Neurological Preference: LeVay’s Study of Sexual Orientation

The discovery that a nucleus [an aggregation of nerve cells in the brain] differs in size between heterosexual and homosexual men illustrates that sexual orientation in humans is amenable to study at the biological level, and this discovery opens the door to studies of neurotransmitters or receptors that might be involved in regulating this aspect of personality. Further interpretation of the results of this study must be considered speculative. (LeVay, 1991, 1036)

Simon LeVay’s caveat that interpretation of his data should be delimited has been widely disregarded. In the wake of his 1991 report in Science there has been little in the way of new data on the neurotransmitters and receptors that may be involved in regulating sexuality, and to date there has been no published replication of LeVay’s key findings. There has, however, been much in the way of further interpretation of his report by academic, scientific, political, legal and media commentators. ¹