is homosexuality genetic?

Question

are you really born a homosexual, is it really pre determined in your genes?

Answer 1

it's not.
it's a choice people make.
there have been claims that there are predispositions to homosexuality.
but it is actually not.
it's more nurture than nature.

Answer 2

I am convinced male homosexuality (and presumably female too) is something you are born with (though not genetic...read on).
This belief stems from two observations:
1) You can spot gay boys before they get to puberty. Before they even know about sex. They are overtly conscious of their appearance and can show feminine characteristics (admittedly not always). So it is not a sexual choice.
2) It is very rare for all sons in a family to be gay (when there is more than one son of course!) and so children with similar upbringings can end up either gay or straight. So it is unlikely to be environment.

This was confirmed when I read about some research publicized about 4 months ago which showed a relationship that was neither genetic nor nurture:

It showed that boys born to mothers who had already had a boy had a higher chance of being gay. The more previous sons the mother had, the higher the chance of being gay. I think this implies that the chemical balance of the womb is at least a strong factor.

This work has two fascinating sides to it:
1. This does imply that at some point pre-natal care may be able to prevent/control/enable/limit homo-sexuality and the sad social stigma that goes with it.
2. It may actually be a survival factor of the human race. That once a woman has a certain number of sons she tends to start turning out boys who won't have children. Perhaps this is the way in which the human race is designed to biologically limit our numbers or produce off spring with different life skills ?

So here is a challenge for us:
If you read this and wonder about this study then please post whether any one you know, who is gay, has older brothers, and if so, how many they have.

Answer 3

There has been a lot of scientific research done on this over the past ten years and I am more apt to go by the research rather than people's opinions. Most of the research on homosexuality has been done on males not females and of course everybody has a tendency to interpret the results in a different way. Recently, a scientist found that the structure and size of a particular part of the brain in homosexuals is different than that of the brain of heterosexuals. As far as genetics is concerned, there is no definitive answer on that yet. From my own observations, I would say that it is genetic. When I speak with homosexuals, ten to one they have a sibling, cousin, nephew, uncle, aunt who is also homosexual. But hey, I've been wrong plenty of times before.. And science has still not determined whether homosexuality is a matter of nurture or nature or the combination of the two.

Answer 4

Good question...its a toss up, there are some facts to support both theories, but I am almost positive (and my father is homosexual, I have asked him this before) that if you would ask a homosexual they would tell you that they knew from a very young age that they were "different" and that they don't CHOOSE to get the crap beat out of them, or made fun of, tortured, or KILLED just because of who they cannot help but love. The world is full of crazy and cruel people that choose to see the world from their eyes only...they think that they are right and everyone else who thinks differently is wrong.
Just one more thing...in my humble opinion, I think its crazy that a homosexuals rights to love each other are taken away. Did you know that legally (unless the laws have changed recently, and if so, I commend that) if one's partner is in an accident or something tragic happens to them and they wind up in icu or worse they cannot go in to see them at all, even if they have been with each other for years and live together as a man and his wife would? They have no more rights to visitation and iformation than the stranger coming in off of the street. That, to me, is insane. I hope I answered your question...feel free to email or im me if you have any further questions or comments about my response.

Answer 5

there is so much controversy on that subject. to tell you the truth,, I don't know or even have a real opinion. It could be genetic, it could be how you were raised, a number of things could lead to ones questioning themselves or just straight out knowing that they are. I think genes have alot to do with alot of brain functions. I'm no one to say that it is definitely genetic though. Some people get curious and decide they don't like it. Now that can't be genetic. In my opinion, I don't think genes are the cause. I would lean more toward your or whomever's upbringings, as a young child.

Answer 6

Homosexuality can't be genetic because homosexuals do not like the opposite sex therefore they will not reproduce. So a person can not come from a long line of homosexuals or anything.

Answer 7

It's not genetic in the sense that you pass it along to you children. Homosexual parents are no more likely to give birth to a homosexual child than 'straight' parents are.
But it is 'inborn'---people do not choose to be that way (as one responder said...sheesh). Why would anyone choose to be something that sets you up for a lifetime of abuse?
It's exactly the same as being straight. We are born that way, and we just know that we are attracted to the opposite sex. For homosexual people, they too just 'know'. For them, trying to live as a 'straight' person would be like a straight person trying to force him/herself to be homosexual.

Answer 8

I don't know. If you say it's genetic then does that mean it's a disease? I wouldn't want gay people being treated like they have a disease.

Answer 9

Dont know!! once born a girl you are a girl,a boy you are a boy,some people just prefer the opposite sex........

Answer 10

No its absolutely not genetic its a mental illness !
No one is born a homosexual !
Take Care and God Bless you !

Answer 11

well i never woke up one day and said - yep i htink i will be gay from now on. It is just the way i am, i knew that i was attracted to other boys when i was just 8 or 9.