inmyriadbits: oranges on blue (dscanadianhmm)
[personal profile] inmyriadbits
Sexual Antagonism: A genetic theory of homosexuality

"Gay couples can't have biological kids together. So if homosexuality is genetic, why hasn't it died out?

[...]

The theory is called "sexually antagonistic selection." It holds that a gene can be reproductively harmful to one sex as long as it's helpful to the other. The gene for male homosexuality persists because it promotes—and is passed down through—high rates of procreation among gay men's mothers, sisters, and aunts.

[...]

Third, if the authors are correct, we're not really talking about genes for homosexuality. We're talking about genes for "androphilia," i.e., attraction to men. The importance of the genes lies in what they do not to men but to women, by increasing reproductive output so powerfully that these women compensate for the reduced output among their male relatives. You can't isolate gay men as a puzzle or problem anymore. You have to see them as part of a bigger, stronger, enduring phenomenon.
"

Wow, that is lovely. I love elegant theories, Occam's Razor-style, that are just so simply practical that you just have to go "Huh. Well. Okay. That makes sense." I also appreciate how optimistic it is about the positive societal effects such a theory could have, should it become widely accepted. I think it seriously underestimates the power of the opinionated religious right, though, being a little too oblivious of the fact that people are often homophobic for entirely irrational reasons and simply use the "it's unnatural and therefore an abomination" argument as a kind of rational camouflage. But that's why I love scientists. <3

On a less high-minded level, this explains why I know so many people with gay uncles. :)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-06-27 01:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wishforhome.livejournal.com
I always worry when they look into homosexuality's genetic roots, honestly... God forbid parents ever have the ability to predict their child's sexual orientation. I know there's an alternate theory that's neither genetic nor psychological -- regarding the balances of chemicals in the mother's womb.

What irritates me is these studies always always always focus on gay men, and it's not clear whether they apply to lesbians, or bisexual women and men. Not that those studies would do me much good either.

Given the complexities of sexual orientation, I doubt it comes from any one source. Probably the causes are just as complicated as the actual phenomena, given the huge range of sexual orientations and gender identities.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-06-28 08:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] inmyriadbits.livejournal.com
Yeah...the problem with understanding something is that people then proceed to judge and/or figure out how to control and change it. Which is usually a bad idea, in the case of most people.

That bothers me too. There's a massive lack of scholarship about bisexuality, period, and that's incredibly frustrating.

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