Gay, Explained: History, Science, Culture, and Spirit - Softcover

Written for gay and straight people alike, Gay, Explained leads the reader on a journey that even the most educated may find surprising. Told in a warm and personal style, Gay, Explained weaves together the individual story of a man born Mormon and gay with the wide ranging stories from some of humanity’s most fascinating people. It is a history that stretches back to the drawings on cave walls and the stories of the Pharaohs, through the religion and philosophies of Greece and Rome, finds illumination in the art of the Renaissance, and runs up to the headlines of today. Most of these stories predate modern LGBT labels, so they are tales of shamans, priests, amazons, minstrels, two spirits, and global adventurers. From there the book covers science, where researchers find evidence for homosexuality and gender variation throughout the natural world along with genetic and biological origins in human bodies.

Despite all the recent political successes, questions remain. Why are some people gay? Is it just a sexual preference, or is there more going on? Why do some people vary around gender, and how is that related to sexuality? And if all of this is so natural, why does homophobia persist across cultures? The answers to these and other questions move the larger discussion beyond mere facts and into the realm of meaning — exploring the purpose of gay people in families, society, and the world. Gay, Explained is therefore an essential resource for parents, teens, friends, teachers, pastors, politicians, and just about everybody else.