A Genetic Cause of Homosexuality?
A few flawed scientific studies many years ago made front page news. These studies supposed showed a biological or genetic evidence for homosexuality. Read more about these studies.
Gay rights activists try to prove the acceptability of homosexuality through a gay gene. they posit that if the condition is genetic, it must be normal and acceptable. Others claim that it is mostly a developmental condition, and even if some biological component is found, that does not prove that the condition is acceptable, desirable, or moral. Nick Yee provides insight in this debate: "In this crossfire of whether homosexuality is genetic, I contend that our finding of a gay gene will not really get us anywhere in the debate." ("Will A Gay Gene Get Us Anywhere?" by Nick Yee)
Genetic conditions are not all good
Nick explains that "we know that bad things can be genetic. For example, the mental retardation that accompanies Down Syndrome is caused by a genetic defect. So is cystic fibrosis that causes problems in human respiration. Accompanied by other abnormalities such as color-blindness or Klein-Felters, the list of genetically caused defects is not short. Even if a gay gene were found, this would not grant homosexuality moral or social acceptability..."
Genetics do not change social norms
Nick Yee also explains that finding a gay gene will not diminish homophobia: "This is also a naïve view. Racism has not diminished because we know that blackness or whiteness is genetic. Sexism exists even though we know that sex is genetic. Since finding a gay gene will neither make homosexuality morally or socially acceptable nor will it diminish homophobia, it is clearly the wrong place to be looking. The gay gene debate and arguments over whether it is genetic or not are superfluous and can have no real impact on the important aspects of the discussion of whether homosexuality should be acceptable." Still, we know that social acceptability can change over time and from one culture to another.
Read more about other causes of same-sex attraction