Death in Venice: the homosexuality enigma

Abstract

A hypothesis is presented which regards homosexuality neither as an aberration of ‘normal’ human sexuality, i.e. heterosexuality, nor as a ‘defect’, genetically transmitted from parent(s) to offspring. Nor is homosexuality regarded as the regrettable result of accidental circumstances. Homosexuality, it is maintained, is simply inherent in the human reproductive strategy; an option which evolved during the millions of years of human evolution as a solution for problems inherent in a polygynic, yet social species living in relatively small groups: homosexuality diminishes intra-male competition on the ‘reproductive market’. This enables males to work closely together in all fields of society (hunting, war etc), rather than competing with each other for access to females. Homosexuality thus largely contributes to group stability. However, because our present-day situation differs vastly from the situation in which the human reproductive strategy evolved, the phenomenon hardly plays a role any more in the maintainance of the fitness and the stability of the population as a whole. Instead, due to ‘cultural’, often religious prejudices, homosexuals nowadays are treated as belonging to an ‘out-group’, and discriminated against accordingly.

• homosexuality
• heterosexuality
• human reproductive strategy
• cohesion of society
• polygyny
• genetic conflict
• parent-offspring conflict