Largest Study Into Gay Gene Erodes The Notion It Is A Choice

Started by stromboli, November 22, 2014, 04:47:17 PM

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stromboli

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/largest-ever-study-into-the-gay-gene-erodes-the-notion-that-sexual-orientation-is-a-choice-9875855.html



QuoteA new scientific study of 409 pairs of gay brothers could put to rest decades of debate over the existence of the so-called ‘gay gene’.

Research conducted by the NorthShore Research Institute in the US found clear links between male sexual orientation and two specific regions of the human genome, with lead scientist Alan Sanders declaring that the work “erodes the notion that sexual orientation is a choice”.

The study is three times larger than any previously done and highlights two genetic regions that have been tied to male homosexuality in separate research: Xq28, first identified in 1993, and 8q12, spotted in 2005.

However, Sanders does not claim to have identified a single gene which ‘causes’ male homosexuality in humans and stresses that with complex human traits like sexual orientation there are many influencing factors, both genetic and environmental.

For the study Sanders and his team collected blood and saliva from 409 pairs of gay brothers and analysed their genetic code for markers known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).

Although Xq28 and 8q12 were the two regions that were most frequently identified as home to genetic markers common among the 818 gay men, three other SNPs were also highlighted.

Speaking to the New Scientist, neuroscientist Simon LeVay commented: “This study knocks another nail into the coffin of the 'chosen lifestyle' theory of homosexuality.”

"Yes, we have a choice in life, to be ourselves or to conform to someone else's idea of normality, but being straight, bisexual or gay, or none of these, is a central part of who we are, thanks in part to the DNA we were born with,” said LeVay, who previously claimed to have found a region of the brain that was smaller in gay men.

However, the announcement is unlikely to be met with great acclaim in the LGBT community, with Samantha Allen at The Daily Beast pointing to the murky history of conclusive evidence for any genetic causation.

She writes: “If it’s hard to get excited about these studies, it’s because, at this point, biological explanations for homosexuality are like iPhonesâ€"a new one comes out every year.”

Commenting on the research to The Independent, Richard Lane of LGBT rights charity Stonewall echoed Allen's reaction, saying: "While some people may choose to focus on the continuing debate of whether people are born gay or not, we'll continue to focus on making sure everyone has the same rights and opportunities regardless of who they love."

Remember folks, when you set off that gay glitter bomb and take over, I'm on your side.  :biggrin:

Solitary

Ditto for me!
Quote

   

Can't stay at home,
Can't stay at school.
Old folks say,
'You poor little fool'.

Down the street,
I'm the girl next door.
I'm the fox you've been waiting for.

Hello Daddy,
Hello Mom,
I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb.
Hello world,
I'm your wild girl.
I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb.

Stone age love and strange sounds too,
Come on baby let me get to you.
Bad nights causin' teenage blues,
Get down ladies you've got nothing to lose!

Hello Daddy,
Hello Mom,
I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb.
Hello world,
I'm your wild girl.
I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb.

Hey street boy what's your style?
Your dead end dreams don't make you smile,
I'll give ya something to live for,
Have ya, grab ya
'Til you're sore.

Hello Daddy,
Hello Mom,
I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb.
Hello world,
I'm your wild girl.
I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb.
There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.

Solitary

This whole gender thing is as joke. I have known hermaphrodites, what gender are they? Do they have a choice? They are the only ones that could depending on who they are with.  :lol:
There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.

Deidre32

Choice or not...it shouldn't matter. I long for the day when people are not judged by what gender they sleep with...
The only lasting beauty, is the beauty of the heart. - Rumi

Solitary

Its is a very personal choice if it can be, Why is it anyone else's business? I have had sex with straights. bi-sexuals, lesbians, and androgynous woman, that I have even loved, and still do. My best memories from being alive and enjoying my life to the fullest. I prefer women after one bird in spring as a teenage does not a spring make. What's not to love? Very Long hair, short hair, very short hair, beautiful faces, firm but soft athletic bodies, sexually aggressive, and the same likes and dislikes, like super macho assholes. TMI Fuck you! Solitary   
There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.

Aletheia

Wonder when they'll start conducting studies into what causes homosexuality in women and bisexuality in general?

The only thing finding the "gay gene" will do is make Christians wonder why God produced gays and then specifically told Christians to hate them. What good is free will if you were born with a sin that you cannot change? Slowly chipping away the notion of God being all loving and merciful. One day, Christians will realize they've been worshiping Yaweh -- a war god. War gods thrive on conflict, suffering, and totalitarian subjugation.

Quote from: Jakenessif you believe in the supernatural, you do not understand modern science. Period.

Moloth

Quote from: Aletheia on February 19, 2015, 08:15:24 PM
Wonder when they'll start conducting studies into what causes homosexuality in women and bisexuality in general?

In my experience, jello shots, mainly...
-=The Believer is Happy; the Skeptic is Wise=-

http://www.moloth.com

Hydra009

Quote from: Aletheia on February 19, 2015, 08:15:24 PM
Wonder when they'll start conducting studies into what causes homosexuality in women and bisexuality in general?

The only thing finding the "gay gene" will do is make Christians wonder why God produced gays and then specifically told Christians to hate them.
I worry that they'll try to "fix" gays or at least nip it in the bud in children.

Moloth

Quote from: Hydra009 on February 23, 2015, 03:23:42 PM
I worry that they'll try to "fix" gays or at least nip it in the bud in children.

we can't even fix major genetic defects yet... the ability to effect such specific things in a person's genetic makeup is wayyyy down the road.
-=The Believer is Happy; the Skeptic is Wise=-

http://www.moloth.com

the_antithesis


the_antithesis

Quote from: Deidre32 on January 27, 2015, 10:39:47 PM
Choice or not...it shouldn't matter. I long for the day when people are not judged by what gender they sleep with...

You mean the day when people stop worrying about who others are fucking and mind their own business?

I can't wait until TMZ goes out of business, either.

Solitary

It's not even a genetic thing, it is a hormone thing, all zygotes are female until the male hormone kicks in. Why don't they do a study on why people are heterosexual? It only makes a difference to ignorant bigots why. Does anyone study biology anymore? There are girls and woman born with male sex producing hormones, and men with too much female hormones, that determine preferences, with many other factors. This is a major problem with religion, they don't want to learn about anything that contradicts their religious dogma and bigotry supported by the Bible, because God doesn't make mistakes.   :wall: Solitary
There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.

aitm

Quote from: Moloth on February 23, 2015, 02:26:30 PM
In my experience, jello shots, mainly...

word. Get 100 women drunk at a party and 98 will flash their boobs, make that male and maybe 2 will drop their shorts. Showers not growers.
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust