Editorial: Pride in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

1910s, with early publications largely by pathologizing interpretations of non-36 behavior. This negative bias toward homosexuality persisted for several decades. It 37 only in 1970s that the field began a gradual shift away from searching for neural "correlates" of 38 sexuality-and, to a lesser extent, gender identity-toward research questions more directly relevant 39 to the clinical needs and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people. These developments ultimately 40 paved the way for more recent investigations examining how the social challenges faced by 41LGBTQIA+ individuals may adversely affect a broad range of health-related outcomes. 42 A novel perspective on the experimental study of gender identity and gender roles emerges from the 43 use of metaverse-based approaches (Kang & Rhee). In their study, the authors examined how adopting male avatars affected female participants' experiences and self-perceptions. Interacting 45 through a male avatar not only enhanced participants' momentary identification with male gender 46 roles but also deepened their understanding of gender dynamics and increased empathy toward 47 gendered experiences.