How is it possible for there to be gay people if it is due to genetics?

Question

If you don't produce, how can such a gene be passed on?
Q is for those who claim it's genetic.

And no need for defensive arrogant aswers.

Answer 1

read up on genetics, friend. There's more to it than just passing genes to offspring - and mutations.

Answer 2

There are three possible routes, although geneticists are now inclining to the second of the three. I like the third best, but its not my field, so I listen to what the experts say.

The first is recombinant recessives (I am NOT a biologist or geneticist, so I count on my partner for basic explanations of things like this). Essentially, when the proper genetic.... pieces ... come together, you have a gay boy.

The second is that the gene is carried by women and expressed in boy children. There is increasing evidence for this scenario. Recent discoveries have included the fact that sisters of gay men are more fertile than other women; and markers on Xq28 that are disproportionately present among gay men. ( less work has been done on lesbians and we don't know yet).

The third possibility is a gene that get's "turned on" in some males. It is known that genes exist that can be on or off. At this point that theory is being discarded for gays however.

A fairly constant number of gay men (8-11 percent of all men are homosexual according to studies done by the AMA) have existed throughout recorded history. Some cultures embrace, others suppress, but the percentage only varies by 3% in expression, even in cultures that kill gay boys -- or so it appears. Homosexuality also exists among hundreds of animal species studied, and I'm sure you are aware of that (if not see Dr. Bruce Bagemihl, "Biological Exuberance," St. Martin's Press). The very existence of exclusively homosexual members of animal species implies that the condition is genetic, nurture hardly matters after all. Likewise, the fruit fly study is pretty compelling.

I hope that helps.

Regards,

Reynolds Jones
http://www.rebuff.org
[e-mail]

Answer 3

You need to look up surrogate mothers and sperm donation. Just because we can't on our own create children with our partners that doesn't mean that we can't pass on the gene by other means. Also the gay gene isn't always active so it is possible to be a carrier of the gene and not gay, but you can then pass it on to your children. Learn a little about genetics before you ask a question like this. You should look up how we get any of our traits like hair color. Here is an explanation of the gene study and how it is passed on.

Answer 4

It's not a claim anymore, it's a fact now. This question has been asked and answered before many times, try looking it up in the discover area next time so you don't keep reposting old questions.

Short Answer: Just because you have green eyes doesn't mean your children will have green eyes, but their children's children's children might. Genes are passed down in different ways. There are dom and res genes. This explains everything in kid friendly terms. If you still don't understand ask any high school science teacher about genes or look in a book. Same thing with hair color and many other things. There are also bisexual people too.

Answer 5

Ok - here we go - a good example, if a man and woman have two different chromosones that can cause brain damage in a child, it is genetic (I can't remember for the life of me what it is called though - sorry - but they test for it when pregnant). Although it is two different chromosones, put together it is genetic. That is how. Same kind of thing. No, I'm not gay but I believe they are born that way.

Answer 6

From personal experience I would answer and say that it is most likely a matrix of pre-dispositions that ultimately determine a persons sexual preference. I would argue that our upbringing and the way we identify with our parents plays a large roll. I believe some may have genetic markers which encourage homosexual tendencies. In many cases our perceptions of sex and intimacy from a young age encourage behavioral dependencies which are later interpreted sexually. It most certainly is not a black and white choice but to say that is completely genetic is lacking in substance and foundation.

Answer 7

What gene is it that you think people are passing along? There is no gene that carries being gay. There are sexual trait genes, but those are related to the sexual anatomy, and the sexual features of a person, not their attitude about sexual preference. I know this question is for people that think it's genetic... just had to say my piece.

Answer 8

Genes can also be the event of random mutations. If there was no such mutation, everyone's genetic structure would be identical!

Answer 9

Much in the same way parents can have a child that has brown eyes when neither have brown eyes. Genes can jump generations. And some do in fact produce, they have children okay?

Answer 10

leukemia and other severe childhood illnesses MAY also be genetic. (we don't know for sure.) and yet, many of those children don't live long enough to reproduce.
just a situation to consider...
and, of course as always, homosexuality is not a disease. i'm only using this as a genetic trait in people who do not reproduce.