Startling Study Says People May Be Born Gay

HealthDayNews ^ | October 6, 2003 | Amanda Gardner

[AntiGuv]

MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDayNews) -- The origins of sexual orientation may be evident in the blink of an eye.

In what is the first study to show an apparent link between a non-learned trait and sexual orientation, British researchers have discovered the way peoples' eyes respond to sudden loud noises may signal differences between heterosexual and homosexual men and women that were developed before birth.

The authors, whose study appears in the October issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, say about 4 percent of men and 3 percent of women are gay. Scientists have long sought to determine whether sexuality is learned or biological.

"We have several decades of research which suggests rather strongly that human sexual orientation is to some degree biologically determined," says study author Qazi Rahman, a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of East London. "The problem with those types of studies is that we can't disentangle the effects of learning."

The question then became, "What kind of task could be used that is not influenced by learning or socialization?" The answer came in human startle responses, which are involuntary and instinctual.

Specifically, Rahman and his colleagues decided to use pre-pulse inhibition (PPI). When humans hear a sudden noise, they respond by blinking. If that loud noise is preceded by a quieter noise (the pre-pulse), the response to the second, loud noise is weaker. In other words, it is inhibited.

The researchers compared responses to a loud noise both alone and after a quieter noise to see what the degree of inhibition was. Participants were 59 gay and straight men and women.

In the heterosexual women, the PPI averaged 13 percent and, in heterosexual men, 40 percent.

Lesbians, however, had a PPI of 33 percent, closer to the straight-man end of the spectrum, while gay men averaged 32 percent, slightly lower than that of straight men but not statistically significant.

The findings are consistent with other studies, which have found that certain traits in lesbians are highly "masculinized," while the same traits in gay men are almost the same as in straight men.

While it's difficult to make generalizations about gay behavior on the basis of these findings (for example, "all gay male thinking is like that of women"), it is possible to build a case for the origins of sexuality, the authors say.

"On the basis of these results and in conjunction with the bulk of the literature in the last three decades or so, the evidence points to some prenatal factor or factors [in determining sexual preference]," Rahman says.

The findings could have implications for a number of social issues.

"Actual sexual orientation and sex-related research is now being accepted as a legitimate national investment in terms of research," Rahman says. "We have problems with STDs [sexually transmitted diseases]. Understanding sexual behavior is clearly important to that."

The findings may also help illuminate sex differences in mental health issues. "Although homosexuality per se is not related to psychiatric problems, on those occasions that gays and lesbians do present with psychiatric problems, they often show disorders that are typical of the opposite sex," Rahman says. Gay men, for example, may be more likely to suffer depression, anxiety and eating disorders than their straight counterparts, while lesbians may be more vulnerable to substance abuse than heterosexual women.

"Maybe having an understanding of brain basis of sexual orientation in healthy individuals may give us some clues in what is going wrong in the brain circuitry underlying certain psychiatric problems," Rahman says. "In the future, we may be able to tailor treatments more specifically."

It's important not to draw too many generalizations. "It's not that the gay brain is like the heterosexual brain of the opposite sex. It seems to be a mosaic of male and female typical traits," Rahman says. "Because we're looking at humans, thing are always more complicated that you would expect."

[wingnuts'nbolts]

Gay men are not hitting on women, they are emulating them, hanging out with the girls. I know, I have friends in Ft. Lauderdale who enjoy socializing with gay men. Good escorts, no hassles.

I do not understand why it is so hard to imagine that there are mistakes of nature and biology that give birth to a masculine woman or a feminine man. Surely you have seen a gay woman who is so masculine she is startling when you see her. And conversly a gay man equally feminine. In some, maybe mmost cases learned behavior may be the thing that is responsible, but in a strongly heterosexual person the motivation is not there to be enticed. Unless, of course, you live on the edge of pop culture and lesbianism is the in thing to do.

I do not have any scientific background, but I suspect females who prefer females are for the most part wounded heterosexual women hiding from macho reality. I have much less insight into male homosexuality. Being born with a yen for men makes as much sense as anything.

[mvpel]

Genitic? Bull$hit.

Can you tell us when you made the conscious decision to be physically attracted to women instead of men?

[Marauder]

IF a gene can be discovered showing a future gay person, the liberals wouldn't complain if a couple chose aborting the "tissue" would they?

I disagree. For consistency's sake, they should call it a hate crime.

[stubernx98]

I agree, as homosexuality occurs in all species. I believe it is more of a genetic defect than generation thing. Becase if it was inherited, then the tendency would die out over time.

I find that most gays(I hate that word) are regular people, who work, and get along without makeing sex an issue. I consider it an handicap more than a perversion.

That sadi I strongly disagree with NMBLA & some of the other loud mouthed organizations.

[Deport Billary]

I've known a several homosexuals, three from a young age. The predisposition was obvious before they ever started dating.

Unfortunately, one of them was harrassed to the point of suicide. His family offered no support - he was dead to them, you see. Christians sure can be neanderthals sometimes.

[Dec31,1999]

Right. Then they cite suicide statists as evidence that homosexuals are evil. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too.

[Dec31,1999]

+ic

[philetus]

What dicision?
I'm a man and I love women. Always have, always will.

I grew up with a lot of kids in Cal., Idaho, and Illinios.
None of them were attracted to men.

A lot of gentile or meek or chicken$hit (male) kids were picked on and beat up a lot.
Then someone came along and wanted to be their friend and was nice to them.
Some of them accepted the gay lifestyle.

Show me a 5 year old that is sexually attracted to men and I'll show you an abused child.

[Jorge]

Let me ask you a simple question. Why would a heterosexual man prefer anal sex with another man to vaginal intercourse with a woman? The former is completely unnatural to a biologically heterosexual man.

Actually it is biologically unnatural for ALL men, because it violates God natural design and created intent for human sexuality.

[Muleteam1]

One has to view studies of homosexuality based on genetics with skepticism. If human evolution is true, the researchers need to explain how a genetic trait which results in a behavior which does not produce progeny is carried forward in the genetic pool of a population? Also, an explanation should be given to explain the obvious ever-increasing rates of occurrence of this abnormal behavioral expression? Although I can imagine viable explanations for the second question, I cannot imagine how genes can be passed between generations when there are no generations.

Muleteam1

[Redcoat LI]

I'm confused,how do your eyes respond to noise?

[CodeMonkey]

It would not be unnatural for a homosexual man. Your response doesn't answer the question of why would a man who is naturally attracted to women freely engage in something as painful and unnatural as anal sex with another man instead of pursuing a woman. That's the one question none of the people who feel it's purely environmental have seriously tried to answer. Why would men do that? It's disgusting to heterosexual men and it's painful for the person on the receiving end. There is no good reason for why men who have never been abused would naturally prefer that over a sexual relationship with a woman.

[The_Reader_David]

The Fathers teach that Man is a unity, that the separation of body and soul at death is unnatural. Should it come as a surprise that the marring of God's image in us extends even to our genetics?

If, as is doubtless the case, there are genes which cause their bearers to suffer strong temptations to wrath, does this set aside Our Lord's dictum that he who is angry with his brother is liable to judgement as a murderer? If there are genetic predispositions to sloth (again very likely) does this make sloth a less deadly sin?

The difficulty with this research lies not with the possiblity that it is right, or that future researchers may find a bona fide "gay gene", but with the falacious assumption that that which is natural is good. In the beginning it was, Ancestral Sin has rendered that assumption false.

[smith288]

Junk study.

Environment and mortal sin is the cause.

My son is drawn to trucks and my daughter is drawn to strollers. Its been that was since the beginning of time.

[zook]

The other flaw of studies like these, or at least of the way they are reported, is that the existance of some biological element in sexual preference does *not* justify claiming that sexual orientation is "determined at birth."

[zook]

I've known many homosexuals who later fell in love with women. In other words, after having long term relationships with other men, they shifted to having long term relationships with women. Don't tell me they were "bisexual." That simply begs the question.

[smith288]

Although I can imagine viable explanations for the second question, I cannot imagine how genes can be passed between generations when there are no generations.

My guess is that they will say we all have this gay gene but people supress the gayness and now they are accepting this "feeling" and running with it.

So in about 2 generations, Darwins theory will take hold.

Of course I believe none of this junk. Environment and mortal sin is the cause in my Book.

[Jorge]

It would not be unnatural for a homosexual man.

You seem to define natural sexual behavior as some sort of subjective concept that differs from person to person depending on their preferences or personal attractions.

According to your definition, if a person enjoys sex with animals or dead people, we could not call it "unnatural" since it feels natural to him.

I disagree with that.
It am not refering to what "feels natural", or an individual "orientation" but rather to the "natural function" defined by design and God's created intent for sexuality.

The Bible's stand from begining to end..is that the only "natural" sexual relationships are heterosexual, and that all homosexual relations are "unnatural".

That is what I believe.

Your response doesn't answer the question of why would a man who is naturally attracted to women freely engage in something as painful and unnatural as anal sex with another man instead of pursuing a woman. That's the one question none of the people who feel it's purely environmental have seriously tried to answer.

They won't? Why is it that the "environment" of prison is known for producing homosexual conduct among men who claim to be hetero?

Why do hustlers and hetero men exploit homosexuals for money?

No one can answer all of these things conclusively but we know they involve both environment and choice.

[TaxRelief]

It's interesting that all the identical twin studies can be so easily dismissed. What do you suppose he used as a control group for the lesbian/non-lesbians. Very feminine heteros vs. butch lesbos?

Pretty soon they'll be requiring all parents of 10-yr-olds to submit their children to "foolproof" sexual orientation testing, under the guise of protecting the kids who will be determined to "be" homos.

[TaxRelief]

It's interesting that all the identical twin studies can be so easily dismissed. What do you suppose he used as a control group for the lesbian/non-lesbians. Very feminine heteros vs. butch lesbos?

Pretty soon they'll be requiring all parents of 10-yr-olds to submit their children to "foolproof" sexual orientation testing, under the guise of protecting the kids who will be determined to "be" homos.