Just As I Thought

My “chosen” orientation

One of the many spurious reasons given for hatred of gay people is the belief that people choose to be gay. As almost any gay person will tell you, they never chose it, it’s just part of who they are. Now there’s yet another study that points to a genetic cause:

A study indicates that genetic factors inherited from the mother, along with cultural and early experiences, influence male homosexuality, Italian scientists said yesterday.

Researchers at the University of Padua said the genetic components are linked to the X chromosome, inherited from the mother. More than a decade ago, U.S. scientists reported that they had found evidence of a “gay gene” in men. Other researchers questioned the finding when they could not duplicate the results.

Andrea Camperio-Ciani, who headed the team, said several genes could be involved, including some on the X chromosome. The research was reported in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.

The results are based on a study of 98 homosexual and 100 heterosexual men and about 4,600 of their relatives.

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