In this innovative celebration of diversity and
affirmation of individuality in animals and humans, Joan
Roughgarden challenges accepted wisdom about gender
identity and sexual orientation. A distinguished
evolutionary biologist, Roughgarden takes on the medical
establishment, the Bible, social science - and even
Darwin himself. She leads the reader through a
fascinating discussion of diversity in gender and
sexuality among fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and
mammals, including primates. Evolution's Rainbow
explains how this diversity develops from the action of
genes and hormones and how people come to differ from
each other in all aspects of body and behavior.
Roughgarden reconstructs primary science in light of
feminist, gay, and transgender criticism and redefines
our understanding of sex, gender, and sexuality. Witty,
playful, and daring, this book will revolutionize our
understanding of sexuality. Roughgarden argues that
principal elements of Darwinian sexual selection theory
are false and suggests a new theory that emphasizes
social inclusion and control of access to resources and
mating opportunity. She disputes a range of scientific
and medical concepts, including Wilson's genetic
determinism of behavior, evolutionary psychology, the
existence of a gay gene, the role of parenting in
determining gender identity, and Dawkins' "selfish gene"
as the driver of natural selection. She dares social
science to respect the agency and rationality of diverse
people; shows that many cultures across the world and
throughout history accommodate people we label today as
lesbian, gay, and transgendered; and calls on the
Christian religion to acknowledge the Bible's many
passages endorsing diversity in gender and sexuality.
Evolution's Rainbow concludes with bold recommendations
for improving education in biology, psychology, and
medicine; for democratizing genetic engineering and
medical practice; and for building a public monument to
affirm diversity as one of our nation's defining
principles.
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