Scientific proof that being gay is not a choice

Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and presidential hopeful, recently apologized for a statement in which he said being gay is "absolutely" a choice. However, biologists have documented homosexual behavior in more than species, arguing that same-sex behavior is not an unnatural choice, and may in fact play a vital role within populations.

No single gene associated with being gay

As for the claim made by Godfrey and others that homosexuality is the result of poor parenting, there is simply no legitimate scientific evidence to support it. There is no single gene responsible for a person being gay or a lesbian. That’s the first thing you need to know about the largest genetic investigation of sexuality ever, which was published. It seems tenuous, therefore, to assert that the discovery of a genetic link for homosexuality would somehow “legitimate” gay and lesbian identity, or result in the eradication of societal discrimination against homosexual people, despite empirical evidence of an association between genetic explanations and tolerance toward gays and lesbians.

That study, involving more than pairs of gay brothers, followed the report by geneticist Dean Hamer suggesting the existence of a "gay gene. LGBT groups call for gender law reform. This is not a choice. This proves that homosexuality can be inherited.

Essentially, these gay uncles are helping their relatives to reproduce. That's not in anyone's interest. Epi-marks are usually erased from generation to generation. Now a new study claims to dispel the notion that a single gene or handful of genes make a person prone to same-sex behavior. Why you can still be fired in US for being gay. While the evolutionary purpose of this behavior is not clear, the fact that animals routinely exhibit same-sex behavior belies the notion that gay sex is a modern human innovation.

Other studies have linked sexual orientation with environmental factors such as hormone exposure before birth and having older brothers. And scientific evidence shows their parents cannot be blamed. Ask yourself that question. The epigenetics hypothesis suggests that one develops a predisposition to homosexuality by inheriting these epi-marks across generations.

August 29, 4 min read. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Subscription Plans Give a Gift Subscription. If this suggestion were correct same-sex orientations would decrease and disappear with time.

The rest was presumably a result of environmental or other biological influences.

Massive Study Finds No Single Genetic Cause of Same-Sex Sexual Behavior | Scientific American

But Hamer, now retired, disagrees. These findings contribute to the notion that although homosexuality can be inherited, this does not occur according to the rules of classical genetics. By Sara Reardon. Studies on identical twins are important as identical twins inherit the same genes. Homosexual men are also more likely to have brothers that are also homosexual.

In an interview on CNN, the potential Republican presidential candidate commented that "a lot of people who go into prison, go into prison straight, and when they come out they're gay, so did something happen while they were in there? Rice and Vilain agree that the conclusion is unclear. It did this against the backdrop of a growing number of new laws in Africa which discriminate against people attracted to others of the same sex.

In geneticist Dean Hamer of the U. A genetic analysis of almost half a million people has concluded there is no single "gay gene".