Short Wave The Order Your Siblings Were Born In May Play A Role In Identity And Sexuality
Apr 10, 2024
Celebrate National Siblings Day with a deep dive into how the number of older brothers might shape a person’s sexuality. Discover the fraternal birth order effect that suggests having more older brothers increases the likelihood of being gay. Explore the maternal immune hypothesis and its intriguing connection to this phenomenon. The discussion also highlights the dark history of scientific research on queer identity and challenges us to reevaluate our understanding of sexuality and identity. Personal stories add depth to this complex topic!
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Early Research on Sexuality
- Early queer research was often pathologizing and harmful.
- This stemmed from societal views and the dangerous reality for queer individuals.
Origins of Sexual Orientation
- Researching the origins of sexual orientation has been largely unsuccessful.
- One exception is the fraternal birth order effect, linking older brothers to male same-sex attraction.
Fraternal Birth Order Effect
- The fraternal birth order effect suggests each older brother increases the likelihood of male same-sex attraction by roughly 33%.
- While not a sole determinant, this effect has been consistently observed globally.