Poll: Is homosexuality genetic?

[farmerboy219]

No,it may sound weak but nazi's highly premoted this idea that it was genetic.

 

[Nemu]

Well it sure ain't a conscious fucking choice. I didn't wake up one morning and decide "fuck it, I dig chicks". No I just DO.

That's pretty much it.

My sister and I were raised essentially the exact same way (I was raised a little stricter, but it was by no means earth-shatteringly different), and both went to the same school, played sports, etc, however by age 10, I knew I wanted to impress the girls more than I wanted to giggle at boys. *shrug*

Wait, wait, slightly confused. I'm rather slow so bear with me. You're a lesbian? Bisexual? You only refer to yourself as "I" so I don't know if you're inclining you're a girl Sorry, as I said I'm slow

As indicated in my profile, I'm a girl.

So yes, lesbian.

Have you told everyone? "Come out of the closet"? There was a time I thought I was gay and all these awful feelings of my parents not accepting me, my friends stop seeing me etc came rushing over me. It wasn't a nice feeling

I haven't told everyone, cos I don't like that many people. lol

I've told my friends, my family figured it out early on and most other people just assume I am when they see me due to my physical appearance. *shrug*

I won't paint you a lovely, perfect picture-I have members of my family who hate me because of it, my GF doesn't speak to her parents (and, in fact, lives on the opposing coast of the country) because of how they treated her when she came out. However, telling that first person is the biggest step. Once you've found someone you trust enough to tell and let it out, it gets easier. If your family rejects you, I assure you, you'll make a new one with other people.

 

[obex]

Well as homosexuality prevents reproduction which is one of our strongest impulses right up there with eat food and breath air I highly doubt we have a genetic trait that leads to our extinction.

Also as homosexuals rarely have off spring i fail to see how this genetic trait wouldn't of been removed from the gene pool the basic principle of evolution is "survival of the fittest" only genetic mutations that grant advantages over others without them continue in the genetic line and as homosexuality practically prevents children i fail to see how such a trait could of survived the evolutionary path.

Its not genetic and its not predetermined, Its to do with psychological effects of your up bringing, young children are very psychologically vulnerable that's why scientists recommend reading to young children and playing them classical music to improve their intelligence. Im not saying its a choice but its certainly nurture rather than nature.

I see your point in this. However, there is something called recessive genes. This is also the reason why some genetic diseases that kill you before the age of reproduction (like Progeria) sadly are not extinct yet.

Also, saying that people can be "brought up" gay is pretty touchy. If you have seen the movie "Milk", you might know that there was a time when gay teachers were fired as their parents were afraid they would indoctrinate their children. As the film beautifully counters that: "If that were the case, there would be a whole lot more nuns".

Although your point about progeria is correct diseases such as progeria are very rare due to this and are always getting rarer as every time there is a case that genetic line containing progeria is extinguished, contrastingly homosexuality is anything but rare.


Also i didnt say people are brought up gay i said that there upbringing is what causes it, its a combination of many factors almost none of which could be directly attributed to homosexuality itself, while having a feminine role model in early years is an obvious one there is nothing to say that gay role models create gay children in fact gay role models are one of the least likely things to create gay children.

 

[GiantRedButton]

How would a gene for not having sex with the opposite sex pass on?
Just think about it

 

[Robert632]

I heard somewhere(don't remember where)that homosexuality is actual a defensive mechanism for an overpopultaed population.

I don't really beleive this and was just putting it up here for the sake of something to put up.

 

[Mother Yeti]

I heard somewhere(don't remember where)that homosexuality is actual a defensive mechanism for an overpopultaed population.

If you take five minutes to think about it, I'm sure you'll find at least a half-dozen reasons this makes no sense.

 

[Robert632]

I heard somewhere(don't remember where)that homosexuality is actual a defensive mechanism for an overpopultaed population.

If you take five minutes to think about it, I'm sure you'll find at least a half-dozen reasons this makes no sense.

I said I heard about it, not that I agreed with it. I was just throwing something out there to see if people would notice the complete wrongness of it.

 

[Jonatron]

If it was genetic, it would have been bred out of the gene pool because the carriers wouldn't produce offspring.

I had considered this previously, but keep in mind that for a long time being openly gay was either illegal or grounds to be murdered or drove from society. Even then, gay folk do manage to have kids. For example, Paul O'Grady.

 

[Stabby Joe]

I don't think its a gene to be passed on... because it can't since they can't reproduce, however it's more a random occurrence if anything, among other factors. There are gay animals and apparently in most cases both twins will be the same sexuality.

Here's an amusing yet informative take on homosexuality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaI-BGZ5a78

 

[kidigus]

Mayby the only way to find out is to clone a gay person.
I am pretty sure that you can't choose to be gay unless your bisexual.

 

[Soxafloppin]

it could explain why allot of them have the voices.

 

[ohellynot]

I believe that it's genetic.

I remember reading in Psychology class that scrutiny of brains of homosexual males showed that there was a common area of the brain missing. The theory is that this missing part is the part of the brain responsible for male attraction to females. I believe in this theory.

As for females, males and females have differently shaped cochleas, and lesbians have the shape found in males. Since cochlea shape is most likely seems affected by genes in this case, it seems likely to me that there is a gene or linked genes responsible for cochlea development and homosexuality in females.

So you're saying that people are gay because they are missing a piece of their brain?

 

[Mother Yeti]

How would a gene for not having sex with the opposite sex pass on?
Just think about it

You do understand that most people are not exclusively homosexual or heterosexual, and that many same sex oriented people have biological children?

For example:

Ted Haggard: 5 children
Jodie Foster: 2 children
Clay Aiken: 1 child
Jim McGreevey: 2 children
Meredith Baxter: 5 children

 

[Mother Yeti]

If it was genetic, it would have been bred out of the gene pool because the carriers wouldn't produce offspring.

I had considered this previously, but keep in mind that for a long time being openly gay was either illegal or grounds to be murdered or drove from society.

Eh, not really. Homosexuality has been at least tolerated, as long as it's not out in the open, in most cultures for most of human history. Only in extremely conservative religious societies is it generally grounds for execution - and even then, it's not like gay people cease to exist.

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

No idea, but like so many other people in this thread have stated, it's not a choice; because of that, there's absolutely no logical reason to deny them rights or privileges.

 

[cartzo]

no homosexuall gene has ever been found, however homosexuality in nature and amongst other animals is common.

 

[BloodyThoughts]

Of course there is! haven't you seen that family guy episode!/Sarcasm

But, nah I don't think so.