Moms' Genetics Might Help Produce Gay Sons

[deadparrot]

TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- New research adds a twist to the debate on the origins of sexual orientation, suggesting that the genetics of mothers of multiple gay sons act differently than those of other women.

Scientists found that almost one fourth of the mothers who had more than one gay son processed X chromosomes in their bodies in the same way. Normally, women randomly process the chromosomes in one of two ways -- half go one way, half go the other.

The research "confirms that there is a strong genetic basis for sexual orientation, and that for some gay men, genes on the X chromosome are involved," said study co-author Sven Bocklandt, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Los Angeles.

The link between genetics and sexual orientation has been a hot topic for more than a decade as a few scientists have tried to find genes that might make people gay or straight. In the new study, Bocklandt and colleagues examined a phenomenon called "X-chromosome inactivation."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20060222/hl_hsn/momsgeneticsmighthelpproducegaysons

[Deja Q]

1. I also know there are 2 Jokers in a new deck of cards. So what? BTW,

I have NO gay relatives on mum's side of the family.

On dad's side of the family they're all over the place...

Doesn't matter. I'm so lonely I'll take anybody. Love IS about the other person.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. I'm not a fellow,

but will you take a hug from a sympathetic fellow DUer? :hug:

[hopein08]

5. Yeah, my mom has 3 brothers...

all went to Catholic schools all their lives and two are gay.

I'd like the researchers to explain that one.

[hallc]

10. well it would have to do with your

Grandmother's X chromosome...

[Atlas Mugged]

15. You're lonely???

I hope you're exaggerating. I think you're of the most interesting people on DU.

[mondo joe]

31. Your dad's side of the family has mothers too. :-)

And there's overlap.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. This makes sense

I saw a documentary that said that portions of the brains of gays are structurally different than straights. So the idea of a "gay gene" makes sense to me.

[asthmaticeog]

3. Great. Evidence that gay couples adopting kids don't turn kids gay.

The right wing can now *officially* STFU about homosexual people.

[Extend a Hand]

6. What, and give up that bias?

Your talking about a group of people that believe the earth is 6000 yrs old.
I don't think they're going to let a little science stand in their way.

*sigh*

[bigscott]

7. I'm gay

my brother is totally straight - can I blame HIM on my mother too?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. Nah...They'll blame the mothers of gay men

and promote genetic screening to determine who is more likely to produce gay offspring. Those women would then be subject to mandatory sterilization.

[asthmaticeog]

21. Well put, thank you.

I was thinking along those lines, but failed to find a concise way to say it.

:toast: <== Guinness, of course.

[Up2Late]

36. Just like in the old days (pre-1960's) in the Ol'South.

What was that called?

Eugenics!

<http://againsttheirwill.journalnow.com/>

[Boomer]

8. So where does that leave gay women?

Two of my first cousins (brother and sister) are gay, as am I. We also all bear a closer physical resemblance to each other than with our other cousins (my female cousin is always assumed to be my sister). And we have good anecdotal evidence that one of our great-aunts was also gay.

But our family genetics don't fit this matrilineal theory AT ALL since we are related through my mother and their father (brother and sister). Plus, our great-aunt was our grand-father's sister, so no maternal influence there either.

Which doesn't invalidate this theory for SOME gays, just suggests that there are multiple inheritance factors at work.

[hallc]

11. It would depend on which X chromosome is inactivated

Since women have 2, they can either use the one from mom or the one from dad. Im assuming that if they used the one from Mom and she had the "gay gene", the female could be a lesbian.

[Double T]

9. I have always believed that sexual orientation was strongly........

related to genetics. How long will it be before the bush administration attempts to silence these scientists findings.

[Akoto]

12. Scarier thought.

How long before women with genetics prone to producing gay children are legally prohibited from producing offspring?

[customerserviceguy]

14. If the science is developed

to let them know that there is a gay child in their uterus, they already have the complete right to abort that child. What percentage will avail themselves of this option?

[BattyDem]

17. When science can indetify a gay child in the uterus ...

the Fundies will probably do a complete about-face and DEMAND that abortion be recognized as a God-given right! :eyes:

[customerserviceguy]

19. No

But they will demand that all that money being "wasted" on HIV treatment and prevention be diverted to genetic research to "cure" homosexuality in-vitro.

The "country club" Republicans will probably do so, but they're OK with abortion anyway...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

48. science can indentify a gay child in the uterus

when the ultrasound technician sees the fetus do a triple Axel followed by a double toe loop.

[zalinda]

18. Even scarier................

how many countries will turn a blind eye to a woman being killed for having a gay offspring.

zalinda

[GoddessOfGuinness]

23. So we go from "This is unnatural behavior" to

"There must be something wrong with nature...Let's fix it!"

[MsMagnificent]

37. Kinda kills Intelligent Design, doesn't it? :>

[hallc]

13. This makes complete sense.

The genetics of the X chromosome is very complicated - A woman uses only one of her X chromosomes, but either of her X chromosomes can be passed on to a child, even the deactivated one. It would make sense that a woman could have multiple gay children because the X chromosome with the "gay gene" was the one in the egg. She could also have straight children because they got the egg with the "non-gay gene" X chromosome. With lesbians, it would have to do with which X chromosome was deactivated - if the father's X chromosome was deactivated and the mother passed on an X chromosome with the "gay gene", the woman would be a lesbian. She would be straight if the "gay gene" X chromosome is deactivated, or she got a "non-gay gene" X chromosome from her mom and her dad's X chromosome was deactivated. :phew:

EDIT - OR the father could pass on a "gay gene" X chromosome as well and thus the 2 "gay gene" X chromosomes would produce a lesbian.

This would however make many, many more gay men than lesbians - im not sure of statistics - is their a higher number of gay men than lesbians, or is it equal?

[Atlas Mugged]

16. I've had the peculiar distinction....

....of having had relationships with 4 different men over the years who had identical twin brothers who were totally straight. I met all but one of the twin brothers and they were identical; same manerisms, same voices, same....oh, I never did find out about that.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

22. What are the odds?

That's amazing!

[mondo joe]

25. The odds are against it.

In studies of gay siblings, gay identical twins are statistically more likely than non-identical-twin siblings to also be gay.

If you like, you could also factor in a bit of denial and the number would go up - not that it would be scientifically material.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

28. I would think that if one twin came out

the other would feel less inclined to deny his sexual orientation.

[mondo joe]

29. My partner delayed coming out because his sister did and

it was so traumatic for their mother. After what he saw he just couldn't do it.

And people remain closeted - even to themselves at times - for many many reasons.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

30. I see...

It's heartbreaking to know there are so many who do not feel free to be themselves.

I hope all is well now for your partner and his family.

[mondo joe]

33. For their family it's all water under the bridge and no issue at all now.

But back then it was a big deal.

Having one sibling come out made it even harder for the second, though, at the time, so I can easily see how it could happen in other families as well.

[Pattib]

24. Of interest to me. My son is gay and I also have

two gay nephews, each from a different sister. My father only had one sibling, a brother and he was gay.
Something else my sisters and I often discuss, while we all know that gay men run the spectrum from more feminine to zero femininity, our three sons are all very masculine...don't want to stereotype but they are all college football players, rock music loving, non-shopping oriented males.

We often joke with each other that they tricked us. We all grew up in a very liberal household where there were as many gays as straights around and logically we know this is not unusual, yet we find it interesting that we all have a Will and not a Jack?

[Runcible Spoon]

26. another fuck-you to the bisexuals and try-sexuals

:evilfrown: I guess we'll never be accepted anywhere :(

[cboy4]

27. You know, in some ways it would be nice to finally try put

to rest the notion that people choose to be gay - - Uh Huuhh, like I'd choose to be gay so I could be shunned by society!! That's a good one!!! :rofl:

I think it's a waste of time frankly. But even if it's scientifically proved, you know damn well all of the hate-mongering, fundamentalist christian-types won't believe a damn word of it and will consider their crusade to make my and other people's lives miserable :wtf:

[Up2Late]

51. My theory is that all the homo-phobics are secretly afraid that....

...their kids turned out Gay, because of their tiny little preacher's, the one's they don't like to talk about.

[KitchenWitch]

32. That's right - blame the mother!

It is always the mother's fault! :P

[Kailassa]

34. When will scientists look for a gene to explain freeperism?

I long for a world in which everyone is treated as utterly precious for what they are, and no reason-why is asked for by anyone except out of healthy, scientific wish to explore the world of facts to see where they can take us.

I long for a world in which all (non abusive) love is revered, and a kiss between any pair of lovers will make the hearts of strangers passing by warm with shared happiness.

I long for a world in which people are free to think for themselves, bugger bullshit interpretations of prehistoric precepts being thrust at us by putitanical perverts.

From the books of Samuel:

... the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ...
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, "Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen (David) the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?"

... and (David and Jonathan) kissed one another, and wept one with another, ...

And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son: ... "I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."

[Occulus]

41. I've seen that "brotherly love" thing

in fact, I've experienced it myself.

I have had two friends in my life, named Dave and Jeremy, who were like brothers to me. I cried with them, I laughed with them. In fact, I've cried TO them, and laughed AT them.

I NEVER- not once, EVER- made any "moves" toward them- even though they were BOTH the sort of guy I could see myself with- because they were my friends. No, correct that- they were MORE than friends, the brothers I never had.

Therefore, I must TRULY apologize to all Christians reading this when I say, sorry...... Daivd and Jonathon were queer as three dollar bills. Gay as jaybirds. FLAMING homosexuals.

Well. I don't know about the flaming part, but.... those are NOT NOT NOT the sorts of things you say to someone who was as a brother to you. They ARE, however, the sorts of things you might say to a gay lover you care deeply for. I should know; I'm gay myself.

It's RIGHT THERE, in the fucking Bible. READ it.

HELLLLOOOOOO? Bueller?

Bueller???

*sigh*

[Up2Late]

35. Smells like BS to me, plus it's not LBN, more than 24 hours old per Google

If you Google the headline "Moms' Genetics Might Help Produce Gay Sons" then switch to Google News, it will tell you how long ago it was posted in minutes or hours, if longer that 23 hours, Google gives a date, which is Feb. 21, 2006.

This is so vaguely written and there are so many qualifiers, this should not be passed off as "science."

For example:

"...almost one fourth..." (that's less than 25%), yet below it says, "...

"...suggesting that..."

"...In contrast, 4 percent of mothers with no gay sons activated the chromosome and 13 percent of those with just one gay son did...."

"...What does this all mean? The researchers aren't sure, but Bocklandt thinks he and his colleagues are moving closer to understanding the origins of sexual orientation...."
:freak:

Plus, I didn't find "...the February issue of the journal Human Genetics." Is there a journal called Human Genetics? I couldn't find one.

This paragraph is important to note:

...Still, there are caveats. Dr. Ionel Sandovici, a genetics researcher at The Babraham Institute in Cambridge, England, pointed out that most of the mothers of multiple gay sons didn't share the unusual X-chromosome trait. And the study itself is small, which means more research will need to be done to confirm its findings, Sandovici said....

Plus this is from a website that offers "Custom content -- writing health news to meet a client's needs.""Custom content????"

<http://www.dejavu.org/cgi-bin/get.cgi?ver=95&url=http://www.healthday.com/aboutus%2Faboutus1.htm>
<http://www.healthday.com/view.cfm?id=531088>

And finding info on "Scout News, LLC" is very difficult, which is usually a bad sign.

[Runcible Spoon]

42. this is the most worthwhile post in the thread

thanks for the sleuthing, Up2Late. People don't seem to realize the disgusting nature of biological determinism when the issue at hand suits them, as sympathetic as I am to gay rights.

[NashVegas]

44. It Just Made It In

Unless the rules changed. 12 hours. Exactly.

[formercia]

38. will Fearless Leader have them sterilized?

or just tell them never to have sex again.....

[xchrom]

39. all bow to the mighty XCHROM!

[SoCalDem]

40. There is SO much we don't know...BUT

what good is it REALLY to even know this stuff? What's the outcome? To test females for that "mutant" possibility and prevent her from bearing children?

Isn't it just a better idea to just realize that people can be/ and ARE all different..Not better than or worse than..just different??

Would a woman longing for a child say "Whoa..I'm not having babies because they "might" end up gay"?

MOST people (decent people anyway) only care about this issue bcause of the way OTHER (IGNORANT) people TREAT their 'babies'..Just as if their 'baby' grew up to be less than drop-dead-gorgeous, or had a weight problem, or a speech impediment..

This "issue" is about HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER...NOT WHOM WE LOVE OR HOW WE LOOK..

[Up2Late]

50. Anyone who thinks the way you discribed...,

"Whoa..I'm not having babies because they "might" end up gay...," it might be better if that type of person just stop reproducing altogether. Maybe then the ignorant homophobe gene might eventually die out.

[420inTN]

43. Something similar has happened in my family

A great-uncle was gay, and his daughter has two gay sons.

[IndianaGreen]

45. But the preacher man said on TV that the homosexual lifestyle is a choice

made by people. Don't confuse me with all this science stuff!

I believe in Jesus!

:sarcasm:

[6000eliot]

46. Why don't they ever study what makes people straight?

[Odin2005]

47. This might be what geneticists call a "male-killer" gene.

Male-killer and Female-killer genes are selfish genes that skew the ratios of fertile adults in a population (before things like in-vitro fertilization was around gay people would most likely not have kids because of no attraction to the opposite sex). Bisexuality my be the result of "countermesure" genes evolved to silence the selfish genes; a person with the selfish gene who also inheirits enough of the countermesure genes would still be straight, pa person with a lack of countermesure genes would be gay, and people with some but not enough countermesure genes would be bi.

[Diresu]

49. Sorry folks... they aren't going to find a gay gene

Genetics certainly plays a part in human sexuality but not in a "direct" way. In identical twins if 1 is homosexual there is only a 10% chance that the other will be. That's more than the average which makes it interesting, but it would be 100% (ok maybe 80% or 90% because people lie) if homosexuality was purely based on genes. Current research (not politically biased crap from either side) suggests that it's neither genetics nor socialization that causes homosexuality in men. It's probably the result of something happening to the embryo during early development. The article below from the Boston Globe is pretty darned fascinating.


http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/08/14/what_makes_people_gay/