I know this has been asked before, but how can you be born gay if Darwin was right?

Question

How can a behaviour that prohibits reproduction be genetic in nature?

Let me quickly add that I am not prejudiced against homosexuality in any way, and I don't think it is lessened by being a socialised thing rather than a genetic thing.

Some great answers folks, thanks (well, except for big_c who is clearly a patronising idiot who has missed the whole point of the question and can't spell the word 'obvious'). This is genuinely a request for information and not an attempt to either be contentious or put forward my own prejudice.

Answer 1

Homosexuality does not preclude you from having children. Most gay men I know are capable of having an erection and reaching climax when having sex with a woman. Thus, either because of social pressures or a desire to experiment, children will be born.

Also, most psychologists consider homosexuality to be a gradient, not an all or nothing switch. This means for for the vast majority of men, there is some small precursor to toward homosexuality. Thus, the genetic predisposition remains in the gene pool and will manifest, with natural variability in their children.

And, consider the 'gradient' idea again. Many women like their spouses to have some feminine qualities. If you accept this idea, it actually encourages the continuation of the homosexual precursor in the population. I.e. Women will choose to have children with men who are somewhere in the middle of the homosexuality gradient because they feel those men will make good fathers to their children.

Finally, I don't know of any research that shows a direct link between the sexual orientation of the parents of the children (or at least not a high correlation). This leads me to believe that the genetic component for homosexuality is much more complex that you think it is (i.e. it isn't like eye or hair color, which has a very strong parent to child connection).

Answer 2

Darwin’s theory or not. Homosexuality doesn’t prohibit reproduction. Infertility does. And if infertility was genetic, umm… okay, I know what you think now!

But to come back to homosexuality, I have been thinking in all directions to try and convince myself that people could actually be born homosexual. And besides religion, on all other aspects it still makes no sense at all to me. I mean we are born boys or girls. That’s it! Physically we are either the one sex or the other sex. Why? So we could fit! In order to put two pieces of a puzzle together we need a snug fit, don’t we? Thus, homosexuality is not genetic. People aren’t born homosexual. They become homosexual. In my opinion, it is psychological. (Not that I condemn homosexuals, I condemn no one!)

I don’t think Darwin’s theory has anything to do with proving homosexuality wrong or homosexuality proving Darwin’s theory wrong.

Thank you for asking this question, you received a few interesting answers! And I enjoyed reading them. I have learnt a bit!

Answer 3

Of course Darwin was right and you can be born gay. Why many factors in the Human path have prevented homosexuality so breeding in humans when a homosexual marries a heterosexual resulting in the genetics being carried forward. Also in animals it continues also where gentically it can be latent and thus the gene is still carried on to another generation.

Answer 4

The fact that homosexuality exists proves only that, according to the law of "survival of the fittest", homosexuality isn't harming the species. Also according to the law of "survival of the fittest" heterosexuality will continue to dominate since it help ensure reproduction. There are millions of variations (coloring, height, weight, strength, etc) within our species. Each variation will tend to exist until something in the environment kills it off. The characteristic most at risk is probably fair skin - considering the problems associated with global warming.

Answer 5

Too many kids are born in this world, some are unwanted but stay in their unhappy families, others become orphans, gay people can adopt them, at least in British Columbia they can.
Some people stay single all their lives, never pair up with anybody at all (and some of these single people adopt kids too - it's legal in many places). You might as well ask how can there be people who stay single all their lives if Darwin was right - I think your question is along the same lines - you think homosexuality is a choice. I think all these people who can't have kids, because of a physical issue, or because they are a homosexual couple, or bec. they are single, are right in there in evolution, as some of all these people adopt kids, and there are tons needing a home.

Answer 6

It's pretty obvius you don't even understand what Darwin's Therory was. The Theory of Evolution says that its not "for a reason" that organisms are born differently... creatures DO NOT Adapt to become more fit for an enviornment by any plan... it's just that the ones with the traits fit for the environment survive better, mate better... while they ones who don't have these "mutations" fail to survive either by total failure or inablility to compete for mates or food.

I'm not here to teach a Science class, but if you actually care to educate yourself, here's the link:

Answer 7

Perfectly straight parents can produce a gay child which suggests it isn't something inherited so it wouldn't be "bred" out. Just a suggestion

I also can't agree that homosexuality or lesbianism are socialised. Lesbians and gays face violence and abuse daily simply because of who they are attracted to- in the past and in some countries today they face imprisionment or even a death penalty. It also implies that everyone feels a sexual attraction to the same sex which you know isn't true.

Answer 8

Evolution is the change in genetically-related traits.

Homosexuality is a congenital trait, meaning that the person is born with it independent of their genetic makeup. There is no such thing as a "gay gene."

Many scientists now believe that the chemical makeup of the mother's womb causes the brain to form in a particular way, thus causing a person to be born homosexual.

Answer 9

Looks as if nature actually wants or even needs the gay factor in its complex and wonderful system to complete and maintain its fascinating and awe inspiring existence. The function of nature is not that every living creature needs to reproduce but that collectively it can reproduce and also maintain and improve itself. Leave the worrying to nature and enjoy this wonderful life!

Answer 10

I don't think Darwin said only genetically successful creatures are born. He said that those that reproduce more are more likely to pass on their genes. And I don't think anyone is claiming that homosexuality is an inherited trait, either. Would you conclude that modern people are abberations because we have developed effective birth control?