{"id":8607,"date":"2019-08-30T08:41:57","date_gmt":"2019-08-30T13:41:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=8607"},"modified":"2022-03-13T09:24:34","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T14:24:34","slug":"genetic-links-to-homosexuality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/genetic-links-to-homosexuality\/","title":{"rendered":"Genetic Links to Homosexuality?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

Source:\u00a0<\/strong>Andrea Ganna, “Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior<\/a>,” Science Magazine, 30 August 2019<\/p>\n

The claim is that they found five possible influences toward homosexual behavior in DNA, but at the same time the report is full of qualifiers.<\/p>\n

“In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in male and female same-sex sexual behavior, … These aggregate genetic influences partly overlapped with those on a variety of other traits, including externalizing behaviors such as smoking, cannabis use, risk-taking, and the personality trait ‘openness to experience.'”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In other words, these influences don’t tell us much about a person’s actual sexual behavior and that what could be measured is a person’s willingness to engage in risky behavior. (Though I doubt that is genetically governed.)<\/p>\n

“In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25% of variation in same-sex sexual behavior, only partially overlapped between males and females, and do not allow meaningful prediction of an individual\u2019s sexual behavior.”<\/p>\n

“We established that the underlying genetic architecture is highly complex; there is certainly no single genetic determinant (sometimes referred to as the \u201cgay gene\u201d in the media). … All measured common variants together explain only part of the genetic heritability at the population level and do not allow meaningful prediction of an individual\u2019s sexual preference.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Source:\u00a0<\/strong>Lindsey Tanner, “New genetic links to same-sex sexuality found, but no specific gene, new study shows<\/a>,” Chicago Tribune, 29 August 2019.<\/p>\n

“… it echoes research that says there are no specific genes that make people gay.”<\/p>\n

“The researchers said thousands more genetic variants likely are involved and interact with factors that aren’t inherited, but that none of them cause the behavior nor can predict whether someone will be gay.”<\/p>\n

“We also found that it’s effectively impossible to predict an individual’s sexual behavior from their genome.”<\/p>\n

“A Science commentary notes that the five identified variants had such a weak effect on behavior that using the results ‘for prediction, intervention or a supposed ‘cure’ is wholly and unreservedly impossible.'”<\/p>\n

“Former National Institutes of Health geneticist Dean Hamer said the study confirms “that sexuality is complex and there are a lot of genes involved,” but it isn’t really about gay people. “Having just a single same sex experience is completely different than actually being gay or lesbian,” Hamer said. His research in the 1990s linked a marker on the X chromosome with male homosexuality. Some subsequent studies had similar results but the new one found no such link<\/strong>.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It is significant that this study yields evidence that past studies were inaccurate. What we are left with is a continued claim that there\u00a0might be<\/em> a\u00a0tendency<\/em> toward homosexual behavior that is genetically based but that genetics cannot predict actual behavior.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Source:\u00a0Andrea Ganna, “Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior,” Science Magazine, 30 August 2019 The claim is that they found five possible influences toward homosexual behavior in DNA, but at the same time the report is full of qualifiers. “In aggregate, all tested genetic variants accounted for 8 to 25%…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[35],"class_list":["post-8607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-issues","tag-homosexuality"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":998,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-a-person-be-born-gay\/","url_meta":{"origin":8607,"position":0},"title":"Can a person be born gay?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 1, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was just wondering if you had any biblical defense for someone saying they are born gay. I think it's a choice and I was wondering if any scriptures helped support this. I recently heard of a friend who had only been a Christian for a year and has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":26401,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/study-of-identical-twins-show-homosexuality-is-not-genetic\/","url_meta":{"origin":8607,"position":1},"title":"Study of Identical Twins Show Homosexuality Is Not Genetic","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 13, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Source: Holland Davis, \"Identical twin studies prove homosexuality is not genetic.\" 13 May 2013. Source: Whitehead, N. E., Ph.D., \"The Importance of Twin Studies.\" Narth. Source: Whitehead, N. E.,\u00a0My Genes Made Me Do It. After years of trying to prove a genetic basis to homosexuality, the evidence is mounting that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Issues"","block_context":{"text":"Issues","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22106,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/no-gay-gene-according-to-the-american-psychological-association\/","url_meta":{"origin":8607,"position":2},"title":"No “Gay” Gene According to the American Psychological Association","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 4, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Science in its ever-fickle way has come to the conclusion that Christians have known all along: There is no gene that causes homosexuality. The attempt to prove that homosexuality is determined biologically has been dealt a knockout punch. An American Psychological Association publication includes an admission\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/searching-300x219.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16716,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-brain-region-sizes-or-pheromones-prove-homosexuality-is-genetic\/","url_meta":{"origin":8607,"position":3},"title":"Do brain region sizes or pheromones prove homosexuality is genetic?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 31, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In college, I've been taking a non-verbal communication class which teaches us about different aspects of what some people refer to as \"body language\". Throughout the class, the instructor had made claims that homosexuality has a genetic basis and that there's evidence that may lead us to believe that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18250,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/people-do-leave-homosexuality\/","url_meta":{"origin":8607,"position":4},"title":"People Do Leave Homosexuality","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Source: Jeff Johnston, \"Do People Change from Homosexuality? Hundreds of Stories of Hope and Transformation,\" The Daily Citizen, 5 August 2015. A list of stories of people who left homosexuality, some for decades. \"Typically, this is a process of growth and change, not an instantaneous transformation. Nor is it easy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Issues"","block_context":{"text":"Issues","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3107,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-homosexuality-isnt-genetic-then-is-heterosexuality-genetic\/","url_meta":{"origin":8607,"position":5},"title":"If homosexuality isn’t genetic, then is heterosexuality genetic?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 9, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Please explain that if homosexuals are not born that way, then there is no evidence heterosexuals are born that way either. So when did you choose to be a heterosexual? Can heterosexuals also be converted into homosexuals? Can a heterosexual fall in love with someone of the same sex?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8607\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}