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  • SATURDAY FEBRUARY 25 2006 4:00 PM

Mom, I'm Gay ... And It's Your Fault

Are you born gay or do you choose to be gay? This question has been floating around for a while.

UCLA research might be coming up with some clues.

A study has shown that the genetic makeup of the mother may determine whether or not her son will be gay.

The finding, detailed in the February issue of the journal Human Genetics, adds fuel to the decade-long debate about whether so-called "gay genes" might exist.

The researchers examined a phenomenon called "X chromosome inactivation" in 97 mothers of gay sons and 103 mothers whose sons were not gay.

[...]

Normally, X chromosome inactivation occurs at random: half of the cells in a woman's body will have one X chromosome inactivated, while the other half inactivates the other chromosome.

However, when the researchers in the current study examined cells from those women who had at least two gay sons, they found that 42 of them—or 23 percent—showed something different.

"Every single cell that we looked at in these women inactivated the same X chromosome," Bocklandt told LiveScience. "That's highly unusual."

In contrast, only 4 percent of mothers with no gay sons and 13 percent of those with just one gay son showed this type of extreme skewing.

Bocklandt thinks this suggest that a mother's X chromosomes partly influences whether her son is gay or not.

"We think that there are one or more genes on the X chromosome that have an effect on the sexual orientation of the sons of these mothers, as well as an effect on the cells we were looking at," Bocklandt said.

 

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James_

James_

United Kingdom
March 2003

FEB 26, 2006 06:22 AM

Saraphine said:

next_n_line said:
....."woman is the nigger of the world".....


YIKES! Why is this thread causing people to come out of the woodwork to say fucked up things?? I'd hardly call you a feminist. I see what you were not-so-eloquently trying to say, but shit, dude! N word? *slaps forehead*



"Woman Is the Nigger of the World" is a John Lennon song, I don't think it can really be held to be offensive in context smile

I don't believe in gay and straight, I only believe in people being attracted to certain people, and for some people that's ONLY ever men and for some it's ONLY ever women, but for the majority there's a huge range inbetween where we fall. How many guys have never looked at another guy and said "you know what, he's fucking hot"? I'm guessing very few, and most men go through a homoerotic stage in adolescence where there's a definite "gay" undercurrent to their friendships with each other, and lets not forget that most of my gay friends have had sex with women too, at some point.

To me, being "gay" or "straight" is the same as being attracted to curvy girls, or girls with tattoos or guys with beards or whatever. It's just a preference. Now, that doesn't mean you can consciously change who you are attracted too, just that who you are attracted to doesn't mean jack shit about you.

From all the things I've read over the years, your sexual preferences seem to be the result of both nature and nurture, to use the old cliche, and as such is pretty much in line with the rest of your personality.

Cairo

Cairo

SUICIDEGIRL

Maryland, USA

FEB 26, 2006 09:27 AM

KUNGFOO said:

Drusylla said:

alpha_hazard said:
I always wonder why there is so much research into gay males, but not gay females.



Because gay males are more offensive. Guys are supposed to be masculine-not taking it up the ass. Gay females are hot so no one cares LOL



That's pretty much the truth. Two girls are hot. Two guys are disgusting. I'm sorry, but I find that to be true. Call me a homophobe, but I just think that is disgusting. I don't mean to be oppressive towards gays, but that's just how I am. Don't get me wrong, I'm for gay rights, I just don't want to see that shit.



You get a gold star for pure fucking ignorance!

Hopey

Hopey

Corvallis, OR
January 2004

FEB 26, 2006 10:13 AM

Plus, i buy him barbies on his second birthday...........

Saraphine

Saraphine

SUICIDEGIRL

Pennsylvania, USA

FEB 26, 2006 12:50 PM



"Woman Is the Nigger of the World" is a John Lennon song, I don't think it can really be held to be offensive in context


He is not John Lennon, this is not the seventies, and this is not a good place to throw around racial slurs.

Puuck

Puuck

Brandon, FL
February 2006

FEB 26, 2006 01:13 PM

I don't know about that. Seems like the comment was spot in context and on point. I don't see how you're any more eloquent than he is, Saraphine. I wasn't offended, and it's hard for me to see why anyone should be. I don't believe that he called anyone the "n" word, or was using it as a tool of racism or hate. So what's your problem with what he said?

[Edited on Feb 26, 2006 by Puuck]

Saraphine

Saraphine

SUICIDEGIRL

Pennsylvania, USA

FEB 26, 2006 01:45 PM

Maybe it was the fact that I had just been barraged with a bunch of ignorant statements, and to choose that analogy just seemed entirely insensitive. It was like one post after another! And not EVERYONE knows it's a goddamned John Lennon song---women are the niggers of the world??? I have no idea why that possibly offended me, PUUCK

Jujubee

Jujubee

USA
April 2003

FEB 26, 2006 03:26 PM

Saraphine said:
Maybe it was the fact that I had just been barraged with a bunch of ignorant statements, and to choose that analogy just seemed entirely insensitive. It was like one post after another! And not EVERYONE knows it's a goddamned John Lennon song---women are the niggers of the world??? I have no idea why that possibly offended me, PUUCK



Someone needs to take a break from this thread. It looks like you are getting riled up/offended over peoples opinions (which they have every right to post as long as they stay within certain boundaries). Just remember dear, internet opinions are like assholes....... every bodies got 'em. wink

mathilde74

mathilde74

France
August 2003

FEB 26, 2006 03:39 PM

Saraphine said:
Maybe it was the fact that I had just been barraged with a bunch of ignorant statements, and to choose that analogy just seemed entirely insensitive. It was like one post after another! And not EVERYONE knows it's a goddamned John Lennon song---women are the niggers of the world??? I have no idea why that possibly offended me, PUUCK



I understand the sentence differently than yours.
smile

I think he wanted to say women are treated as black people were treated when the whole world called them "niggers".

mathilde74

mathilde74

France
August 2003

FEB 26, 2006 03:42 PM

KUNGFOO said:
That's pretty much the truth. Two girls are hot. Two guys are disgusting. I'm sorry, but I find that to be true. Call me a homophobe, but I just think that is disgusting. I don't mean to be oppressive towards gays, but that's just how I am. Don't get me wrong, I'm for gay rights, I just don't want to see that shit.



That's just YOUR truth. You can find the sexual act between two men is disgusting but it has nothing to do here I think.
If you are for gay rights, maybe you can consider calling a part of their life "shit" is not very nice.

And maybe you can consider why culturally two girls are "hot".

TheFuckOffKid

TheFuckOffKid

NEWSWIRE

Australia

FEB 26, 2006 03:52 PM

mathilde74 said:

Odyne said:
Why does it even matter if it's genetic or not? I find all of the research interesting but really, do we need to know it's genetic before we can give people their rights?

I also have seen pretty much no research about bisexuals but I suppose that's because they're all just slutty greedy experimental college girls and emo boys. whatever



Yes because debate Nature versus Culture should be closed since a long time. We know most of our behaviours are social.


Sorry, but this is absurd. There's an awful lot about human behaviour we simply don't know. There is much that "culture" and social conditioning alone do not explain satisfactorily.

And since many of our cultural behaviours can be interpreted in the light of biological imperatives, what does it mean to even talk of nature "versus" culture? confused

mathilde74

mathilde74

France
August 2003

FEB 26, 2006 04:18 PM

TheFuckOffKid said:

mathilde74 said:

Odyne said:
Why does it even matter if it's genetic or not? I find all of the research interesting but really, do we need to know it's genetic before we can give people their rights?

I also have seen pretty much no research about bisexuals but I suppose that's because they're all just slutty greedy experimental college girls and emo boys. whatever



Yes because debate Nature versus Culture should be closed since a long time. We know most of our behaviours are social.


Sorry, but this is absurd. There's an awful lot about human behaviour we simply don't know. There is much that "culture" and social conditioning alone do not explain satisfactorily.

And since many of our cultural behaviours can be interpreted in the light of biological imperatives, what does it mean to even talk of nature "versus" culture? confused




I love the "sorry" and the "absurd". whatever

Nature versus culture mean we are enable right now to distinguish what is the part of the nature in a behaviour because we are so social it is very hard to distinguish nature and culture.
Regarding the study. Maybe there is a part of genetics in sexuality (which I doubt considering ethology and ethnology), but our social behaviours are so important they "cover" the natural behaviours.

Considering greek Antiquity I will say a lot of mothers have a "X chromosome inactivation". tongue
It will explain why male homosexuality was so important. The end of male homosexuality (as social rule) can only be explained by an important genetical revolution. wink .

Saraphine

Saraphine

SUICIDEGIRL

Pennsylvania, USA

FEB 26, 2006 04:24 PM

Jujubee said:

Saraphine said:
Maybe it was the fact that I had just been barraged with a bunch of ignorant statements, and to choose that analogy just seemed entirely insensitive. It was like one post after another! And not EVERYONE knows it's a goddamned John Lennon song---women are the niggers of the world??? I have no idea why that possibly offended me, PUUCK



Someone needs to take a break from this thread. It looks like you are getting riled up/offended over peoples opinions (which they have every right to post as long as they stay within certain boundaries). Just remember dear, internet opinions are like assholes....... every bodies got 'em. wink


I got offended by the racial remarks. Please excuse me and my offendedness. whatever I left it alone til someone came by and berated me for MY opinion. It's just how it is! And the whole "certain boundaries" thing is exactly what I meant. Either way, I am over it. wink

Jujubee

Jujubee

USA
April 2003

FEB 26, 2006 04:31 PM

Good, now lets drink!

TheFuckOffKid

TheFuckOffKid

NEWSWIRE

Australia

FEB 26, 2006 05:01 PM

mathilde74 said:
I love the "sorry" and the "absurd". whatever


You're very welcome.

One simple test any theory of homosexuality has from the natural side is:
- how do "gay genes" get passed on such that homosexuality continues to be observed, as the person with the "gene" (the gay person) isn't likely to reproduce?

One simple test any theory of homosexuality has from the cultural side is:
- how do we explain the observation of kids who grow up miserable, being gay in an environment where being gay is stigmatized, and puts the child at rosk of ostracisation and harm? Many kids who grow up gay don't feel like they've "chosen" their orientation, and wish that they could feel "normal" like everyone else.

So ... y'know ... we keep looking for ways to answer these questions plausibly.

Saying that "we know all (or most) behaviour is social" is just unhelpful.

ASSH0LE

ASSH0LE

Las Vegas, NV
June 2003

FEB 26, 2006 05:58 PM

Saraphine said:

next_n_line said:
Guys in general are kinda jerks, gay or straight. Like they say "woman is the nigger of the world".

shocked Hey, since when am I a feminist?



YIKES! Why is this thread causing people to come out of the woodwork to say fucked up things?? I'd hardly call you a feminist. I see what you were not-so-eloquently trying to say, but shit, dude! N word? *slaps forehead*



Saraphine, you might not be aware of it, but he was quoting that well-reknowned "racist" John Lennon. Who had a song titled "Woman is the Nigger of the World." There's nothing necessarily wrong with using the N-bomb if you use it thoughtfully and make clear what you mean by its use. I think he probably could have used some more context in that quote, but I got what he was saying.

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