Does peace prevent homosexuality?
This study attempted to replicate a series of investigations by Gunter Dörner and his associates that concluded that more homosexual men are born in wartime than in times of peace. That conclusion is based on Dörner's belief that war induces stress in pregnant women and that stress causes a drop in fetal androgen levels which in turn leads to the development of a homosexual "orientation". The replication not only failed to support the Dörner conclusion but also found that even those cities that suffered the most severe bombing during World War II showed no evidence of increased numbers of homosexuals. The authors conclude that homosexual men can go on loving peace and getting involved in the peace movement.
Schmidt
G
G
Department of Sexual Research, University of Hamburg, Germany.
Clement
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000502:physiology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology; D014857:Warfare
D000728:Androgens