http://news.yahoo.com/gene-regulation-may-explain-homosexuality-flourishes-191300586.html;_ylt=AjjvMlGX6qDjUJGA3SAr4MsPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTN0OXRxcW5iBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBTY2llbmNlU0YEcGtnA2YzMDFkM2RmLWZmMmMtMzk1My1iMGM0LTAyYTA2NGFiZDVlYQRwb3MDMTQEc2VjA3RvcF9zdG9yeQR2ZXIDY2Y3ZmQzNzEtNDNjNy0xMWUyLTljZmYtODhlZmYwNzdiMjhh;_ylg=X3oDMTFsMmxkdGs2BGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANzY2llbmNlBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3
Can someone be born as a homosexual? There is a lot of debate on this subject, and now there is a hunch to how one is to become homosexual. In this article it says that while there might not be a "gay-gene" there seems to be a switch on genes that makes you or doesn't make you a homosexual. The basis of this research is focused on epigenetics. What they are looking at closely is the epi-marks, which are the molecular changes that turn genes on or off. They regulate how much or little a gene is expressed. Basically there is one of these epi-marks that is involved in the level of testosterone during development. Too much testosterone during development from the father that is passed on to a girl can "masculinize" her sexual interest having her interested in woman, and too little testosterone from the mother passed on to a boy can desensitize him to testosterone relating to his interest in men.
They have figures that in twin studies there is about a 20% chance that if one twin is gay the other one will be too. And it is assumed that if homosexuality was related to genetic changes that you would expect a much higher rate. That is why epigenetics is considered the reasoning behind it because heritability can be explained without the need for a specific genetic change.
If this is all true than can parents use this information to try to avoid having gay children? But does this even make any sense? After reading this article I still feel like you aren't born gay. Rather, I feel like it is something that you realize as you develop. How do you all feel about this after reading this article? Has it changed how you originally felt?
This is an interesting hypothesis, that shows promise. However, if it becomes accepted as theory it will raise certain moral issues. For instance if it is something like epigenics that causes people to be born gay then on the one hand people will have to recognize that it's not a "lifestyle choice" but on the other hand some will demand that a search for he cure begins. Many will see it as a disorder and demand that research is put into finding out how to prevent or treat those afflicted with the epigene. This could increase the stigma towards the gay community, especially those who refuse "treatment" if it somehow becomes available. I don' know how I feel about this. On the one hand it gives the gay community justification against those who say its a choice, yet at the same time I don'y know that I would feel okay with treatments attempting to cure them. Many people are gay and very happy with their life. I suppose this would be one of things where the choice to accept "treatment" would fall upon the individual.
ReplyDeleteIf the purpose of the article is trying to explain why people either are born or become gay by a genetic "switch" on their genes, then why do people still think that they can avoid it. There is no way to tell if the son get's too little testosterone, or the daughter gets too much testosterone from their parents so why bother it? Some people think that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice, and I personally do not believe that, but I also think that it may have something to do with their environment and personality. If someone could choose not to be gay, I think that they would do it in a heartbeat in order to avoid ridicule and societal prejudices. I do not think that homosexuality is a controllable characteristic of an individual, similar to how you didn't choose your skin color, eye color, or natural hair color. I do, however, believe that a person's inherited genes and contact with their environment heavily influences and gives clues to whether they will have a homosexual sexual orientation.
ReplyDeleteI found this very interesting. I have a gay aunt. She actually suffers from a hormone imbalance very similar to the one the article talks about. I say suffer lightly, just meaning that compared to where the hormone levels of her peers she is different. I know this is a touchy subject for a lot of people, so I will try to just state observations. She has too much testosterone and too little estrogen. This absolutely affects how she behaves and thinks. She has told me stories about how she knew that she wasn't normal from an early age so it's not like one day she decided to be gay. She tried being "normal" and living life as society wanted because she didn't want to be outcasted and also because she was Catholic, but soon just accepted who she was.
ReplyDeleteI do think that there are a lot of factors that could influence one's sexuality and genetics and epigenics could play a huge factor. I do not think that one should be "cured" from the difference in hormones because that could cause a lot of psychological disorders and self esteem problems later in life as well as many other moral issues. I do not know when you'd be able to discover the hormone imbalance, I assume it's most prominent after puberty hits, but I feel that there will be extensive research in the future.