Interestingly, cis gay men are popularly believed to be more empathetic than cis straight men. And, indeed, gay men do seem to concentrate in professions (like nursing, teaching, caregiving, acting) where empathy can be a contributing factor to career success.

But does that say something about biology/neurology? Some say yes, but equally possible is that we gay men grow up trying to discard the gender straightjackets society works to force on us.

We know being gay isn't purely genetic, though complex combinations of genes likely play at least some role in determining sexual orientation.

Is the same complex combination somehow responsible for increased empathy? I don't know, but I doubt it.

I'm with you on the social causes of increased or decreased levels of empathy. Would love to see researchers continue to focus on the question, though.