New research by Northwestern University in Chicago indicates that specific genes can increase the chance that a man will be homosexual.
Researchers studied the genetic makeup of over 400 pairs of twins. They found that those who were openly gay were more likely to share similarities in the Xq28 region of their X chromosome and also in Chromosome 8.
They believe that the rest is determined by environmental factors such as the mother’s hormonal levels during pregnancy.
Professor Michael Bailey, one of the study’s researchers, said that ‘sexual orientation has nothing to do with choice.”
“Our findings suggest there may be genes at play and we found evidence for two sets that affect whether a man is gay or straight.
“It is not completely determinative, there are certainly other environmental factors involved.”
The region of the X chromosome that Professor Bailey found to bear similarities in gay men is the same that geneticist Dean Hamer suggested might be linked to homosexuality in 1993, hence its being dubbed ‘the Gay Gene’.
However, Hamer has said that these genes would not provide a conclusive enough result if somebody were to use them as a pre-natal test for homosexuality as the larger picture is yet to be fully comprehended
Corresponding genes in lesbians and bisexuals are yet to be identified.
OIP Staff
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