Is homosexuality a genetic trait?

Question

In other words, if you have a family member that is gay (or was a closeted homosexual), does that increase your chances of being gay?

I personally think that many of our behaviors are inherited, and not learned. So, I wonder if gay people have ancestors who were leaning towards the homosexual side of the equation.

Answer 1

it's a genetic trait, but you don't necessarily have to have a family member who is to increase your chances of being gay. it's a genetic variation, like skin/eye/hair color, whether you're tall or short, etc. to my knowledge, no one in my family is gay or lesbian but me. but then, they might not be openly so, I'm just not aware of anyone else.

Answer 2

If the word you used genetic trait mean that you born with it then I believe that homosexuality is a genetic trait. Because when you were born even thought the sex has automatic come with you physically but the emotionally you don't know until you about certain age around may be 9 to 10 years old that you start to feel that sexuality that you with it, that it matches how you feel deeply inside of you that you are male or female and how to act base on the society characterize for male or female how you should act. If you think why people that physically born differently from their emotionally go through the extrema to change if just a conscious choice, I don't think so. Or if you are a loud person it is hard to become a quiet person. I really believe homosexuality is a genetic trait that you were born with it and it is no cure because they are not just like the disease it is deeper that we could understand for this moment.

Answer 3

There is NO evidence to show that homosexuality is genetic. There is evidence that it's biological, but the studies done have generally revolved around twins & young males (in a set of twins, if one is gay the other has a 50% chance of being gay, a mother with many sons has a greater chance of the younger ones being gay) and prenatal hormone levels. All of this is correlational data, not a direct source of anything. So, if we're only finding biological 'hints', we're definitely far off from pin-pointing any gene for homosexuality. If there even is one, which I really doubt.

Some of our behaviors are learned, certainly. But homosexuality is not a behavior - sex is a behavior, which I assume is what you mean. But sexual orientation (including heterosexuality), we must remember, is more than just a behavior. It's about our emotions and attractions too, and about how we feel, not just what we do.

Answer 4

My thoughts: First, I do not believe that any sexual orientation is the result of biology alone (genes or fetal hormones). There is no direct evidence for this assumption. My belief is that all sexual orientations (straight, bi, and gay) are the result of an interaction of both biological and social forces.

Having said that, homosexuality and bisexuality do seem to run in families at times. Anyone who knows a family over the course of several generations, and especially if the family is quite large, can see this. The sexual orientation of a favorite great-uncle or even a grandparent is forgotten though or conveniently swept under the carpet, especially at the time of the person's death. The truth of the matter is if you cornered some of these older people about the sexuality of those who came before them, they probably would admit that they were not straight. These older people might not use words like "gay", "lesbian", or "bi" though. Instead, they might give you a hint as to what sexual orientation that person actual was in life.

I was once very naive about all of this -- I am no longer.

If you think you are the only non-straight person in your family tree, look again -- and not just at your living relatives.

Answer 5

If it is a genetic trait, would this make religion the reason why we have so many homosexuals? In a natural state the homosexual trait would die off because of zero reproduction, but in a forced family society we would have this trait being passed on? Or should we blame this on bisexuals?

Answer 6

Thought I'd share this even though I have no idea what it means.
I grew up down the street from a set of identical twins. One is gay. One is not. Both were raised in the same house by their biological parents.
It was obvious from a very young age - well before puberty - that one was gay and one was not.
That one always blew both the nature and the nuture argument for me. It's a mystery!

Answer 7

Although they have found genes that predispose people to smoke cigarettes and over eat etc, many people through extra self determination fight the urge and do not smoke or over eat.

Many alcoholics quit drinking also. So just because you may be born gay does not mean you have to act out on it. God will fill your void if you truelly have faith.

Answer 8

Let's see, on both my father's side and mother's side of the family there is one uncle, three gay cousins and one Lesbian cousin. And those are the only ones I am aware of. Who knows, there could be a couple more hiding.

Answer 9

There have been studies which have found that it is genetic. I dated a guy who has a lesbian sister, who has another sister that was separated at birth (adopted). When he finally met up with her, she came out to them as a lesbian as well. 3 gay children in one family! If that's not a good example of genetics at work, I don't know what is.

Answer 10

interesting theory. Logically it would make sense. I am not aware of any gay members in my family. As far as I know I'm the only one.

Answer 11

I blame space aliens for homosexuality as part of an evil plot to turn everyone gay thereby creating a population of horny sex slaves so they can harvest us for their twisted fanatical orgies in orbit.