Is Being Gay Genetic?

By Pamela Mortimer

For years scientists have tried to discover if a "gay gene" exists. Studies have not turned up any conclusive proof that such a gene exists. However, a new federally funded study lead by Chicago area researchers is focusing on 1,000 pairs of gay brothers to determine if there is some kind of genetic link to their homosexuality. In other words, the age old question still exists – nature or nurture?

Scientist will rely on saliva and blood samples to provide genetic clues to the origins of homosexuality. Parents and straight brothers will also be included in the study. Initial results aren’t expected to be released until early next year and while scientists hope that there will be some answers, they don’t expect the puzzle to be solved entirely. Skeptics are already attacking the methods being used and the potential results.

Previous studies have proven that sexual orientation seems to cluster in families although that does not prove that the link is genetic. Some believe that the atmosphere in which the children are raised – with particular parenting practices and religious affiliation – may create the similarities. The hope of many in the homosexual community is that there is a genetic link, proving once and for all that being gay isn’t a choice. In fact, the study could prove that being gay is as ingrained as other genetic factors such as hair color, eye color, and height.

One widely cited study in the 1990s found that if one of a pair of identical twins was gay, the other had a 52 percent chance of sharing the same sexual orientation. Non-twin brothers, showed a 9 percent chance that the other would be gay

Dr. Alan Sanders, a psychiatrist at the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute, is acting as the lead researcher of the new study. Sanders suspects there isn't one so-called "gay gene."

Sanders surmises the study will prove that there are several genes that interact with non-genetic factors, including psychological and social influences, to determine sexual orientation.

However, "If there's one gene that makes a sizable contribution, we have a pretty good chance" of finding it, he said.

While a genetic link may make a homosexual lifestyle more acceptable in the eyes of some, many gays fear that if "gay genes" are identified, it could result in continued discrimination, prenatal testing and even abortions to eliminate homosexuals, said Joel Ginsberg of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

However, he added, "If we confirm that sexual orientation is an immutable characteristic, we are much more likely to get the courts to rule against discrimination."