The ethics of research into the cause(s) of homosexuality.

Abstract

This paper gives a brief overview on the current state of the art of biomedical research on homosexuality. It concludes that so far the cause(s) of homosexuality is (are) unknown and that biomedical research has failed to provide evidence for a possible causation of homosexuality. We do think, however, that homosexuality is not merely a social construction and the quest for its cause is intelligible. It is less clear, however, whether research into the cause(s) of homosexuality should be done at all. We explore the different arguments brought forward in favor of doing this research and reject all of them. Furthermore, we argue that research into the causes of homosexuality is at the present time unethical and should not be undertaken. Research into the causes of homosexuality assumes more often than not that homosexuality is one or another form of mental illness or undesirable deviance from the heterosexual norm, and should be cured. These views will be criticized as heterosexist.