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Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexuality

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by tehnathan, Feb 11, 2008.

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  1. tehnathan

    tehnathan
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    Link: Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexuality :: EDGE Boston

    by Cody Lyon
    EDGE Contributor
    Tuesday Feb 5, 2008

    Over the years, there have been countless theories and studies seeking to find some sort of biological or genetic factor that might play a role in determining sexual orientation. Debate over the validity of such studies and how they might impact the gay community in its quest for acceptance and greater equality has gone on for nearly just as long.

    Some proponents of this sort of research hope the results reveal a scientifically conclusive genetic component in homosexuality whereby the hope is that social conservatives and other groups, especially those who call sexual orientation a "choice" might temper or silence some of their criticisms.

    Dr. Alan Sanders is one of the researchers working on this cutting-edge--and highly controversial--issue. Sanders is looking for gay brothers--the blood kind, not the "girlfriend" kind.

    "We’ve been aiming to get about a thousand pairs of gay brothers," said Dr. Alan Sanders, the lead researcher of an ongoing study at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute near Chicago. So far, they’ve recruited about 700 pairs. Parents as well as heterosexual brothers, with the exception of identical twins, are also being recruited for the study, which expects to release findings at the end of this year.

    "We’re trying to use genetics as a tool to better understand the development of sexual orientation," said Sanders noting that he and his team of researchers are just as interested in how genetics contribute to someone being straight as well as being gay.

    Officially, the mainstream psychological community doesn’t "take any sort of stand on those studies," said Clinton Anderson, Director of the American Psychological Association’s Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Concerns Office. "That is fundamentally a scientific question. Our concern is that there is no reason for people to be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation. We try to bring psychological information to bear in the appropriate context."

    For his part, Sanders believes environment, psychology and genetics all work together determine sexual orientation. The current study is building on the work of research scientist Dean Hamer, who, 1993, studied 33 pairs of gay brothers and found a link between the genetic marker Xq28 and homosexuality. Many later found fault with his methodology.

    Sanders said that he and his team couldn’t quiet replicate what Hammer had found--which he said could be due to a number of factors. He became more curious and realized that in order to reach any sort of valid conclusion, he needed a much larger sample size.

    Read the rest here...
     
    #1 tehnathan, Feb 11, 2008
  2. Gustav

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    Re: Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexualit

    Even if they find out that homosexuality is genetic, defeating the "it's a choice" argument, then people who are against it will just say, "let's cure it"- now that they know where it comes from.
     
    #2 Gustav, Feb 11, 2008
  3. Alexander

    Alexander
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    Re: Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexualit

    You can't really defeat the fundies. There's always going to be people against gays, no matter what happens. There are always going to be people taking research and using it for their dumbness.

    But I don't think that gayness can be genetic - it has to be something that either happens during the pregnancy or some environmental thing around that time (since we know young children bear signs of later life sexuality).
     
    #3 Alexander, Feb 11, 2008
  4. beckyg

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    Re: Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexualit

    It will be interesting what they come up with in this study. I've seen these people out at Pride events trying to get folks to study. One of the guys on my PFLAG board has a gay brother but he didn't think his brother would be willing to participate. Also, Jody Huckaby, our National PFLAG director has three gay brothers and he is gay himself.
     
    #4 beckyg, Feb 11, 2008
  5. Temujin

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    Re: Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexualit

    ...

    I cannot believe the cause of my sexual orientation has been compared to the social development of an animal with a brain smaller than the size of a pea.
     
    #5 Temujin, Feb 11, 2008
  6. Alexander

    Alexander
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    Re: Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexualit

    I totally agree.
     
    #6 Alexander, Feb 11, 2008
  7. Psychedelic Bookmarks

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    Re: Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexualit

    temujin: straights' orientation is being compared to the bird in the same way, not just gay people. it's not a personal insult, just an analogy :slight_smile:
     
    #7 Psychedelic Bookmarks, Feb 11, 2008
  8. Temujin

    Temujin
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    Re: Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexualit

    I probably should have left out 'my'. :icon_wink

    And i'm not insulted, per se, it's more like i'm just, well, dumbfounded. It strikes of the no-so-uncommon belief that our sexuality is defined by our first experience. Same-sex experience = gay; Opp-sex experience = straight.

    Which is just plain idiotic.
     
    #8 Temujin, Feb 11, 2008
  9. kevinx519

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    Re: Nature vs. Nurture: Research & Ideology Clash in Search for Roots of Homosexualit

    i think its a combination of nature vs. nurture. twins' genetic make-up are exactly identical yet their sexual orientations may differ. and its not just the current environment a person lives in but also their pre-natal environment that may have an effect.
     
    #9 kevinx519, Feb 11, 2008
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