2. Born This Way: Issues About the Gay Community

Heterosexuals in religious circles would usually take this as a form of spiritual, soul-searching issue. For the not-so-religious, this would be taken as a crossroads in life due to a coming-of-age, mid-life or identity crisis caused either by a sudden breakthrough event or traumatic experience. Some would even take this as a predominant behaviour characteristic of a family trait or bloodline which was handed down from one generation to the next.

But that outlook seems to change when it comes to the issue of sexual orientation, wherein this same argument is used to assess or assert one’s true sexual identity, as opposed to one’s personal identity. And so we come to the issue of biological genetics.

A study by Dr. Alan Sanders claims that sexual orientation is not by choice but rather an offshoot of two regions of the human genome. In conclusion to his research, The Independent quoted him as saying that his work “erodes the notion that sexual orientation is a choice”. However, a few days later, during a thorough interview with LGBT Science, when asked if he had finally proven the existence of the “gay gene,” he clearly indicated that such notion is an “oversimplification”, and that his findings only indicated that such a gene could lead to or is usually associated with certain traits that are common among gay men. He even negates the probability that this gene, per se, will have a high predictive factor in terms of determining the actual sexual preference of a person.

Other studies in the 1990’s (Simon LeVay, Michael Bailey et al) on sexual non-conformity which focused on familial-genetics as a predisposing factor, do not offer genes as the main ingredient, but rather suggests that it is one of the possible components, such as environmental factors and early sexual experiences, that help contribute to a person’s sexual orientation or preference in later life.

Even more recently (2015), a study by Eric Vilain found that chemical changes in the person’s genes (epigenetic effects) could have a major impact on a person’s sexual identity. But incidentally, the study was also noted as inconclusive and far from absolute.

Strong protagonists of the "Born That Way" movement, with their theme song from lady Ga-ga, would continuously find themselves at a dilemma whenever scientific research disputes or could not support their claims that such conclusions simply do not have scientific basis.  

Maybe it would be wiser to consider sexual nonconformity as a choice or a way of life, rather than claiming it for something that it is not.

(to be continued)

images

Sources:

Largest ever study in the gay gene ‘erodes the notion that sexual orientation is a choice’

LGBT Science_Dr. Alan Sanders

Familial Aspects of Male Homosexuality

LeVay Shares Thoughts on ‘Gay Gene’ Research

Homosexuality may be caused by chemical modifications to DNA

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