Does homosexuality run in families?

[Throckmorton]

Do you think homosexuality runs in families, and if so, why; or If not, why not?

My “wife’s” family has the following: two sisters that are gay, one nephew who is gay, and just last weekend her 16 year old niece came-out to my wife. My wife is a lesbian leaning bi-sexual, and we have a marriage that is mostly of convenience, not that I don’t deeply care for her, it’s just that the physical thing isn’t really where we are at.

BTW, my wife’s father is a cast-iron bastard, and should have been jailed for child abuse (physical not sexual). What a sick sadist is all I can say. He had no sons, (6 daughters) and I think he was very bitter about that. He had horrendous punishments for the most minor of infractions.

So DU’ers, what say you?

[SmileyBoy]

1. I believe it's some type of chromosomal mutation.

I'm in the camp that believes that homosexuality is a genetic trait. I've heard of plenty of stories about families who have many gay people in them, and about gay people (man and woman) who went through these sham fundy church programs designed to "straighten out gay people". The gay man and woman, still in denial, have a child, and that child, over the years, turns out to be gay.

I've read many studies about it and have done lots of research, including studies from the New England Journal of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins Medical School, etc. for reports and essays that I did in the past for political science classes in high school.

I believe it's a natural genetic trait, so yes, I believe it can run in families.

[Dagaz]

5. same here

I work with a lesbian who has a gay brother. We had another who has a lesbian sister and their Mom divorced for another woman.

[The Zanti Regent]

2. I wonder about environmental factors, too...

I remember the part in Greg Palast's BEST DEMOCRACY MONEY CAN BUY book about Monsanto's BHT dairy hormones making cows produce more milk and I wonder what effect such hormones have on humans?

[hlthe2b]

4. Many Pesticides and other compounds, like PCB's have

estrogenic effects.....

[hlthe2b]

3. I don't know.... what I do think....

is that it is a shame that we can't study homosexuality for fear of research findings being perverted for someone's homophobic agenda. It seems that in this age, we should be able to conclusively answer what determines ones' sexuality. But then, that would be "evolutionary," wouldn't it?

Same with the study of violence being taboo for fear we might find something out that would offend the NRA...

[elfin]

6. It does in the "step" part of my family

Of those three step sibs, one daughter is gay, one has a gay son and one now wonders if her daughter committed suicide 20 years ago because she had struggles with her sexual orientation that neither she admitted nor her parents wondered about at that time, but now do due to later revelations from her sister and nephew. Looking back, I now believe that was part of her emotional distress that she could not or would not share with those who loved her. The times were so very differdnt then in sharing and accepting that information.

[jeter]

7. I don't think so

I've known many homosexuals, including a family member. I haven't met one with a family history.

This works both ways.

Many homosexuals have children that are straight.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

8. it might be. . .it might not be.

it's most certainly possible that homosexuality is passed down genetically. it's also certainly possible that it's a combination of genetics and socio-psychological inputs.

it's also possible that homosexuality is not genetic, as, intuitively, thousands of years of evolution select against any gene that restricts the likelihood of reproduction - and the perpetuation of the gene. Science is anything but intuitive, however, so this answer seems rather simplistic. It's also to say that homosexuals do not reproduce, which clearly they do.

I think that any sexuality is determined by a matrix of genetic and socio-psychological inputs.

[Nikia]

11. But gay sisters and brothers might help raise children

Since are social and young children are so helpless, it is useful to have several people looking out for the well being of the child. That is why it was also an advantage for a child to have a grandmother without young children of her own (menopause). Even if they did not directly raise the child, they could better contribute resources and labor to the group since they did not need to be tied up in parenting. Pure homosexuality amongst some (obviously not all) does not have to be counter to evolution amongst humans.

[PVnRT]

9. Well, since it seems to be genetic

I would say yes.

[TrogL]

10. yes, it's genetic

[ldf]

12. yes

homosexuality runs in ALL families. you just don't always know about it.

[David Zephyr]

24. The Correct Answer.

All families, all generations, all cultures, all lands and all time.

[mitchtv]

13. My guess is yes

the studies show that if you are gay,you have a better chance of having a gay sibling.My partner's ex had 3 boys gay ,1 girl gay, and 1 straight in his family. that's quite a lot. However my partner and I are both the youngest of 5 and there are none (that we know of) in our enormous family of siblings or neices/nephews. There might be a couple in the grand nephew generation, so it wouldn't suprise me if it skipped a generation sometimes

[kyrasdad]

14. I dunno, but...

My Father, My Great Uncle, and a cousin were gay. Unfortunalty, they weren't able to express it. All were married in loveless marriages, all had some sort of substance abuse problems. I "came out" when I was 17, and didn't give a damn what anyone thought... I knew about my Father, but didn't find out about the rest until years later...

[Ratty]

15. I believe it does, to an extent

It seems there are probably lots of factors that determine homosexuality, not any single one. I think genetics *may* play a role but I think influences while very young can play a role too. I've seen too many cases of gay friends coming from the same family environment as me to discount it. That's where the nurture comes in. I've also known gays who lived in quite a different environment, which is where the nature may play a role. I think most of the time it's a combination of the two, nature vs. nurture. This is purely anecdotal, from my own experience. Who knows what an unbiased study that wasn't politically or religiously biased would demonstrate.

The one thing I am certain of is that it is NOT a choice. Why religious and right-wing whackos keep claiming this is completely beyond me. How can they continue to get away with that lie? Do they really believe some 8 year old consciously decides to be attracted to the same sex one day? Even if, say, it were some weird, subconscious choice. That can't be a choice. I can no more choose what my subconscious decides than I can control what other individuals choose.

So, yeah. Sometimes it really is your fault Ma.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

16. The so-called religious claim it because they need to believe it

otherwise, their whole agenda is shot.
Someone should ask them at what age did they CHOOSE.
I believe alot of them are closet cases.

[mlawson]

25. Yep, they can NOT win that argument.

Asked when THEY chose, they will likely say, "Oh, I am heterosexual; I did not HAVE to choose!". Checkmate. Since the assumption is that gay people had to choose, then there MUST be some reason why THEY had to choose and 'straights' do not. And such a reason could only be biological.

Of course, the idea that we are BORN that way, implied that "God" made us that way. If that is the case, they can say NOTHING.

[oxymoron]

17. Yes...

My brother is also gay. Two of four boys.

[dsc]

18. I had a gay uncle

and have a lesbian aunt on my dad's side of the family. I am also gay. I think that at least a proclivity runs in families. I do think it is possible in some cases to end up living a straight life even if one is gay but it usually turns out poorly.

[jonnyblitz]

19. I know heterosexuality runs in mine. there are more of those. n/t

[cliss]

20. I've never heard it runs in families

I have read that it's genetic. In other words, you're born with it. So no amount of pressure, convincing, religious "conversion" will have any effect.

Which is probably better. I've also read that around age 13, every person who does end up choosing a gay lifestyle goes through an identity crisis. They know they're different at that time, and realize they have crushes on same-sex people. Then they try to be "normal", for the next few years they try to be heterosexual, i.e. be something they're not. Then, around age 21, they come to the realization that they indeed are different, and often come to grips with it.

I would say in the next decade or so, researchers will probably know for sure exactly what the story is; if it's one's upbringing or genetic. Nature vs. nurture. Until then, I'm betting on nature.

[onebigbadwulf]

21. It's Genetic and Environmental

For some it's both.

Look, a lot of gay people know they've been gay their entire lives. They've never found the opposite sex attractive and have never been sexually excited by the opposite sex.

A lot of gay people have not been gay their entire lives, but experienced traumatic event(s) as children- rape, molestation, abuse, etc. This is a conditioning process which can cause sexual identity problems.


Either way it doesn't matter- they're here to stay and there's no changing it.

For detailed brain regions involved go ahead and ask me =)

[soothsayer]

22. If so, it's a bit of a biological dead end--lots of us don't have kids

So I'm not sure how you'd, er, spread it through families (except in-denial gays who lead straight lives).

[Nikia]

27. See post 11

Of course, that isn't as important now since with modern civilization post children survive to adulthood whether they are raised in an orphanage or have a large family helping out.

[Deja Q]

23. I'm as queer as a 67 cent piece, so here are my valuable 2 cents:

I have an aunt who is a lesbian. There are hints that other family members on dad's side of the family were lesbian.

However, I don't care what causes it.

Homosexuality is not a sin. Nor is it a crime. Nor is it unnatural. Nor is it vile. Nor is it unconstitutional.

World societies need to become tolerant and accepting of people and use reason, not violence, to resolve problems. Not changing people to fit its beliefs. Especially when its beliefs are already dangerous and destructive and in so many ways to so many people.

If homosexuality is genetic, I fear they sure as well will find ways to make EVERYBODY heterosexual. (yet most people are appalled at treating diseased by killing the patients.) "News" programs already have episodes devoted to the possibility of 'custom made' children in the future. You, the parent, can (selfishly, ahem) decide if it's a boy or a girl, what the eye color is, IQ potential, or whatever else. They can tell you if the unborn embryo will have MS or be retarded and then give you the option to abort, et cetera.

If homosexuality is environmental, those against homosexuality will try to change the environment, make life as miserable for us as possible, and so on. In which case we must fight back using the same methods they use. Villains do villainous things and at times we have to act villainous ourselves in order to defeat them.

[Piperay]

26. Probably in most cases

but not always, my grandmother on my mother's side was a lesbian but her twin sister was not and as far as I can figure (though who knows :shrug: ) no one else on that side of the family is gay.

[Nikia]

28. 50% of gay identitical twin men have a gay twin

I read this somewhere. That suggests both a genetic component and an environmental component, although identical twins usually live in a similiar environment.