The gay rights revolution was not an independent victory but an incidental consequence of broader societal shifts, analogized to Estonia's independence after the USSR's collapse. Straight society first changed marriage through contraception and no-fault divorce, creating a freedom-based paradigm that gay people were later included in.

Despite harsh laws, homosexuality in 19th-century Russia was often viewed as a personal taste rather than a defining identity. For wealthy, connected individuals like Tchaikovsky, this perception meant the risk of prosecution or public scandal was minimal, allowing for a relatively open secret life.

The modern, individualistic quest for self-discovery is a recent invention. For most of history, "knowing thyself" meant understanding and conforming to one's prescribed social role within a tribe or community for collective survival and protection.

Historically, marriage was a pragmatic institution for resource sharing, political alliances, and acquiring in-laws. The now-dominant concept of marrying for love and personal attraction is a relatively recent cultural development, primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Contrary to the belief in inevitable progress, gay rights are an extremely recent phenomenon in human history. The gains of the last few decades are not guaranteed and can be rolled back, much like a business going bankrupt "slowly then quickly," as societal support erodes over time.

Data and observation suggest women's sexual orientation is more fluid throughout their lives. Women are more likely than men to identify as straight for a period and later form same-sex relationships, indicating a higher degree of plasticity in female sexual preference.

Diarmaid MacCulloch argues that foundational historians of sexuality, including Michel Foucault, John Boswell, and Alan Bray, produced unreliable work. He posits their perspectives were distorted by their Roman Catholic backgrounds, leading to flawed theories like the 19th-century "invention" of homosexuality.

Hormones shape brain circuits not just for attraction but also for aversion. This is seen in some male sheep ("gay rams") that consistently refuse to mount females, suggesting a powerful aversive component to their sexual preference, rather than just a lack of attraction.

While animal sexual behavior is often a series of fixed motor patterns, human sexuality is overwhelmingly characterized by *who* the partner is. This intense focus on partner gender, rather than the act itself, is a key distinction of our species.