Is homosexuality genetic?

[DarkTerror]

Just keeping to the facts, I have heard that it is, but I'd like to know more from others to match up realistic scenarios.

In my family, my father's youngest sister is gay. And another younger brother... is thought to be a closeted gay, but acts straight and has a family.

Thus out of 2 of my grandparent's 4 children are thought/known to be gay. And we have a distant cousin who happens to be gay too.

My mother's side does not have homosexuality at all.

So are there people out there, who alll of their relatives are known to be straight?

Ironically my cousins, whose mother is straight along with my dad, on their dad's side have another gay aunt.

Thus they have homosexuality on both sides of the family... genetically this should make my cousins gay, and so far neither have had much of girlfriends for being +20.

 

[Just_Believe18]

It generally is. The reality is that you will always have homosexuals in the human population and they will always be a consistent percentage. That percentage may vary, because many will hide it for a certain period of time or be persecuted to change and even killed.

I never chose to be gay, and for all my life, I've been attracted to males.

 

[Benvolio]

No one knows the cause. The wide diversity among gays may suggest that there are more than one cause:masculine, feminine, dominant, submissive, etc.

 

[DarkTerror]

It generally is. The reality is that you will always have homosexuals in the human population and they will always be a consistent percentage. That percentage may vary, because many will hide it for a certain period of time or be persecuted to change and even killed.

I never chose to be gay, and for all my life, I've been attracted to males.

So do you have relatives who are also homosexual?

 

[elGeniuoso1721]

A good friend of mine has several gay relatives. In my family, however, I am the only (openly/out) gay person on both maternal and paternal sides. There is only a "family rumor" that one of my Mom's cousins is gay.

But to answer your question, I think there is a biological influence, whether there is a gay gene or it's mostly the pre-natal hormonal environment. There are also suggested biological differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biolog...iological_differences_in_gay_men_and_lesbians

We have no absolute proof though I believe. Also we need to consider the social and psychological factors that can shape an individual's sexuality. It's pretty complicated.

 

[Seasoned]

I have a gay brother and my husband had a gay cousin, who is now deceased. My two children are straight.

 

[Rolyo85]

I have a possibly gay uncle. That said, these genes may skip generations and it's pretty clear that the farther back you go, the harder it will be to ever find an out gay person, so statistics fail.

 

[Just_Believe18]

So do you have relatives who are also homosexual?

Yes, two gay ones and a bisexual.

 

[GM1985]

Well, studies have shown identical twins one of whom is straight whereas the other is gay. There is the theory that epigenetics could hold a genetic answer to homosexuality without it actually being ascribed to genetic sequences. I'm of the belief that it's explanation lies in a series of different things, e.g. biological influences etc.

 

[ZmercTheDuke]

My uncle is believed to be gay, though hes not blood related, hes my moms step brother. Hes never had a GF, and and is in his early 70s. One the nicest guys I have ever met, mom said he use to travel with a guy "friend" who they believed to be his boyfriend, because then they suddenly stopped hanging out. I feel bad for him, I hope he comes out one day, if he is gay that is. Other that I have grand-uncle on my mothers fathers side, he was actually removed from family for being gay, but his father made up with him on his deathbed last year.

 

[2untru]

I can't picture sexual preference being genetic. It would be like saying my dislike of chocolate is genetic since all my brothers like it but my dad's sister and older brother doesn't. I can imagine it being a form of nature as a means to keep a population under control, but even then that theory is.....eh.

Homosexuality is a sliding scale that varies person to person. A couple millennia ago when religion was less a factor, homosexuality was not uncommon (if the history books/chanel are correct). So I would be more obliged to ask is heterosexuality genetic. Almost everyone has the instinct to reproduce, but what influences a person to only want to be with the opposite sex instead of a sliding combination of the two. This applies in terms of promiscuity. If you're in a relationship then I consider you less hetero/homo and more mono(gamous).

But basically, I don't think it's JUST genetic but maybe it has some influence. And drawing a comparison to one's family is more coincidence in my eyes. I have gay family, and everyone I know personally does as well (at least those who feel the need to comment when I tell them I like guys). Anyone who says they don't have gay family, probably doesn't know all of their family (or has a really small family).

[only my theories, I have published no books. this is based solely on the sense most common to me]