Why Lesbianism Is Widely Accepted
In recent years, the popularity of lesbian erotica in the mainstream media has been growing. From the Madonna-Britney kiss to the lesbian liaisons on mainstream shows like Ally McBeal and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the popularity of The L Word, the media has relied on lesbian kisses to boost ratings.
Surveys reveal that the majority of men and women seem to enjoy watching two women engage in a passionate interlude. The reverse is not true, as male homosexual erotica is far less accepted in our society, which seems to be due to an interplay of biological, evolutionary and social factors.
Biological Underpinnings
Our biology offers some insight into why lesbian behavior is more widely accepted than homosexual behavior. Apparently, female sexuality is much more likely to be continuous (i.e. bisexual) while male sexuality is more likely to be dichotomous (i.e. either gay or straight).
Some studies have shown that there is an anatomical difference in certain brain structures (the hypothalamus and anterior commissure) in homosexual and heterosexual males. No corresponding dichotomy was found in the brain structures of lesbian and straight women.
Another study suggests that homosexual orientation in men may be a genetically inherited trait. However, all of these studies have been criticized for their methodological biases that reflect the typical homophobic prejudices of the general public.
Plethysmograph studies also point to a biological basis for differences in male and female sexuality. A plethysmograph is an instrument that measures physiological arousal. Heterosexual women hooked up to a plethysmograph showed symptoms of physiological arousal in response to lesbian erotica; even those women who denied having interest in sex with another woman showed physiological arousal in these tests.
Heterosexual men, on the other hand, were much less likely to experience physiological arousal while watching male homosexual acts. Thus, women appear to be more likely to be bi-curious. Such inherent bisexuality may be due to a different arousal curve for women and men.
Biologically, women require a longer period of time to reach arousal and thus need more foreplay than men do. Lesbian acts are often described as continuous foreplay or "all play," and thus may appeal to many women who crave longer foreplay and longer sexual interaction, and do not receive it from their mates.
Of course, it is difficult to separate the biological predisposition from the social conditioning described below.
Find out which evolutionary and sociological factors predisposed you to being turned on by two women getting it on.
evolutionary underpinnings
Humans evolved from animals that lived in packs featuring a dominant male and a group of females and offspring. The dominant male had sexual access to the females and usually fought any other male who sought access to supremacy. Thus, male-male relationships were characterized by hostility and competition for access to the females.
On the other hand, the females in the pack were only intermittently serviced by the dominant male and, at other times, could assuage their sexual desires only with each other. Moreover, the sight of two females engaging in sexual activity may have triggered the dominant male's arousal, as it was a sign that one or both of the females were entering their fertile periods. The offspring that resulted from these unions would therefore be more likely to carry genes that favored bisexuality in women and a positive male response to that bisexuality.
Thus, part of the reason why female bisexuality is not only favored over homosexuality, but has the ability to arouse male lust even in the present day, may lie in our genes.
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