back to article Whatever happened to the gay gene?

Also in this week's column: What lies without: Life on the human body What are tag questions? What's happened to whistling? Whatever happened to the gay gene? Asked by Alex Walsh of St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK Is homosexuality caused by genetic or environmental factors? Is there a "gay gene"? This debate is well into …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    X or Y

    "The study found linked DNA markers on the X (male) chromosome."

    I think you'll find that the male chromosone is the Y

  2. Alan Potter

    And the "No shit, Sherlock!" award goes to...

    "Studies of male twins have suggested that about 50 per cent of the variability of sexual orientation is due to genes. This would leave about 50 per cent due to various environmental factors."

    Gosh - about 50% leaves, erm, about 50%?

    And, anyway, who says that male twins are a good example of human life?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Being Gay: Who Cares?

    Who cares whether there is a gay gene? Non-heterosexual people would be stigmatized either way. Maybe it's like being left or right handed. Any ways, I don't care whether a person is heterosexual or not. As long as they respect the fact that I'm straight and their not, they're fine with me.

  4. Steve Sutton

    I can see how a gay gene would work....NOT!

    I wonder, what precisely Charles Darwin would say about the existence of a gay gene. In particular, I wonder how likely he would think such a gene is to survive beyond its first generation.

  5. Jonathan Gentry

    Re: X or Y

    The "gay gene" from the 1993 study is Xq28 and is found on the female, X chromosome, not the male Y.

    As for how a gay gene would survive, please refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics_and_sexual_orientation#Correlations_with_matriarchal_lineage.2C_birth_order.2C_and_female_fertility_2

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