Werner30.30

Implications of Evolutionary Theory for Human Homosexuality

Cultural Variation

In think evolutionary can also help us understand why cultures vary in the ways they organize homosexuality. But first we should recognize that there are many aspects to cross-cultural variation in homosexuality - how cultures define sexual identities, how much activity is permitted, associations of homosexuality with valued or undesired characteristics, etc. So there are many different things that need to be explained with regard to cross-cultural variation. An explanation that works for one aspect of homosexuality (e.g. attitudes about homosexual activities, per se) may not work for other aspects (e.g. identity formation, or the psychological characteristics of individuals).