{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.0379746835443038, 'fraction_numerical': 0.04219409282700422, 'mean_word_length': 5.006329113924051, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 1, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Scientific Understanding of Sexual Orientation: Implications for Science Education

IN a recent issue of ABT, Chanley Small (1998) provides an updated view of the genetic determinants of sex, challenging us (and our students) to carefully consider the language we choose for defining sex or gender. In this paper we encourage readers to carefully consider the scientific basis of sexual orientation and to develop ways to present these ideas to students in life science courses. Recent books (cf. Burr 1996; Hamer & Copeland 1998; LeVay 1993; Pinker 1997) and articles (cf. Hamer et al. 1993; LeVay 1991; LeVay & Hamer 1994; and Pattatucci & Hamer 1995) make it clear that sexual orientation, like other traits, has a genetic basis. In fact, Alfred Kinsey’s much earlier work (Kinsey et al. 1948) was largely responsible for helping us begin to understand that the origins of sexual orientation, including homosexuality, are genetically influenced.