NEWS: Political Ramifications: Scientists Change Sexuality of Gay Sheep

CULTURE: Political Ramifications: Scientists Change Sexuality of Gay Sheep

As scientists edge closer and closer to understanding the chemistry behind sexual orientation, human rights organizations and politicians are once again faced with difficult questions concerning the social ramifications. Here is an excerpt from the Times Online.

Gay activists are up in arms. Their fears are very real, as people speculate science may soon be able to preemptively eliminate homosexuality in newborns during the mother's pregnancy. This could mean nations across the globe which criminalize homosexuality, could breed out the issue rather than address it, or learn toleration.

Martina Navratilova is pissed.

In my opinion, it is unwise to ask scientific research to stop while we flesh out the ethical questions. No one, not even those doing the research themselves, always know where the study will lead, what the results will show. Often times great discoveries are made while researchers are chasing a different goal. When science is making progress asking it to stop because we aren't socially confident enough to address its discoveries robs the world of potential medical breakthroughs and humanitarian miracles.

Here's a crazy hypothetical. What if continuing research helps researchers determine a way to make sterile parents have children?

Obviously the human race is responsible for whatever it discovers, but should we stop looking because we don't think we're grown up enough to deal with what we've found? If doctors discover a way to make homosexuals heterosexual, we are responsible to not use this drug on anyone who does not want to experience its effect. What right does Martina Navratilova have to deny a man who does not want to be gay the choice to decide for himself.

It's scary, but not clear cut. In fact, Professor Roselli believes this research will lead to a society more aware of the causes of sexual orientation and thereby become more sexually tolerant as a whole.

*** Pete_Noir provided the Times source link.

I hope, while they're searching for the way to straighten sheep, they find a way to breed out bigotry, cruelty, stupidity, political affiliation and religious conviction.

Fingers crossed for those things have a biological basis and scientific cure.

y'know, if you can 'cure' homosexuality, you can probably cause it. if this works, i bet the social implications will be even more extreme--and less draconic--than people think. you'll be able to pop a pill and have gay weekend. or a straight weekend. or a sheep weekend. who knows?

Does this all still fall under a woman's right to choose? It is after all something growing in her body shouldn't she have the right to determine not only if it survives but other possible outcomes.

I can't help but be completely reminded of X-Men 3. Watch out gay community. Pretty soon the government will be arming soldiers with plastic guns and darts filled with anti-gay serum and they'll wage a war on you.

But Wolverine's got your back

i'd just like to point out that the gay activists who are protesting this research sound a hell of a lot like the fundamentalists who protest non-Christian research.

I would imagine the purpose is to determine the extent to which hormones and/or other chemicals in our biological soup have a role in determining sexuality.

Given the disagreement over whether homosexuality is a choice or not still influences public policy, it seems shortsighted to condemn this particular bit of research as pointless, and/or homophobic.

The same purpose all science serves which is knowing why things are the way they are. To claim this study is wrong because you don't like the possible future implications is just as outrageous as opposing stem cell or cloning research.

i don't think anyone is 'hiding behind' science. i think that if you read what the actual researchers say, rather than what all the activists are blathering about, you'll find that the experiments are an exploration of sexuality rather than an attempt to eradicate homosexuality.

or as outrageous as trying to teach Creationism in public schools, or trying to keep books that state that the Grand Canyon was created during the flood of Noah, rather than by natural forces. i guess Christianity doesn't have a monopoly on unreasoning zealotry.

It seems to me that there's an interesting parallel with the deaf community. The more militant branch there feels threatened by medical science, some arguing for children to be left deaf 'til they reach the age of 18 and can make their own decisions. It seems to me that leaving a child to grow up deaf is crossing the line of doing harm, although some wouldn't.

I would hope that making a child straight, or gay, wouldn't be seen as doing harm, because being either is fine. The ideal would be to have a society where these options are available but rarely used. Although not easily available in the west, gender selection isn't a problem as people are mostly happy whatever. Things get ugly when people want more than happy and healthy children.

I was kinda thinking the same thing. I don't really see the reason why people are afraid of this. In countries where being gay is a "crime" it offers an alternative to at least stay alive. I know it could then be deemed torture by changing someone's sexuality but I would rather someone turn me gay then kill me for it. Does that make sense? :S

IMO I hope they continue the research in all areas even if it cures me of being straight, gay, male, or from being hairy.

It doesnt say the sheep goes straight, it says it becomes more inclined to have sex with the opposite gender where it was inclined to have sex with the same gender.....It doesnt claim to STOP the ram wanting some same sex action
SOOOO typical of you binary thinkers to leap into the two camps of gay and straight across the divide and forget about us bisexuals....
If this proves to be a cure for monosexuality then im all for dosing everyone at birth, make the whole world bi and stop all the argument dead in its tracks.....


seriously tho, as a dairy farmer I see fantastic applications for being able to switch on and off a bulls hetrosexual urges......We often come across highly bred "gay" bulls who simply end up going to macdonalds.
I might mention here tho, that in my experience, I have never encountered an entirely gay bull, nor heard of one. for a farmer a "gay" bull would be simply a poor performing one who more than half the time prefers other bulls over cows, they still , even occasionally get some hetro nookie

Bloody freaking hell.

Why bother?

see, that's the sharp flipside of a woman's right to choose. i know there are people who will say that a woman should have the right to choose to have an abortion, but not the right to determine her child's sexual orientation. i think these people are basically stupid.

i'm not disparaging a woman's right to choose to have an abortion. i'm pro-choice. but i think anyone who says that it's okay to kill your unborn kid, but that it's not okay to make him straight (or gay), is incredibly delusional.

I would even take it a step further. I think anyone who says a woman has the right to choose to have an abortion but are against other personal choices about what a person can do with your body like prostitution or drugs have two conflicting views on essentially the same issue.

gay sheep? are they fucking serious?

I'm more worried about the gay Llamas.

That's kind of my thought. Like, really, Science? Are you done with AIDS and cancer and just haven't told us yet or something?

and what was your most recent contribution to the global unification of scientific enterprise towards solving Earth's most pressing problems? i think it's hypocritical to criticize someone for not doing something you're not willing to do yourself.

reasonable enough, Pekoe.

What was my last contribution to modern science? Nothing, really. I'm not a fucking scientist. Do you limit your opinions solely to the areas in which you've made notable changes and advanced a global cause?

Why? Because they are happy with who they are and don't agree with a chemically-induced sexual orientation that is essentially unnatural for the victim...er.....baby?

If you think homosexuality is one of the Earth's most pressing problems, you are quite delusional.

Fuck, you'd think they'd work on breeding out racism, stupidity, and intolerance first.