Is there a gay gene?

By Rev. Stephen-Claude Hyatt
Contributor

THERE ARE several scientists who hold the view that homosexuality is not a choice that someone simply makes; rather, it is something that is based on their biological makeup. In recent years, scientists as well as psychologists have been questioning the traditional (biblical) view of homosexuality. They have begun to examine the possibility of prenatal hormonal influences dictating the sexuality of individuals.

If this view is correct, then it is suggesting that the individual is not necessarily responsible for his/her sexual orientation. Some have even taken the argument a bit further by suggesting that individuals are programmed to becoming heterosexual or homosexual, regardless of their social circumstances.

More and more scientists have been developing evidence to suggest that homosexuality is linked to the levels of male or female hormones in a person's body. Coming out of their interests, it was discovered that homosexual males tend to have significantly lower levels of male hormones than their heterosexual counterparts. This led to the question as to whether or not there existed a "gay gene".

In 1993, Dean Hamer conducted a series of studies on 40 pairs of gay brothers. He discovered that many gay men carried an identical version of a small segment of X chromosome's DNA known as Xq28. The family history of these gay men revealed that the males in their families were more predisposed to becoming gay.

Further studies which strengthen this theory of a gay gene, is seen in the research of Dr. Ann Perkins, who discovered that 10 per cent of rams are attracted only to other male sheep, while a further 10 per cent have no interest in sex at all. It was also revealed that grasshoppers mate with males and females indiscriminately, while male fruit flies persistently court each other. This notion was, however, refuted by Journalist Chandler Burr, who posits that only Homo Sapiens have what we call sexual orientation, just as we are the only animals with a sense of humour.

Rev. Stephen-Claude Hyatt is guidance counsellor at Jamaica College.
yahgnosis@hotmail.com

Articles In This Series

• I was born this way July 25,2001

• Sexuality and the law July 25,2001

• Homophobia remains HIGH July 26,2001

• Bisexual woman struggles with identity July 26,2001

• Is there a gay gene? July 26,2001

• Homos at risk July 26,2001

• Sexual orientation: Is there a conclusion? July 278,2001

• 'I was sleeping with their husband and father' July 27,2001

• Sexual orientation:Critiquing the theories, looking at the realities (new) August 13, 2001

• US Church divided on issue (new) August 13, 2001

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