Majority of people disliking gays? Natural or influenced?

[ray245]

I was wondering if there is any biological reason that the majority of the people don't really like gays?

Reason is, I have been thinking that biologically, the majority do not like gays due to our biological mindset that humans needs to be attracted to the members of the opposite sex to reproduce so to speak.

[Ayrix]

I was wondering if there is any biological reason that the majority of the people don't really like gays?

Reason is, I have been thinking that biologically, the majority do not like gays due to our biological mindset that humans needs to be attracted to the members of the opposite sex to reproduce so to speak.

Is there any actual evidence that says the majority of (assumingly non-gay) people don't like gays? I haven't ever heard of anything like that.

[Plekhanov]

I was wondering if there is any biological reason that the majority of the people don't really like gays?

Reason is, I have been thinking that biologically, the majority do not like gays due to our biological mindset that humans needs to be attracted to the members of the opposite sex to reproduce so to speak.

Oh please, are you seriously this lacking in knowledge of societies other than your own?

In the UK for example a clear majority of people have no problem with gays and so dislike homophobia that even the Conservative Party had to drop their homophobic policies. Aside from the numerous contemporary societies where people have no problem with homosexuality there are also numerous examples of historical societies where homophobia was far from a dominant attitude, as such it seems pretty clear that homophobia is largely cultural.

[Singular Intellect]

Someone here presented an article whereas the straight male brain fired warning/danger signals when confronted with gay male porn, even in men who asserted that homosexuality didn't bother them.

Not sure where it is now though...

[Anarchist Bunny]

Most likely its both. I'm sure there is a lot of learned hatred for gays passed on to children that results in the extremes on homophobia(a couple of guys going out to beat the shit out of a gay guy just because he's gay).

However, I did hear about a Functional MRI test that was conducted where people were shown various images. In the men, depictions of male homosexual pornography threw up a subconscious threat response in their brain.

[Plekhanov]

Most likely its both. I'm sure there is a lot of learned hatred for gays passed on to children that results in the extremes on homophobia(a couple of guys going out to beat the shit out of a gay guy just because he's gay).

However, I did hear about a Functional MRI test that was conducted where people were shown various images. In the men, depictions of male homosexual pornography threw up a subconscious threat response in their brain.

And 'subconscious threat responses' can't be learned?

[Starglider]

And 'subconscious threat responses' can't be learned?

Sure, if you're proposing that men learnt to treat gays as a threat due to the roving gangs of homosexuals beating up straight people.

Of course you're not proposing that, so no not really. Maybe a few unfortunates who get drilled with the fundamentalist 'gays are trying to steal your children and destroy society' hard enough for it to become an article of faith, but not humans in general.

[Gil Hamilton]

Sure, if you're proposing that men learnt to treat gays as a threat due to the roving gangs of homosexuals beating up straight people.

Of course you're not proposing that, so no not really. Maybe a few unfortunates who get drilled with the fundamentalist 'gays are trying to steal your children and destroy society' hard enough for it to become an article of faith, but not humans in general.

It doesn't have to be so blatant to get a learned behavior to become subconscious. Children ROUTINELY pick up the behaviors of their parents, even when the parents don't openly do anything. They could be uncomfortable with something like male homosexual interaction, and the children pick up on their discomfort and it makes them uncomfortable too. Simple association then makes the children therefore uncomfortable with the male homosexual interaction, even though they were really learning discomfort from their parents.

[Singular Intellect]

Personally, I think it's very likely that it's normal for a male brain to instinctively register male homosexuality as a threat.

After all, being raped by a male or group of males is a very serious concern.

[Plekhanov]

Personally, I think it's very likely that it's normal for a male brain to instinctively register male homosexuality as a threat.

After all, being raped by a male or group of males is a very serious concern.

It is? Are their roaming gangs of gay rapists plaguing the streets round where you live or something?

[Broomstick]

Personally, I think it's very likely that it's normal for a male brain to instinctively register male homosexuality as a threat.

After all, being raped by a male or group of males is a very serious concern.

So... would it then follow that it's likely female brains to instinctively register male heterosexuality as a threat?

After all, being raped by a male or group of males is a very serious concern. And in the case of women, far more likely to occur.

[ArmorPierce]

Look at prisons.

[ArmorPierce]

Personally, I think it's very likely that it's normal for a male brain to instinctively register male homosexuality as a threat.

After all, being raped by a male or group of males is a very serious concern.

So... would it then follow that it's likely female brains to instinctively register male heterosexuality as a threat?

After all, being raped by a male or group of males is a very serious concern. And in the case of women, far more likely to occur.

I think that the women naturally sees men as a threat period. That's why there's plenty of women that refuses to walk at night alone and such.

[Gil Hamilton]

It is? Are their roaming gangs of gay rapists plaguing the streets round where you live or something?

Clearly, he's had a run in with the Gay Banditos.

[Plekhanov]

Personally, I think it's very likely that it's normal for a male brain to instinctively register male homosexuality as a threat.

After all, being raped by a male or group of males is a very serious concern.

So... would it then follow that it's likely female brains to instinctively register male heterosexuality as a threat?

After all, being raped by a male or group of males is a very serious concern. And in the case of women, far more likely to occur.

I think that the women naturally sees men as a threat period. That's why there's plenty of women that refuses to walk at night alone and such.

But that doesn't mean that they 'instinctively register male heterosexuality as a threat' though does it.

[AniThyng]

I was wondering if there is any biological reason that the majority of the people don't really like gays?

Reason is, I have been thinking that biologically, the majority do not like gays due to our biological mindset that humans needs to be attracted to the members of the opposite sex to reproduce so to speak.

The majority of people in our society either don't like gays because of religion or because they have this absurd irrational fear of being hit on by gay men or otherwise being ogled/prepositioned etcetc. Why this fear exists I am going to say is largely due to unconscious conditioning by society at large, parents, peer pressure, etc etc. - the latter is particularly interesting because nominal Buddhists, who generally do not have much religious education at all still are no less prone to being homophobic in my experience. - Also, lesbians, or rather, lesbian porn is not a problem. An actual lesbian relationship idea probably is also viewed with disgust or condemnation.

It certainly seems to be more of a guy thing, since appearently asia is home to a frighteningly large contingent of yaoi fangirls.

Still, I don't expect anything less then a condemnation of our 'hellholes' of a country (ies) by others in this thread

[Darth Wong]

Oh come on, I'm a big supporter of gay rights but that doesn't mean I have to pretend that the male threat response to homosexuality is a surprise, or THE EVIL CONSERVATIVES. Humans have a social conformist instinct; they view anything which is different as potentially threatening, because it's from outside the tribe. The more different it is, the more threatening it is. Homosexuals are very different, so there is a natural tendency towards hostility.

[Buddha]

It may have somthing to do with cultural programming. Even normal sexuality is to some degree governed tightly in many cultures. In some cultures there is a great deal of regulations involving what is acceptable. In old Vedic (re: Hindu) cultures there was a restriction on marriage within one's birth caste. Homosexuality is seen with fear due to the natural impulse behind sex is to produce offspring. The nature of what is being done when you have two guys is not for producing offspring. There exists this impulse in people even though it may only dwell in their subconcious. That is to say, not actual concious thought. One sees the subconcious when one is under the effects of certain drugs like alcohol and halucinagenic substances. Some people have the predesignation that makes them feel attracted to men. This is why most people are afraid of it, due to it being against the impulses their culture has laid down. In Tibet which is a very Buddhist country, there is a taboo against displays of affection. This is a extreme example, but it illustrates how sexuality and the expression of it are governed differently in other cultures.

[Alerik the Fortunate]

As to the article about men's brains registering warning signals at gay porn, I read that a while back, though I can't find the article, and I recall it saying that the warning signals fired as a response to the presence of other men, especially attractive or imposing men, rather than homosexual activity per se. This makes more sense since a prominent male is a threat to another male's social standing and a potential competitor for mates.

[Rye]

I was wondering if there is any biological reason that the majority of the people don't really like gays?

Reason is, I have been thinking that biologically, the majority do not like gays due to our biological mindset that humans needs to be attracted to the members of the opposite sex to reproduce so to speak.

That doesn't really make sense. A competitor member of the same sex should be seen as a threat more than a non-competitor.

It's a learned cultural expression of in-out group behaviour. If it were commonplace in our culture, there'd be much less of a homophobic response.

[Justforfun000]

I would wager that the threat response to the gay porn is a combination of many things. If they were alone at home and it popped up on a TV screen, I'll bet they could watch it without any threat reaction at all. I'd guess the average heterosexual would find it a little perversely interesting while sharing a slight to extreme distaste ranging all over the map depending on their individual personality.

I would say the threat response in the study would be more likely because they were being shown it by people they know are observing their actions. This would likely have them more bothered since they have to sit and observe while others are intensely studying them. Some might be thinking.."What should I do? If I look too intently will they interpret me as gay? Should I just close my eyes or react strongly, or would this make me look like I might be suppressing it...AGH!" See what I mean? I'll bet the situation would be more the point then the actual porn.

[Darth Wong]

I would wager that the threat response to the gay porn is a combination of many things. If they were alone at home and it popped up on a TV screen, I'll bet they could watch it without any threat reaction at all. I'd guess the average heterosexual would find it a little perversely interesting while sharing a slight to extreme distaste ranging all over the map depending on their individual personality.

I think my reaction would probably be disgust, of the same sort that I feel when you show me surgery movies. It doesn't mean I think it's wrong or that these are bad people, I just find the visual image to gross me out. Really, if one were to go strictly by my instinctive reactions to homosexuals, he'd probably assume that I was a homophobe. The big difference between me and homophobes is that I know better than to assign moral weight to my primitive gut reactions. I can look past those reactions; a lot of people can't.

I would say the threat response in the study would be more likely because they were being shown it by people they know are observing their actions. This would likely have them more bothered since they have to sit and observe while others are intensely studying them. Some might be thinking.."What should I do? If I look too intently will they interpret me as gay? Should I just close my eyes or react strongly, or would this make me look like I might be suppressing it...AGH!" See what I mean? I'll bet the situation would be more the point then the actual porn.

They're strangers and it's being conducted in a clinical fashion. I don't see any reason to concoct this mechanism when it's more likely they simply have a repulsed reaction to seeing something they think is "gross".

[Justforfun000]

Darth Wong Wrote:

They're strangers and it's being conducted in a clinical fashion. I don't see any reason to concoct this mechanism when it's more likely they simply have a repulsed reaction to seeing something they think is "gross".

But repulsed is a fairly different reaction then it being perceived as threatening wouldn't you think? It's that actual 'threat' response that made me think that was a more likely reason. See unlike homosexuality, there has never been a conditioned response instilled in people from parents, peers and religion to treat heterosexuality as something undesirable. When I look at straight porn, I don't find any kind of threat response coming up at all. It's relatively the same description I gave in the reverse. Perversely curious but mildly repulsed.

[Stark]

I agree with Mike; the historical dislike or hatred of gays is just a tribalist thing against 'different' people, just like 'dirty chinks' or 'ragheads' or whatever. It's not some super-magical species-survival instinct; it's just villainising those who are different, which isn't very special or even particularly ingrained in my experience (outside areas with powerful social conformised pressures, like rural areas, religious communities, etc). Since my childhood I've seen 'fuckin gays' go from totally normal and acceptable to a sign of ignorance.

[Superman]

I'm inclined to agree with D. Wong is alluding to. By the way, that study everyone has been referring to was out of Emory University.

These days, I think people are much quicker to assume that human behavior, especially the reactions people tend to have, have to more do with cultural mores and less to do with human biology. Frankly, I'm not sure it's even possible to separate one from the other; culture and biology both play important parts in making up who a person is. That being said, it's hard for me to believe that the prejudice directed toward members of gay society comes from our cultural values. When I see gay covers on porn movies, for example, I feel as if I have a visceral reaction; it actually makes my stomach hurt. Now, I'd like to think that I'm enlightened enough to never act upon this feeling, or treat anyone any differently, but I'd be lying if I said that it didn't make me feel sick. I feel as if there's more than just cultural conditioning at work here...