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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's "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.… (more)
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Biologist Joan Roughgarden (who used to be Jonathan Roughgarden and who therefore has some personal insight into the situation), probably annoyed at being preached at for being “unnatural”, has compiled a detailed and meticulously documented list of
Similarly, Roughgarden describes in fine detail exactly what goes on during the gender development of humans, from egg and sperm on up, and various places where this can go “wrong”, aka "different".
Finally, although it’s outside her field, Roughgarden has an anthropology section discussing various human groups with different attitudes toward gender roles, such as the “two spirit” Plains Indians. This is a little weak compared to the other sections, although I don’t think that’s Roughgarden’s fault; the problem is that the anthropological literature is weaker and also prey to political interpretations. Nonetheless it’s interesting and a starting point for more research.
If that was all there was to the book, it would be outstanding. Unfortunately, Roughgarden gets carried away with what are clearly hot-button issues with her. The first is sexual selection theory (the subtitle is “Why Darwin Was Wrong About Sexual Selection”). In case you’re not familiar with the concept, “sexual selection” was Darwin’s explanation why certain animals (usually only the males) have apparently non-adaptive characteristics (such as the tail plumage in a peacock). Sexual selection theory suggests that peahens that select males that make the proudest display will be favored, because any peacock that can carry that much extra baggage around and still escape from predators must be a good specimen. Roughgarden doesn’t like this (in fairness, she’s not anti-Darwinian, just anti-sexual selection). She never really fully explains why, at least not enough for me to understand. However, it’s a little puzzling that someone who did such a thorough literature search for her gender diversity examples doesn’t mention some of the experiments supporting sexual selection.
Finally, in her appendix, Roughgarden just leans back and lets political correctness take control. The appendix is entitled “policy recommendations” and includes the following, presented without any comment – it would be superfluous:
*Premed curricula have required course on biological diversity.
*Medical curricula have required courses on human sexuality
*The FDA should maintain an official list of “diseases”
*The FDA should regulate surgical and behavioral therapies
*Biotechnologists should take an oath to “protect the human gene pool” and to “use biotechnology for peace”.
*Biotechnologists should be licensed
*Biotechnology companies should be required to commit to “protecting the human gene pool” and “pursue peace”.
*There should be “epidemiological impact reports” for new therapies similar to environmental impact reports.
*There should be a common code for ecological and environmental impact reports.
*And, lastly, there should be a “Statue of Diversity” in San Francisco similar to the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Well, I said I had mixed feelings about it. I haven’t read a book in a long time where the desire to jump out and shout “This is great!” alternated so frequently with the desire to hurl the thing against the wall.