LGBTQIA+ DESERVES EMPATHY, NOT JUDGMENT

Born This Way - not their fault

- By KKS PERERA

Political activists protested in support of the LGBTQIA+ community

Following last week's discussion on India's LGBTQA+ tourism, I wanted to explore the deeper question many readers raised: what does science tell us about sexual orientation itself? Sexual orientation is not a choice.

It's a natural part of who someone is-like being left-handed or having a particular eye colour. Throughout history and across all cultures, a small but significant number of people have been attracted to others of the same sex. Modern science helps us understand why.

Our bodies produce two main types of hormones: testosterone (primarily in males) and estrogen (primarily in females). Everyone has both, just in different amounts. These hormones do more than shape our physical features-they also influence how our brains develop before we're even born.

Testosterone is produced mainly in the testicles. It drives male characteristics like deeper voice, facial hair, muscle growth, and sperm production. Women also have testosterone, but in smaller amounts. Estrogen is the primary female hormone, produced mainly in the ovaries. It controls female characteristics like breast development, menstruation, and pregnancy. It also affects bone health and mood. Men also have estrogen, but in smaller amounts.Both hormones are present in everyone-just in different levels-and both play important roles in physical development, reproduction, mood, and overall health.