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Does the gay gene exist?

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Original post by morgan8002
I'd say it's probably the product of a complex interaction between many genetic and environmental factors.


This isn't necessarily the case. There could be a gene with two alleles such that one makes you definitely gay and the other gives you some chance to be gay(determined by environmental factors), or some other complex situation. If the twins had the second allele in my example then they would both have a chance of being gay, so one could be gay and not the other and yet there's still a gene that makes you definitely gay.


Only a GCSE Biologist, so I'm no expert! It was just a theory, like yours is, but yours is an adaptation of mine, and explains a lot more, so yeah i would agree with you.
Reply 21
Original post by morgan8002
I'd say it's probably the product of a complex interaction between many genetic and environmental factors.


This isn't necessarily the case. There could be a gene with two alleles such that one makes you definitely gay and the other gives you some chance to be gay(determined by environmental factors), or some other complex situation. If the twins had the second allele in my example then they would both have a chance of being gay, so one could be gay and not the other and yet there's still a gene that makes you definitely gay.


Won't that show Mendelian inheritance patterns?
Original post by Blue_Mason
I have been doing some research and I am starting to believe that a gay gene is real and can be inherited.


Original post by Ladymusiclover
Not buying it.


Ofcourse its done naturally, but even it isn't and everyone can be gay than doesn't that mean slower population growth that would help future generations survive as more land per person?
Original post by alkaline.
well if it's not genes and if it's not a choice, what is it?


It could be a combination of prenatal factors and environmental factors after a person is born. That hypothesis has some evidence behind it.
Original post by morgan8002
I'd say it's probably the product of a complex interaction between many genetic and environmental factors.

This isn't necessarily the case. There could be a gene with two alleles such that one makes you definitely gay and the other gives you some chance to be gay(determined by environmental factors), or some other complex situation. If the twins had the second allele in my example then they would both have a chance of being gay, so one could be gay and not the other and yet there's still a gene that makes you definitely gay.


I suppose it is possible for there to be a highly penetrant gay gene that causes monogenic homosexuality. Another similar example is autism, which is also a behavioural disorder that exists on a spectrum. Mostly ASDs are polygenic, but certain monogenic syndromes with mendelian inheritance patterns to cause autism (Rett syndrome and Fragile X syndrome).

That said, because homosexuality isn't considered a disease per se, there is no abnormal phenotype to be studied so difficult to make a judgement.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Maker
Won't that show Mendelian inheritance patterns?


Yeah, which rules out that particular system, since it would probably be obvious from the evidence. As I said, it could be more complex. There could be a collection of genes that work together via epistasis so that some combination of alleles makes you definitely gay.
(edited 8 years ago)
Being gay just mean's you have different sexual preferences/taste's, there is no gay gene.
Reply 27
Even if it does, I don't think that we should be focusing on identifying and "treating" it. Because then it becomes a "disease". People should change their attitudes instead.

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