The Colorado Springs Police Department has given the public the names of the five people who died and the 17 people injured in the Club Q shooting on Saturday. The shooting happened on Transgender Day of Remembrance, so police are looking into it to see if it was motivated by hate.
Society, particularly Western culture, has become increasingly accepting of diverse sexual identities.
In many studies, biological factors are linked to people’s sexual orientations, including heterosexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality. Studies have shown that all human activities, whether sexual or not, involve the brain and the body, so they are, by definition, biological.
Research by Bogaert & Skorska in 2020 found that biological factors like neural correlates, prenatal hormones and their associated physical and behavioral correlates, genetics, and the fraternal birth order effect may help explain homosexuality. Sexual orientation is, therefore, unlikely to be a product of nurture.
As a mental health counselor, I am often tasked with helping people understand homosexuality. I usually provide clients and families with information and support to better understand how homosexuality is caused by biology. I also explain to them, based on many years of research, how homosexuality is caused by genetic factors, epigenetics, and gene modifications.
The Sexological Systems Diagram (Jones et al., 2011) is a therapeutic tool I use to evaluate and teach families about the various things that affect sexuality. This diagram can help clients think about the multiple factors affecting sexual identity. This understanding can help people stop pathologizing* sexuality and instead focus on empathy and understanding rather than blaming and guilt.
My ideas about whether homosexuality is caused by nature or nurture align with biological theories that say people are born with a particular sexual orientation, whether heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or something else.
As a member of the LBGTQIA* community and a violence prevention researcher, it is my responsibility to pay attention to research about sexuality and share this research with others.
Sexual minorities are more likely to be bullied and physically harmed because of their sexual orientation; this is why misinformation is dangerous.
Society must affirm the identities of members of the LGBTQIA+ community and intentionally create safe spaces for them rather than pathologize* them. By doing so, we do our part to create healthy environments for all people, which is the cornerstone to preventing the perpetration of hate and violence in our communities.
*LGBTQIA+ is an inclusive term that includes people of all genders and sexualities, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and allies
* Pathologize – regard or treat (someone or something) as psychologically abnormal or unhealthy.