evidence to the contrary.
Further evidence for cultural determination is to be found at the OKCupid article. The "Who's Gay Curious in the US & Canada" shows a distinct border change, with all of Canada being more gay curious. The Western States of the US (and some cities) are also more curious than the Eastern and Southern. Perhaps there are genetic distinctions here that I am not aware of? Are cities full of thousand-generation inbred populations?
As Graham Norton said when asked the difference between a straight man and a gay man:
"About three pints."
Pat, the less-gay-curious states overlap very well with the Bible Belt. Also I'd be hesitant to draw hard conclusions on the differences between Americans and Canadians from this graph, since the US map appears to be quantified at the county level, whereas in Canada it is by province. Would be interesting to see the Canadian data broken down into smaller sections to see where the clusters are.
ReplyDeleteFWIW I *am* more likely to see cultural influences at play in the gender disparity between same-sex experiences in heterosexuals than genetic ones as well. It is more acceptable, I'd argue even encouraged, for girls to experiment, and the opposite is not true for guys.
Razib, I have never known a straight woman who said she'd had sex with girls because it was safer than dudes and she just wanted to get off. Not saying it doesn't happen, I just don't see that as likely behavior in women who identify as heterosexual (bisexuals, though, absolutely).
As Graham Norton said when asked the difference between a straight man and a gay man:
ReplyDeletefunny, but false.
Razib said...
ReplyDelete"...women are much more cautious about sex with a man than men are about sex with a woman (since a man doesn't have the "risk" of pregnancy and his cost is more straightforwardly facultative)."
If this is a valid consideration (I'm skeptical), it certainly wouldn't happen consciously. More likely: men view sex more physically, while women view it emotionally
Of the women I know who are straight and show no interest in other women, they all share a characteristic love of men that I don't see expressed by lesbians. Of course, my best lesbian friends are very into sports (and are absolutely thrilled by this year's Superbowl) so they may not be representative.
A few anecdotes:
ReplyDeleteI have met a scarily high number of lesbians who think that they are not susceptible to STDs since they don't have sex with men.
Dave hits on an idea that I developed early in college. Some women are lesbians because they enjoy having sex and relationships with other women. Some women are lesbians because they do not enjoy having sex and relationships with men. Rarely is one women 100% of one or the other, but one generally dominates their thought pattern.
@ Razib
ReplyDeletethat sex differences take 10 X as long to evolve as normal differences
I wonder whether this rule applies to traits immediately affecting fertility. For instance.
Given a de novo Y-chromosome mutation that causes male homosexuality. It will affect only the man who harbors this mutation. It will not be passed on. End of the story. Even if its penetrance is 50%, the frequency of this mutation is reduced by 50% in each subsequent generation.
Admittedly, the process is more complex and lengthy if we consider an autosomal recessive or x-linked mutation with even lower penetrance. Still, the pressure of natural selection is firm as genetic variations that cause male homosexuality immediately effect male fertility.
The personality profile really makes no sense. Ambitious and aggressive and competitive are the same thing.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I think everyone is making it way more complicated than it is. Women are nicer to look at, smell better, have soft skin, and are more nurturing. Why wouldn't a woman want that as much as a man?