Simplistic Darwinian reasoning would require the reproductive cycle to match longevity, insofar as animals normally have no reason to survive if they are unable to reproduce. Virtually all middle – age women menopause….(and are ) totally unable to reproduce. ………If individual reproductive power were the ultimate goal of evolution, menopause would be the worst aberration of the human species.. 20% . 40% of human females cannot reproduce. This is astounding!

- Gilles Herrada, The Missing Myth
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In “The Missing Myth: A New Vision of Same-Sex Love”, Gilles Herrada takes on a herculean task, nothing less than to give an integral analysis of homosexuality, in all its aspects and from every perspective and field of study. He draws on subjects as diverse as genetics and history, neuroscience and religion, psychoanalysis and linguistics, religion and art, physiology and mythology – and many more. Along the way, he provides an extraordinary supply of surprising assertions, provocative questions – and startling insights. Reading it, I’ve been struck by how frequently I’ve had to put the book down, to think deeply about something I’ve just encountered. One of these, a subject which gay men seldom have reason to think about, is the phenomenon in humans (but not to any meaningful degree in other animals) of the female menopause. But proper consideration of Herrada’s question and his explanation, along with further reflection on its wider significance, presents a powerful counter to one of the key Vatican arguments against same – sex relationships, the biological imperative to reproduce.

Indeed, the phrase “Darwinian conundrum” used by Herrada, is more usually applied to homosexuals: same – sex couples are biologically incapable of procreation, but in form or another, “homosexuals” are observed in every human society, in every period of history. How can this be? By finding a simple explanation for the menopause, which he describes as a far greater Darwinian conundrum, we are able to see the evolutionary value of homosexuality.

The point is that in humans, biological reproduction involved far more than merely giving birth – it also required child rearing, education and processes of socialization. Insects and reptiles may produce abundant young, and immediately leave them to their own devices. Higher animals need to do more. Fewer babies are made, but parental care raises a higher proportion to maturity.

In humans, this period of childcare continues for much longer than in other species – and is done by more than just the biological parents alone. When a human female loses the ability to create babies herself, she remains involved in the process of reproduction, by helping with the care of her grandchildren.

One may wonder how removing middle – aged women from the fertile pool helps to increase the reproduction rate. The most accepted theory for the existence of menopause contends that forcing older women out of motherhood and turning them into grandmothers enhances the care and protection given to infants and youths. Motherhood associated with grand-motherhood would be more effective than motherhood alone. …the logic of human evolution comes to light when including both individual and group selection, instead of flattening the whole phenomenon to the individual level.

Homosexuality and the Church

This simple but illuminating insight is easily extended to the question of homosexuality and the Church. The fallacy in the Vatican insistence that every sexual act must be open to procreation, which is one of the core arguments justifying the absolute prohibition on same – sex genital activities, is this simplistic reduction of biological reproduction to individual procreation, completely ignoring the importance of the larger family and social group to continued child care and raising after the birth.

This wider social role extends way beyond even the grandmothers. In many traditional societies, this responsibility is shared by all the women of the community. Even the words “mother” and “grandmother” can be applied to more than the simple biological parent and grandparent, but to all the women of appropriate age. In South Africa, many employers have learned that when an employee asks for the third or fourth time for time off to attend a grandmother’s funeral, he is not necessarily chancing his arm.

In modern Western societies, responsibility for this wider process of child rearing, education and socialization extends even further. In addition to family members, teachers, professional carers, nurses and police all contribute to the rearing an protection of children, and preservation of society. It is easily observed that gay men are frequently drawn to work in the caring professions (if not policing). Even with participating in personal procreation, they continue to contribute through these social roles, to the bigger picture on biological reproduction.

The Catholic priest Louis Cameli, while attempting in his book “Catholic Teaching and Homosexuality”, makes much the same point while attempting to promote the approved Vatican teaching. Much of his argument rests on the traditional one, that to be morally acceptable, sexuality must be “life – giving”. Unlike many other apologists defending Vatican teaching, he does attempt to take account a much neglected element that is too often overlooked: a clear statement that human sexuality is important to our human make-up, and must be fully integrated into our psyche. Trying to illustrate how this integration is possible, while still life – giving but simultaneously abstaining from any genital sexual acts, Cameli turns to a discussion of the priesthood, for whom (at least in the Western Church), total sexual abstinence is compulsory. In his view, sexuality can be integrated into the psyche even while embracing celibacy, by sublimating it. Even though not directly contributing to procreation, this sublimated, celibate sexuality can still be life - giving, he says, in exactly the same way that Herrada does, in his discussion of the female menopause. There are other ways on which humans give life, to each other and to the community, beyond the literal one of procreation.

I accept fully this reasoning as a possibility for priests, who have voluntarily accepted the celibacy ideal as part of the package. (That this is not always fully informed consent, especially for those who have entered seminaries at a youthful age, is another matter, for another day). In the same way, it may well be viable for some others who voluntarily choose to forgo sexual love, and willingly embrace celibacy.

But for gay men and lesbians who have not chosen celibacy, but have had it thrust on them by Vatican sexual ideology, there’s a problem, usefully expressed for us by no less an authority than Pope John Paul II, who wrote in his celebrated “Theology of the Body”, than celibacy, or sexual continence, cannot be imposed on anyone from the outside, but can only be voluntary.

For those who do not voluntarily embrace celibacy, Cameli’s argument in defence of tradition Vatican doctrine can be turned against him. Our sexuality must be integrated into our human personality, and to be morally good, it must be life – giving. But just as with priests, “life – giving” need not mean literally making a new life. Just like priests, we can be life – giving by supporting, sustaining and protecting the life of the community - and of our partners.

Recommended, related books:

Herrada, Gilles: The Missing Myth: A New Vision of Same-Sex Love

Bagemihl, Bruce: Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity

Greenberg, David : The Construction of Homosexuality

Murray, Stephen O: Homosexualities

Roughgarden, Joan: Evolution’s Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People

Related articles

• Two Popes and a Cardinal, on the Problems With Celibacy. (queeringthechurch.com)
• The Distorted Christian Tradition on Marriage (queeringthechurch.com)
• Queer Wildlife: “Out in Nature” Video (queeringthechurch.com)
• Celibacy and Gay Catholics, Ex- gay Ministry - and a Genuine, Viable “Third Way” (queeringthechurch.com)
• The Gay Catholic Quest for Dignity, Integrity. (queeringthechurch.com)