As ludicrous as this scenario sounds, we're getting rather close to being able to identify sexual preferences via brain scans. A recent study by European scientists provided a proof of concept of this technique. In short, the study showed that heterosexual men's brains reacted with signs of sexual arousal when shown subliminal images of naked women and women masturbating. The participants themselves didn't remember what they saw.
The researchers argue that this technique is a fraud-proof way of showing that someone is a pedophile, for example. If the brain lights up when seeing subliminal images of children, then you have somehow "proved" that a person has deviant sexual interests.
Ethics and Politics
Does the fact that it works make this technique ethical? Right now, in our generally sexually permissive culture, we may not see much of a problem with it. After all, if it's just to identify pedophiles, that's a good thing, right?
Yet, consider that sexual mores and norms change across time. What if one day we believe, again, that homosexuality is deviant? Or that masochists are harming themselves and are mentally ill? What if we, again, legislate against sexual acts that right now are considered acceptable? And what about countries that currently have anti-LGBTQ laws?
The problem with this research is one that applies to lots of science and technology breakthroughs.
Just Because We Can, Doesn't Mean We Should
In a world where anti-LGBTQ, anti-sexual freedom politics is taking over country after country, such a technique could be used to identify so-called "deviants." Authoritarian regimes might use this research and scan people to eliminate "undesirables" not only for their actions, but now for thoughts and reactions that are out of their conscious control.
