Survival of the Fittest. Many of us have heard the phrase countless times, but what does it really mean? In evolutionary science, the term fitness is used to describe an organism’s ability to insure its genetic information is passed to the next generation. Oftentimes, this is defined by its ability to survive and reproduce. The phrase, “Survival of the Fittest” means that genetic traits that aid in survival and reproduction, will accumulate in the next generation (“What about fitness?,” 2021). When talking about homosexuality in a scientific sense, we are often faced with a common question: How does this fit into evolution?
The fact that homosexuality has existed for such a long time and in almost every species of animal suggests that there is some evolutionary advantage in it. Currently, our working theory is that there are a slew of traits that have developed to encourage prosocial behavior due to evolutionary pressure. The working theory is that homosexuality is one of many traits that are prosocial for a community. Having diverse groups allows for a more diverse set of positive social behaviors, leading to increased group fitness as a whole (Barron & Hare, 2020; Muscarella et al., 2005).
I chose to write on this topic because I believe it is important to understand that homosexuality has been selected for, just as heterosexuality. Just because an individual’s sexual preference is different than yours does not make them any less “fit!” Sexuality is a part of who you are and adds a beautiful diversity in society to hold us all together. In the words of our guest Leslie Jordan, “It is not your cross to bear.”
