Hetracil: Anti-Effeminate Medication

Have you seen the new X-Men movie? If you haven't, you should.

I was immediately struck by the premise of the story: a pharmaceutical company developing a "cure" for mutants. As well as illustrating the social construction of illness (Who says we are a genetic mistake? Who says we need a cure?), it also raises disturbing questions about our current bio-medical paradigm.

Take for example the issue of homosexuality and genetics. It is not implausable to assume that if homosexuality was "ever found to be genetic... someone would come up with a “fix.”" (The Advocate) Should we be supporting studies looking for the genetic origins of homosexuality? Are genetic mapping projects like the HapMap Project, which could one day prove the biological basis of race, among other things, heralding a new era of eugenics?

And what about the pharmaceutical companies? How long will corporations, who's primary motivation is profit, stay on the sidelines of an expanding market which could encompass ten percent of the human population?

My provocative title and graphics are based on a website for Hetracil, which essentially advertises a cure for what it calls "Behaviorial Effeminism" and "Male Homosexuality Disorder".

Now, the question is, would YOU take the pill?