Homosexuality and Twins

From 60minutes

I have taken this from another YouTube channel so that should cover me on fair use.

For a while I thought people were born "gay" but studies show it's perhaps not as simple as that, but that doesnt seem to prove that it's a choice either (which logically makes no sense to me anyway).

It appears that developing your sexuality is depended on several complex factors with some of it being genetics and some not.

Developing your sexuality in the womb:


http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/antib...

Homosexuality and twin studies.


http://www.tim-taylor.com/papers/twin_studies/studies.html

http://www.narth.com/docs/whitehead2.html

The second link brings up the following five points:

1. No scientist believes genes by themselves infallibly make us behave in specified ways. Genes create a tendency, not a tyranny.

2. Identical twin studies show that neither genetic nor family factors are overwhelming.

3. Conclusion 2 will not be altered by any research in the future.

4. We can foster or foil genetic or family influences.

5. Change is possible.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• gay
• homosexual
• twins
• case study

[cashernandes1]

Those kids seem to be more sure of themselves than a lot of adults.

[greenelf12]

@cashernandes1 thats very true I think that's the case a lot of the time. it's only when we get older and Life F**ks us up when we get confused.

[michael407]

i am not totally sold on the gay-straight masculine-feminine argument portrayed in the 60 minutes segment. society seems to establish what is considered masculine and feminine not genetics or the womb. lets see a feminine lesbian women for a change. lets see 60 minutes do that. or maybe a segment on what and why things are considered masculine or feminine. somehow those that fit then stereotype are more apt to acknowledge and accept their sexuality.

[greenelf12]

Yeah, your right Femininity isn't nessisarly connected to who you atracted too. The boy in the video is too young to know if he's going to be gay or not. I actually think this isn't bad, it's better than Fox anyway :).

[Stepback84]

The psychologist ignored the fact that identical twins SHARE THE SAME WOMB. What happened to one in-utero happened to the other as far as exposure to hormones is concerned. Twin research PROVES that at least 50% of homosexuality is caused by environment...yes mom and dad...you impact your kids...as do other environmental influences. Whether or not a boy likes pink or dolls tells us nothing! Assigning pink and dolls as 'feminine' is a cultural construction...it has nothing to do with biology.

[2ndStoreyStairwells]

@Stepback84 You're incorrect. Fertilised zygotes within the same womb are not effected by hormones in the same way. There are different levels of absorbtion. It is the main reason why identical twins can grow up to not be physically identical. Not so much fat vs skinny (though in some cases that CAN be attributed to in-womb differences) but the cases where they can grow up to have different hair density, different finger lengths, different forehead sizes and even different genitals.

[shawty151994]

I feel so bad for that child. He's going to be made fun of through most of his life. It's hard to grow up in this world different, whether or not he ends up being gay. He is going to face a lot of adversity. I just hope he makes it. Three cheers for the high school rejects?

[justmercuriciodide]

Instead of being so concerned about what causes homosexuality, why don't researchers spend more time on what causes heterosexism and working toward eliminating that. Prejudice is the problem, and that is definitely learned in one's environment. It's obvious at this point that people can't control sexual orientation. What they can control are their attitudes.

[justmercuriciodide]

There certainly are a lot of erroneous comments here. Sexual behavior is a choice. Sexual orientation isn't. And, sexual behavior is dominated by orientation. How favorable a culture/environment is to homosexuality has no bearing on its prevalence. Gay people exist in the most heterosexist cultures, like Iran, and they have no choice in the matter. The only choices anyone has is to be oneself and appreciate others for who they truly are. Prejudice is a choice, and it's not the right one.

[justmoijah]

Probably transgender, tbh.

[MadeAlivestudio]

Ummm It's clear that whoever is raising these kids has encouraged this behavior. This kid didn't go out and buy these things himself. Who allowed him to paint his fingernails? Come on this behavior was fostered in an accepting envirnment.

[lardhat]

@Cindercheth

Lots of things belong to each gender, but that wasn't the point. I clearly said "things YOUR CULTURE SAYS that belong to one sex or the other".

This kid obviously had no pressure for doing his nails.

[Cindercheth]

@lardhat I don't believe that anything "belongs to a gender". It's social pressure that typically dictates for us what is supposedly acceptable, based on your gender (more appropriately).

[lardhat]

@Stepback84

But identifying yourself with things your culture says that belong to one sex or the other IS biological, even if a taste for pink is not.

[LeleBlazie]

no i wouldnt say he is gay, he might just be a guy with a feminine inside he might still fancy girls. But yer he could be a girl in a mans body. But then still liking girls. Its not 100% that hes actually gay