Homosexuality - Genetics or Environment?

[Xin Rong]

I definetly believe its to do with socalisation, except i wouldn't say it was due to inadequate socialisation as some would argue i'd say it was just that their socialisation is different... i also believe or don't not believe if you know what i mean that it is possibe that we are born bi sexual, which is a theory i heard of a radio chat show host on key 103 on weeknights, and that it is just that we are socialised to move away from bi sexuality either into homosexuality/ hetrosexuality but i dont know if anyone else agrees with me or not

 

[eponinethen]

Well, I used to believe that everyone is bisexual. I tried to convince everyone that it was that way, but.. I kinda realized I wasn't bi.. But, I still think it's a possibility though.. that we can all be attracted to people from both the same and the opposite sex. If we just meet the right person, and so on. It sounds very logical to me, that we're all the same (to begin with), sorta. (Hey, I'm tired and my thoughts ain't coming out right here.)

 

[Amber Benson]

I definetly believe its to do with socalisation, except i wouldn't say it was due to inadequate socialisation as some would argue i'd say it was just that their socialisation is different... i also believe or don't not believe if you know what i mean that it is possibe that we are born bi sexual, which is a theory i heard of a radio chat show host on key 103 on weeknights, and that it is just that we are socialised to move away from bi sexuality either into homosexuality/ hetrosexuality but i dont know if anyone else agrees with me or not

I'm sort of clinging on to this social thing. But I'm gonna start it in a new direction.

In my opinion, you are born either homosexual, heterosexual or bi-sexual. Most people, don't realize it, because they are placed in "social-zones" where its just not accepted. And even when they do realize it, they may never embrace it.. More like look down upon it as some sort of disease that they caught.

They say that 10% of todays population is gay... But I think there would be a lot more if countries like the US weren't so Christian-rooted (No offense to any Americans on the boards). I think if it were more accepted world-wide, then more people would embrace their sexualities.

 

[eponinethen]

Yeah, there's a reason why there are more gays in my city than in some other Swedish cities. And it's not only the fact that gays move here, it's also the fact that they can't be as open about it everywhere as they can here.

I'm all for the growing up/social thing theory, but it doesn't really work since there are a lot of people who "become" gay even though growing up in a really christian family or among people who never even talk about homosexuality.. Who realize when they're older that they've been gay all the their lives.

 

[Amber Benson]

Yea I agree with that... I'm just saying... They take longer to realize it... My family is Roman Catholic, and although I don't practice the same religion as they do, they are alright with that, which allowed me to be open about myself with them.

I've been in a few relationships, and I've seen a few end with the simple fact that the parents would never accept it, and it's sad, because those who have parents like that, are forced to grow up either in shadows, or shunned, where as if their parents were more accepting, they could be more open about their sexuality, and he a lot more happy about it.

 

[Willow Rosenberg]

Well, I used to believe that everyone is bisexual. I tried to convince everyone that it was that way, but.. I kinda realized I wasn't bi.. But, I still think it's a possibility though.. that we can all be attracted to people from both the same and the opposite sex. If we just meet the right person, and so on. It sounds very logical to me, that we're all the same (to begin with), sorta. (Hey, I'm tired and my thoughts ain't coming out right here.)

I used to think that too, but I don't really anymore. You can be attracted to members of both sex, but if you can't see yourself getting involved with a member of the same sex, or even desire it, you're straight.

I hate these girls nowadays who kiss a girl once or twice (mainly to get guys' attention) that claim to be bisexual.

 

[eponinethen]

Yeah I hate that too, it's silly and kinda poinless..
(Another stupid thing is people telling me I might be bi and that I can't know for sure until I've been in a relationship with a guy. And the thought isn't stupid, what's stupid is them telling me this even though they've never been in a same-sex-relationship.)
But there were a time I didn't believe in bisexuality at all. Well, I thought there were bisexuals, but that most of them were gays who didn't have the courage to be honest about their sexuality, or straights who just wanted to be politically correct. (Um, I don't believe that anymore but I know many people act like that.)

 

[Amber Benson]

The thing that bothers ME the most out of ANYTHING to do with my sexuality, is the guys that try to say I'm only gay because I haven't had it good enough. My Ex-BF, and the ONLY guy I slept with (and it was only once) took it really hard because everyone looked down on him, saying he turned me gay. I can't tell you how many times, when I go out, and some guy hits on me and I'm forced to tell him that I'm a lesbian, that I hear the same damn thing. "Oh baby, that's 'cause you haven't been with me". Ugh, it just makes me sick. Now, when my Bi-Bestfriend (female) and I go out to the bars, we pretend were together to fend off the gross bar guys. 😀

 

[Jill_Valentine]

I'm sort of clinging on to this social thing. But I'm gonna start it in a new direction.

In my opinion, you are born either homosexual, heterosexual or bi-sexual. Most people, don't realize it, because they are placed in "social-zones" where its just not accepted. And even when they do realize it, they may never embrace it.. More like look down upon it as some sort of disease that they caught.

They say that 10% of todays population is gay... But I think there would be a lot more if countries like the US weren't so Christian-rooted (No offense to any Americans on the boards). I think if it were more accepted world-wide, then more people would embrace their sexualities.

I very, very strongly agree. Taking my school, as an example... I was there for five years, with a few over 400 students at any one time, most of whom are currently still based in my area. That's about 1500 people. So thats around a hundred and fifty people, statistically speaking, who are gay.

To date, a grand total of ...er... four of those have come out, and one of those in remarkably George Michael circumstances. If and when I start ranting about the untempered bile I hold in my heart for the Irish Catholic Church as an organisation, it's safe to link it to the fact that it's taken me quite some time to realise that I'm not the sick freak that they would have me believe. 2005, and we still have teachers preaching about Satan reclaiming his world with his armies of immoral women and homosexuals. Given that I tick both of those boxes, I only hope he really does have all the best tunes, eh? You'll notice that the only two vaguely famous gay Irish people (Graham Norton and Anna Nolan) are both based in London. And Graham Norton regularly gets death threats.

If it were purely a product of social conditioning, gay-friendly areas would just churn out entire generations of gay people, and gay-unfriendly areas would never have to fret their pretty heads at all.

The big problem with not being a big flag waving activist about being in the "Other" category is that it's a catch twenty-two. Be upfront about it, and you're making your sexuality an issue - it becomes your defining attribute to people. But because the natural default is to assume you're straight, if you don't specifically identify yourself as otherwise, there's an implied dishonesty in everything you do.

 

[OneEyedXander]

I'm very sorry that i didn't get to read everyones opinion on this matter. I gave it the good college try, but all the right mindedness and sensibility broke my brain and i had to stop reading. So if i mirror anyone else's opinion I apologize, you may take full credit as the visionary and I'll just be supporting your point.

I believe people can choose who to have sex with but not their sexuial preference. Or any other preference they have. People are always talk about sexuial preference as a choice but they dont seem to know the meaning of preference. You dont choose to like chocolate ice cream or vanilla, you just like one better than the other. You can choose which one you eat(I'm still talking about ice cream here you perves) but if you go against your preference then your shorting yourself a full and happy life. And the only things that matter in life is living the best life you can.

 

[Willow Rosenberg]

I found this article on the issue that may be of interest to the debate/discussion going on:

Is There a 'Gay Gene'?

New Genetic Regions Associated With Male Sexual Orientation Found

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD
on Friday, January 28, 2005

Jan. 28, 2005 - The genes a man gets from his mother and father may play an important role in determining whether he is gay or not, according to a new study likely to reignite the "gay gene" debate.

Researchers say it's the first time the entire human genetic makeup has been scanned in search of possible genetic determinants of male sexual orientation. The results suggest that several genetic regions may influence homosexuality.

"It builds on previous studies that have consistently found evidence of genetic influence on sexual orientation, but our study is the first to look at exactly where those genes are located," says researcher Brian Mustanski, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Those previous studies looked only at the genes located on the X chromosome. Genes on this chromosome are only passed to a son from his mother. But this study examined genetic information on all chromosomes, including genes from the father.

The findings show that identical stretches of DNA on three chromosomes were shared by about 60% of gay brothers in the study compared to the about 50% normally expected by chance.

Gay Gene Debate

A heated debate over the existence of a "gay gene" emerged from a 1993 report published in the journal Science by then-NIH researcher Dean Hamer, PhD. That study linked DNA markers on the X chromosome to male sexual orientation.

Since then, questions arose regarding the validity of those results. Other researchers are attempting to replicate and verify Hamer's findings. Hamer is also senior author of the current study, which appears in the March issue of Human Genetics.

But researchers say this study takes a different approach. Its goal was not to replicate those findings but to search for new genetic markers associated with male sexual orientation.

"Since sexual orientation is such a complex trait, we're never going to find any one gene that determines whether someone is gay or not," says Mustanski. "It's going to be a combination of various genes acting together as well as possibly interacting with environmental influences."

Previous studies in male twins have suggested that between 40%-60% of the variability in sexual orientation is due to genes. The rest is thought to be due to environment and possibly other biologic but nongenetic causes.


Search for Gay Genes

Search for Gay Genes

In the study, researchers analyzed the genetic makeup of 456 men from 146 families with two or more gay brothers.

The genetic scans showed a clustering of the same genetic pattern among the gay men on three chromosomes -- chromosomes 7, 8, and 10. These common genetic patterns were shared by 60% of the gay men in the study. This is slightly more than the 50% expected by chance alone.

The regions on chromosome 7 and 8 were associated with male sexual orientation regardless of whether the man got them from his mother or father. The regions on chromosome 10 were only associated with male sexual orientation if they were inherited from the mother.

Mustanski compares the study's approach to a search for doctors in a town of 40,000 people, a number that roughly corresponds to the number of human genes.

Rather than guessing that doctors live in a particular type of house and going to only the houses that meet that criteria, researchers in this scenario would knock on every door to ask the residents if a doctor lives on their street. Using a similar approach, researchers were able to locate a few potential genetic neighborhoods that likely contribute to male sexual orientation.

Researchers say the next step is to verify these results in a different group of men to see if the same genetic regions are associated with sexual orientation. If the findings hold up, then Mustanski says they could start to look for the individual genes within these regions linked to sexual orientation.

New Targets for Gay Gene Research

Elliot S. Gershon, MD, professor of psychiatry and human genetics at the University of Chicago, says the study represents an important step forward in understanding how genes affect human sexual orientation.

"It is worth testing genes within a region of linkage to see if one of them has a variant that is more frequent in men who are gay than in men who are not," says Gershon, who is also currently involved in another study of gay brothers and genetic influences on sexual orientation.

"This report adds to the legitimacy of research on normal variations in human behavior," Gershon tells WebMD. "There is an argument that has been made in public press that it doesn't make sense to study conditions or traits that are behavioral. But this suggests that there is a genetic contribution to this particular trait of same sex orientation."

Source

 

[Tru Serenity]

honestly i think it's a mix of both... you can be born w/ the hint that you're leaning towards one sex or the other, but then your surroundings (depending on how supportive) can really help push you to one extreme or the other.

 

[Frenchy Faith]

Thanky for posting this article Cordelia!

Since sexual orientation is such a complex trait, we're never going to find any one gene that determines whether someone is gay or not," says Mustanski. "It's going to be a combination of various genes acting together as well as possibly interacting with environmental influences.

I do hope he is right about never finding one gene responsible... cause then you can imagine, people manipulating genes & since most of parents don't want their child to be gay, it would be like manipulating the whole population. How scary!