Gene for homosexuality – is being gay hereditary?
How many people are sexually attracted to people of the same sex is uncertain. In anonymous surveys, between 1 – 3.5 percent of respondents profess to be gay or lesbian. In fact, however, there are probably many more, because homosexuality is still seen as a stigma in the public eye. In a study involving nearly 500,000 people in the U.S. and U.K., researchers sought to determine whether there is a gene for homosexuality.
A gene for homosexuality – what did the study find?
The scientists suspected that there is a gene for homosexuality because love for persons of the same sex is more common than average in some identical twins and in certain families. In long and complicated studies, researchers wanted to find out if there is a gene for homosexuality. The result of the study in one word: No. There is no gene for homosexuality.
While genetic influences also play a role, a variety of other factors have far greater significance. Whether someone becomes gay or lesbian depends practically on chance. That being said, the number of people who are at least occasionally attracted to the same sex is far greater than previously thought. It is estimated that at least one third of all people have had homosexual contact. However, most people suppress this.
What does the result of the study prove?
The fact that no gene for homosexuality could be found removes the ground for the claim that love for a partner of the same sex would be a degeneracy or disease. The basic idea behind the mentioned study is homophobic (anti-gay). He assumed that there could be a gene for homosexuality science could locate it.
Those who continue the thought then come to the logical conclusion that homosexuality is a kind of hereditary disease that could one day be cured by modern genetic engineering by “fixing” the gene for homosexuality.
Human sexuality is diverse
The failure to find a gene for homosexuality is a great success for gays and lesbians. Their statements that homosexuality was normal were thereby confirmed. No one chooses to be heterosexual or homosexual. Sexual inclination depends on very many factors.
Chance and external influences also play a major role. How common a sexual orientation is says nothing about whether it is good or bad. The rainbow flag of the LGBT movement expresses it correctly. All people are equal. Neither is there a gene for homosexuality nor is it a disease.
What does this mean for everyday life?
In Germany, discrimination against gays and lesbians is officially prohibited. In practice, however, it is unfortunately still widespread. This must finally come to an end! For example, there is still the prejudice that same-sex couples should not have children because otherwise the child could also become homosexual.
This is complete nonsense, because the later sexual orientation of the child is not predictable. How the child develops, whether it becomes a good or bad person, “normal” or homosexual, does not depend on a gene for homosexuality (which does not exist anyway). However, despite this scientifically proven finding, same-sex couples are still made difficult to adopt children. That has to change.
There is no gene for homosexuality. It is not a disease, abnormality or genetic defect to be gay, lesbian or bisexual. Life is as colorful as a rainbow!
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