Spring Break
Homosexuality not genetic
Jeffrey Padgett
Issue date: 10/9/06 Section: Opinion
Homosexual activity has long been publicized in the media as an inborn trait. Gay activists have been purporting the "fact" that sexual orientation is determined by a person's genetic makeup. They claim that same-sex attraction is not a choice, and that they were simply "born the gay way." The entire reason gay activism and gay marriage has gained such successful popularity is because this group presents themselves as a persecuted minority group at the same level as women, blacks and Jews.
America has been pummeled with this idea, and because we pride ourselves on being the land of freedom and equality, we are quick to eat up what the media dishes out to us. It's tasty, but not true.
Most scientists and psychiatrists agree that saying homosexuality is caused by genetics is like saying that a tall person is going to be a basketball player. It is true that most basketball players are tall, but not all tall people are basketball players. In the same way, some men are more feminine and some women more masculine, but that does not cause them to become homosexual. There is a correlation, but not a cause - this is what the media often misreports.
In a recent Australian study of more than 14,000 identical twins by Bailey, Martin and the University of Queensland, it was found that 38 percent of identical male twins were gay and 30 percent of identical female twins lesbian. Identical twins means identical genes - if homosexuality truly is genetically caused, then the number of identical twins that are both homosexual should be at 100 percent. Even if some people were stifling their homosexuality, the results should still put them very close to 100 percent. There are other studies that replicate the same results - the percent of identical twins that are both homosexual is usually much less than 50 percent. This proves there is no "gay gene," but that there are environmental factors involved.
Homosexuality cannot be genetic because people actually do change their orientation. College girls change more often than any other group, switching between straight, gay and bisexual attractions. This shows that orientation is very much choice-based, or environmental-based.
America has been pummeled with this idea, and because we pride ourselves on being the land of freedom and equality, we are quick to eat up what the media dishes out to us. It's tasty, but not true.
Most scientists and psychiatrists agree that saying homosexuality is caused by genetics is like saying that a tall person is going to be a basketball player. It is true that most basketball players are tall, but not all tall people are basketball players. In the same way, some men are more feminine and some women more masculine, but that does not cause them to become homosexual. There is a correlation, but not a cause - this is what the media often misreports.
In a recent Australian study of more than 14,000 identical twins by Bailey, Martin and the University of Queensland, it was found that 38 percent of identical male twins were gay and 30 percent of identical female twins lesbian. Identical twins means identical genes - if homosexuality truly is genetically caused, then the number of identical twins that are both homosexual should be at 100 percent. Even if some people were stifling their homosexuality, the results should still put them very close to 100 percent. There are other studies that replicate the same results - the percent of identical twins that are both homosexual is usually much less than 50 percent. This proves there is no "gay gene," but that there are environmental factors involved.
Homosexuality cannot be genetic because people actually do change their orientation. College girls change more often than any other group, switching between straight, gay and bisexual attractions. This shows that orientation is very much choice-based, or environmental-based.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 25
John
posted 10/09/06 @ 12:46 PM CST
What was the control group for the identical twins study? Does the study not confirm that homosexuality is at least partially dependent on genes?
As for natural selection weeding out a gay gene by now, aren't there gay animals? Did they choose to be gay?
You also refer to "homosexuals who don't want to be gay," but the major reason why any homosexual person would not want to be gay in the first place is because of the hatred and bigotry that is spewed at them. (Continued…)
Boadi Rigaud
posted 10/10/06 @ 10:05 AM CST
The whole 'homosexuality: nature vs nurture' thing seems like a false start to me. For both sides of the debate.
English is not genetic, but try as you might, you will never be able to unlearn it. (Continued…)
Chad Shiver
posted 10/11/06 @ 9:44 AM CST
That is the most factually inaccurate account that I have read in ages. My personal favorite is the bit about college girls "changing" their sexuality. (Continued…)
Chad
posted 10/12/06 @ 6:22 AM CST
Patrick,
Perhaps people will respect the views of Christians when a) they stop expecting everyone to live according to their values(which they somehow equate to being our country's values, even though we supposedly have a seperation of church and state)
and
b) when so-called Christians stop being so hypocritical in their observations of others. (Continued…)
Marcus
posted 10/27/06 @ 1:15 PM CST
You are certainly implying that HOMOSEXUALITY is a FLAW. Or do you misunderstand what you just wrote? You say that Homosexuality is not of nature. Are you ignorant of (or just ignoring) the fact that many animals exhibit homosexual behaviors, sometimes transatory, sometimes long-term. (Continued…)
akipta
Allison '82
posted 10/30/06 @ 9:31 PM CST
Mr. Padgett relies on statistics from a study by Bailey to support his argument that homosexuality is not genetic. I assume Mr. Padgett doesn't know that J. (Continued…)
Jon
posted 10/30/06 @ 11:05 PM CST
Can someone help me become gay? If I were gay I'd get tons of action. Perhaps Jeffrey Padgett knows where I can start the process?
gigolobunny
Random /b/tard
posted 8/10/07 @ 11:51 AM CST
Technically, being lesbian or gay is a preference. Simply because a lesbian obviously prefers women over men and a gay man prefers men over women. I'm not going to rule out being gay is genetic, but I'm not going to rule out the possibility that it is a preference either. (Continued…)
Forhim922
Patrick
posted 8/10/07 @ 1:04 PM CST
If we simply are who we are then what causes us to be that way? Chance?
I did not choose to be straight because it is how we are created to be. Being gay or lesbian means to make a choice that is against how God created us to be. (Continued…)
jamie
posted 9/14/07 @ 7:44 PM CST
I think that hormones have A LOT to do with it.. has anyone studied the bloodwork of a gay vs a non gay of the same family (twin study).. etc. I was growing up str8 and never had any intention of "becoming" a lesbian. (Continued…)
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