Anastasia Zabolotny

ENG 1101

Professor Fraad

Final Draft; Is homosexuality born or bred?

Is homosexuality genetic or is it a choice? The widespread arguments of homosexuality have led many researchers to try and find its cause and diagnosis. In this case, researcher Dean Hamer found a linkage of a specific gene, called Xq28, which is a chromosome that plays a role in homosexuality. Although there hasn’t been a direct answer to this debatable question, there is evidence that proves homosexuality is primarily genetic. With this being said, environmental factors also play a key role in shaping an individual to either become homosexual or stray away from it. Several articles like “The Last Mile”, written by Siddhartha Mukherjee, “Homosexuality; Born or Bred” which was written by the Newsweek Staff, “The Innate-Immutable Argument Finds No Basis in Science” written by Dean Byrd and “Everything You Need to Know About Being Gay in Muslim Countries”, written by Brian Whitaker are all articles that discuss scientist’s beliefs about whether homosexuality comes from genetics or not. Studies have been done to see if homosexuality is indeed genetic like the twin studies which is a study that was done by J. Michael Bailey. Homosexuality comes from a person’s genetics because there is no influence nor is it taught to become gay in a heterosexual society. In addition, as homo sapiens, our bodies are made to reproduce so attraction to the same sex especially from early childhood shows that there is some sort of genetic adaptation.

Researcher J. Michael Bailey conducted the Bailey twin study in the 1980’s to examine twins and take a closer look at the genetic makeup of sexual orientation. He wanted to find out how many pairs of twins would both be gay because “if sexual orientation was partly inherited, then a higher proportion of identical twins should be gay compared to fraternal twins” (Mukherjee, 373). The Bailey study used twins that were both fraternal and identical to look at the genetic components of homosexuality. It was purposely done on identical twins because they share the same genes. If more identical twins are gay than fraternal twins or siblings, it would prove that there is some sort of genetic link to homosexuality. “When Bailey looked for concordance of gayness among twins, the results were striking. Among the fifty-six pairs of identical twins, both twins were gay in 52 percent” (Mukherjee, 373). The population is made up of ten percent of gay people in society and the fact that 52 percent of identical twins who share the same DNA, have both come out as gay shows that homosexuality is a matter of genetics and not a choice. When one identical twin is gay and the other isn’t, it can be explained with other influences that surround them in life such as family, friends, schools, religious beliefs and social structures that force them to live a conformed (heterosexual) lifestyle. “Undoubtedly, the pervasive and repressive cultural beliefs that surrounded homosexuality were potent enough to sway the choice of a “straight” identity in one twin but not the other. But the twin studies provided incontrovertible evidence that genes influenced homosexuality….” (Mukherjee, 374). This shows that cultural influences often make people change their sexual orientation.

In the book “The Gene” chapter “The Last Mile” by Siddhartha Mukherjee researcher, Dean Hamer began questioning if sexual identity was a result of genetics or personal choice. In Hamer’s study, he states “The role of genetics in male sexual orientation was investigated by pedigree and linkage analyses on 114 families of homosexual men…. The goal of our work was to determine whether or not male sexual orientation is genetically influenced. We used the standard techniques of modern human genetics, namely pedigree analysis and family DNA linkage studies.” (375 Mukherjee). In this study, Hamer found maternal linkage for male homosexuality, this indicated that a gene determining homosexuality was passed on through the mother’s family line. Hamer states “…this trend meant that the gay gene had to be carried on the X chromosome” (376 Mukherjee). Dean Hamer hasn’t yet found a gene that determines if a person will become homosexual. Hamer states “The “gay gene” might not even be a gene, at least not in the traditional sense. It may be a stretch of DNA that regulates a gene that sits near it or influences a gene quite near from it” (379 Mukherjee). However, he claims to have located a genetic component of male homosexuality linked to a chromosomal region known as Xq28. Furthermore, Dean Hamer admits that there’s an environmental factor that leads to homosexuality. Hamer states “Multiple genes with small effects- in particular, genes that modulate and integrate inputs from the environment- are much more likely to be involved in the determinant of sexual identity” (379 Mukherjee). He concludes that sexual identity is unlikely to be caused by a “single master regulator”, but is rather a product of genetics and environmental influences.

Some scientists believe that the attempts to find a homosexual gene were failures and that Dean Hamer didn’t find enough evidence to support his idea of the X chromosome having something to do with homosexuality. Dr. Byrd wrote in “The Innate, Immutable Arguments Finds No Basis in Science.” that “offered some conclusions regarding genetics and homosexuality” (1). Byrd quoted Dean Hamer and said “We knew that genes were only part of the answer. We assumed the environment also played a role in sexual orientation, as it does in most, if not all behaviors…” (1). Environment can play a role in homosexuality and scare people into becoming heterosexual. In Muslim countries/societies, children are known to have arranged marriages and they can’t be free in their country or house. A family’s response to a child coming out as gay varies in Muslim countries, “in the more extreme cases, coming out results in the person being ostracized by their family or even physically attacked. A less harsh reaction is to seek a ‘cure’ either through religion or, in better off families through expensive but futile psychiatric treatment” (Whitaker, 4). People who live in families like this often change their sexual orientation to fit society’s needs because if not they might lose their family. So, environment does indeed play a role in a person’s sexual identity as it does in most behaviors. Scientists took this idea about how environment affects a person’s sexual identity and marked it as Dean Hamer’s failure, and some feel that if homosexuality is indeed genetic then environment should have nothing to with it. Dean Byrd quoted Hamer and Copeland when they were talking about their study and said “the pedigree failed to produce what we originally hoped to find: simple Mendelian inheritance. In fact, we never found a single family in which homosexuality was distributed in the obvious pattern….” (1).

Siddhartha Mukherjee has noted that several groups of scientists have tried to find the link to the gene Xq28, but they haven’t found a gay gene. They instead found gay locations on the X chromosome and these locations have proven for sexual behavior regulators, but none of the research groups have found a gene that definitely shows a link to either homo or heterosexuality. Siddhartha states, “whether Hamer is right or wrong about Xq28 is immaterial. The twin studies clearly suggest that several determinants that influence sexual identity are part of the human genome…multiple genes with small effects—in particular, genes that modulate and integrate inputs from the environment are much more likely to be involved in the determination of sexual identity” (Mukherjee, 379). This is true, people change their behavior to fit their environment and they also will go as far as change their sexual identity to fit into society’s standards. Some scientists believe that the attempts to find a homosexual gene were failures and that Dean Hamer didn’t find enough evidence to support his idea of the X chromosome having something to do with homosexuality. He instead “offered some conclusions regarding genetics and homosexuality” (Byrd, 1). Byrd quoted Dean Hamer and said “‘We knew that genes were only part of the answer. We assumed the environment also played a role in sexual orientation, as it does in most, if not all behaviors…’” (Byrd, 1). This is indeed true, environment can play a role in homosexuality and scare people into becoming heterosexual.

It may be hard for families to accept homosexuality due to society. Children coming out to their families can be “painful”. Some families are supportive however while others react in anger and disapproval. In the article “Born or Bred” Brenner states, “Had I known I was to have a gay child, I would probably not want to have a gay child” (6). Being openly gay in society is tough. There is constant judgment or mistreatment by others. In the article “Everything you need to know about Muslim countries” by Brian Whitaker discusses how in Muslim countries and societies, children are known to have arranged marriages and they can’t be free in their country or house. A family’s response to a child coming out as gay varies in Muslim countries, “in the more extreme cases, coming out results in the person being ostracized by their family or even physically attacked. A less harsh reaction is to seek a ‘cure’ – either through religion or, in better-off families – through expensive but futile psychiatric treatment” (4). People who live in families like this often change their sexual orientation to fit society’s needs because they know they have nothing without their family, and that if they come out as gay, they’ll be either shunned or beaten violently by their own family members. So, environment does indeed play a role in a person’s sexual identity as it does in most behaviors.  he explains what it feels like to be homosexual in Muslim countries; you’re either punished by law or physically harassed by others. This shows that religion can play a big role in the opposition of homosexuality due to it being a “sin” in the perspective of a religious person.

All in all, why would someone want to choose a more difficult lifestyle? It is evident that homosexuality for a lot of people is not a choice they make, but in actuality a conformation that happened due to their harsh or very heterosexual society. Your surroundings influence you, as well as religion and the way you were raised. Although the homosexuality “gay gene” hasn’t been completely proven there have been multiple studies and research that show there is some sort of biological factor as well as environment factors that play a key role in homosexuals. Needless to say, with our scientific advancements hopefully within near time this gene will be found soon.

Citation

Staff, Newsweek. “Homosexuality: Born Or Bred?” Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2010,

www.newsweek.com/homosexuality-born-or-bred-200636.

Byrd , Dean. “The Innate, Immutable Arguments Finds No Basis in Science.” 27 May 2001,

Whitaker, Brian. “Everything You Need to Know about Being Gay in Muslim Countries.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 June 2016,

Mukherjee, Siddhartha. “The Last Mile”. The Gene. First ed. New York Scribers, 2016.370 90.Print

AZID HUSSAIN

RESEARCH PAPER

                                                      Determining Homosexuality

As far as most people can remember, the argument is usually how gay rights, whether they should be able to have gay partners or get married or just be gay at all. Most seem not to care even a little bit about how individuals become homosexuals or come to the point of realization that they were in fact homosexuals all along. Homosexuals today account for almost 10% of the population approximately. This number isn’t intimidatingly huge but it’s great enough for people to look more deeply into this. There can be multiple factors on how a person becomes gay, whether they’re born gay or they develop it over time etc. The most reasonable approach seems to be that, yes, homosexuality is in fact genetically determined. Now science hasn’t actually proven this to be true but it doesn’t mean that genetics doesn’t play a role at all in determining whether a person is homosexual or not. Genetics determine the sex of an embryo so can’t it be true that it also plays a role in what gender will you be attracted to? It’s a fair question isn’t it? This is obviously not to rule out other factors as well such as environmental factors, family, religion, culture etc. They without a doubt play a role as well. But genetics seem to be the dominant factor that explains why a person is born gay.

The only thing we know at this point about homosexuality is the intolerance we show as a society towards gay people and how hard and miserable life becomes for them because of our attitudes towards them. Even so, let’s look at why genetics seem to play a bigger role in  determining homosexuality than many environmental factors. As discussed in the chapter, “The Last Mile”, from the book The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee, Dean Hamer, a researcher the National Cancer Institute, kept looking into family trees and found that maternal cousins had a higher chance of being gay than the cousins on the paternal side of the family. He theorized that the “gay link” is somehow linked to the X chromosome. Later on it is stated in, The Last Mile, “He had not identified the gay gene-but he had proved that a piece of DNA associated with sexual orientation could be physically mapped to the human genome.”(Mukherjee 377). Now this isn’t to say that Hamer found the exact chromosome that affects the sexuality of people. But it does lay down a strong theory that can help us prove the genetic linkage to homosexuality. Later on in the same article Mukherjee goes onto say, “This much is certain :sooner or later, we will  discover the precise nature of the heritable elements that influence human sexual identity.”(Mukherjee 379). Right now, it’s just the beginning of the effort. It’s safe to say that the results will take a while. Rome wasn’t built in one day and this won’t be so easy to figure out as well.

As more researchers and scientists get involved in this issue and start to contrast the differences in homosexual and heterosexual individuals, the more our knowledge about this topic will expand. John Money, a John Hopkins University psychologist stated, “Of course it[sexual orientation] is in the brain”, “The real question is, when did it get there? Was it paternal, neonatal, during childhood, puberty? That we do not know?”, Homosexuality: Born or Bred? (2). According to Mr. Money, we’ve been looking at this the wrong way this whole time. Perhaps looking at it from any perspective would only do us good because we need more information on the difference in homosexual genetics than heterosexual one’s and it doesn’t matter how it is derived. Simon LeVay, a neuroscientist at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, scanned the brains of 41 cadavers, including 19 homosexual males. He determined that an area believed to control sexual activity in the brain was less than half the size in gay men than in the heterosexuals (2). As we continue to look more into this issue, it is becoming clear that there are differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals, their organ structures and genotype etc. We don’t know that those differences are the reason for people to be gay but we do know that there are genetic differences, plain and simple. Later on in the same article, Homosexuality” Born or Bred?, the report of a twin study is discussed. The Bailey-Pillard twin study. Researchers found that 56 identical twins, 52 percent were both gay as against 22 fraternal twins. The numbers alone say a lot. So out of these 56 identical twins, if one turned out to be gay, there was a 52% chance of the other one being gay. Even though it is only half, but it’s a huge percentage. This can mean that there had to be something in the genes that factored into these siblings being gay since identical twins share the exact same genotype. The genetic linkage to homosexuality makes more and more sense after looking at this twin study.

Since genetic factor being dominant in determining the homosexuality of an individual isn’t a ‘proven’ factor, we certainly can’t rule out the environmental factors. It is possible that homosexuality may be more a choice than it is an inherited gene that you’re stuck with. In the same article, Homosexuality: Born or Bred?, Doug Barnett who was a practicing heterosexual, vaguely attracted to men, had no idea about his sexuality until his twin brother came up to him and revealed that LeVay was gay. It wasn’t until Barnett then realized that if my identical brother is gay maybe the same thing that interests him would work for me too. He then tried sex with other men to find out he enjoyed it more, i repeat, MORE, than women. Can’t it be possible, that, had Barnett never found out that his identical brother with the exact same DNA did not tell him of his sexual preference, Barnett would have continued living his heterosexual life having sex with women and enjoying it slightly less than having sex with men but that wouldn’t have mattered because Barnett wouldn’t have known about sex with men. Plus if identical twins share the exact same DNA and if one is gay, shouldn’t it be a hundred percent chance that the other one is gay as well. Why only 52%? This is true as far as the environmental factors are concerned, maybe people become gay because they grow thinking about the males in their lives that give them a good time. They don’t have any females that have given them happiness and therefore they just don’t end up liking them. But these theories are very unreliable with no concrete evidence to even consider it as the bigger reason. I’m not saying it doesn’t play a role at all. But it’s not all due to the environmental side of this issue. We can also ask a very important question to ourselves, why is that even in societies where homosexuality is forbidden or strictly frowned upon, people still openly announce their homosexuality. The article “Everything you need to know about being gay in Muslim countries” by Brian Whitaker validates the theory of genetics being the dominant factor in determining homosexuality. Mr. Whitaker discusses the fact that throughout the 19th and 20th century, men that expressed being ‘gay’ were persecuted. These peoples’ families, religion and culture completely went against their ideologies. So even in these times of extreme cruelty and hate towards the homosexuals, if they still openly express their sexual identity and stand up for who they are, it’s probably true that this is the way they were born. It can also be true that no environmental factor influenced their sexual identity and their sexuality is the way it is due the genetic factor. Again, just a theory. But this definitely seems like a more reliable one. Another theory from a religious perspective can be that since God has made everything, from the Earth to the Heavens and plants and animals, can’t it be possible he also created another sexuality? The article “ ‘God Made You This Way,’ Pope Is To Have Told Gay Man” by Jason Horowitz states the direct quotation of the Pope to a gay man, “You have to be happy with who you are. God made you this way and loves you this way, and the Pope loves you this way.”(Horowitz). This is coming from the Pope himself. So for those who claim homosexuality goes against religion and try to use religion as a cover blanket to support their hatred against gay people, might have to come with better reasons to keep on hating. Nevertheless,  as the genetic research advances on this issue, the differences in structures, DNA, and to an extent chromosomes between heterosexual and homosexual individuals may even become clearer because many of the theories are supporting the idea of genetic factor in determining homosexuality of being the dominant factor.

In determining homosexuality, the genetic factor plays a greater role than any other factor. Because if the brain is structured in homosexual individuals to be attracted to the same gender then it doesn’t matter when they realize they like the same gender more than the opposite gender. The important thing is that the individual still comes to realize it. To an extent religion, family values and culture even plays a role in determining the sexual preference of an individual but it’s not as huge as the one in the brain. All our neural impulses come from the brain and sexuality is a huge thing in the human anatomy. To rule out the genetic factor, would be a very unreasonable thing to do.

Work Cited

Horowitz, Jason. “God Made You This Way,’ Pope Is To Have Told Gay Man.” The New

York Times, 21 May 2018, pp. 1–5.

Mukherjee, Siddhartha. “The Last Mile.” The Gene, an Intimate History, Scribner, 2016.

Newsweek Staff. Homosexuality : Born or Bred? 23 Feb. 92AD, 7:00,

www.newsweekstaff.com/homosexuality-born-or-bred-200636

Whitaker, Brian. “Everything You Need To Know about Being Gay in Muslim Countries.” The Guardian, Tuesday 21st June 2016, pp. 1-9.

Diamond Drumgo
Professor Fraad
English composition
11/20/18

Being attracted to the same gender is fine. There is nothing wrong with that. I believe that homosexuality is based on physiology-social. Some people on the other hand would disagree with me and say that it’s based on genetics. According to the article “homosexuality: born or bred?” , “The innate-immutable finds no basis in science” and “The gene and immate history,”
All have reason to believe why being gay is not a gene.

For quite a long time researchers and the general population everywhere have discussed whether gay people are conceived or made-whether their sexual introduction is the consequence of a hereditary toll of the bones or a mix of development factors in their childhood. Being a homosexual has nothing to do with a gene that scientist think they are born with. According to the article “Innate-Immutable” one researcher states “our sexual bodies were designed for reproduction…No one is born gay. The ideas is ridiculous…Homosexuality is an adaptation. Not an unborn trait.” So what this researcher is trying to explain is that we were all made to reproduce and continue life on. If being gay was a gene there would be no need to reproduce.

The word gay had many different meaning to it. It could me being happy, or lighthearted or carefree, and even homosexual, But today we use the word for only one meaning and that’s towards people that have the same attraction to the same gender. According to Simon LeVay, he states “It’s important to stress that I didn’t find. I did not prove that homosexuality is genetic or find a genetic cause of being gay”. Simon LeVay is a neuroscientist that was trying to find a gene that would prove that being gay is something that you are born with. But according to his research he didn’t find anything to prove that his theory was correct. Men and woman who are attracted to the same gender, are not born with a gene that makes them gay.

Some people believe that being gay is just what you attracted too. I have a few gay friends that say they don’t believe it’s a gene because as you get old and start to hit puberty, you start seeing and exploring new things. You are trying to figure at what you like and what you are attracted too. If there was a gene for being a homosexual doctors would have let you the parent know at birth. There are a lot of researchers that are doing all this research and still do not have enough evidence to prove that there is a gene gay people are born with. According to the article “The Last Mile” Bieber states “ultimately, in some boys, a subconscious desire to identify with the mother and to emasculate the father became manifest as a choice to embrace a lifestyle that fell outside the norm. The sexual “polio victim” adopts a pathological style of being. Bieber argued, just as victims of polio might grasps a pathological style of walking. By the late 1980s, the notion that homosexuality represents the choice of a deviant lifestyle had sclerosed into dogma.” Bieber explains that being a homosexual is a choice and a lifestyle that men or woman pick to live and that has nothing to do with a gene. He also states “Homosexuality is more of a choice than a biological situation.”

Some people on the other hand would disagree with my claim. In the article “Homosexuality: Born or Bred” it’s states that Doug Barnett was practicing heterosexual. He had a twin brother who also came out saying he was gay too. Barnett, who believed that sexual orientation is genetic. Barnett at one point was thinking that it was inherited. They believe that if you are twins that if one is gay, then the other one will most likely be gay. Also according to the article it states “LeVay determined that a tiny area believed to control sexual activity was less than half the size in the gay men than in the heterosexual.” LeVay believed it to be a smal area in the brain where it can show sexual attraction between men and woman that like the same gender.

In conclusion, being attracted to the same gender doesn’t have anything to do with a gene. I believe that it’s whatever you are attracted to and who you like. If being gay was a gene then doctors would be able to tell parents that when child is born.

Workcite

Staff, Newsweek. “Homosexuality: Born Or Bred?” Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2010, www.newsweek.com/homosexuality-born-or-bred-200636.

Salt Lake City tribune. “The Innate-Immutable Argument Finds No Basis in Science.” Scribd, Scribd, www.scribd.com/document/100219558/The-Innate-Immutable-Argument-Finds-No-Basis-in-Science.

MUKHERJEE, SIDDHARTHA, 2016, The Gene,an Intimate History. Published by Scribner 2016.

Jocelyn Fuentes                                                                              November 20,2018

English 1101                                                                                        Argumentative Essay

HOMOSEXUALITY:Were we born being gay?

  Is homosexuality a new trend now or will there be a cause for such an increase in homosexuality? The truth is that even neuroscientific people and homosexual people are yet to find the real reason why they are homosexual. Some people reason that they were born gay or that there is a gene that indicates they are homosexual. However,in my opinion we are not born gay or have a special gene indicating we are gay. In at least five articles it demonstrates the different views each author has and some similarities they have. The articles are “The Last Mile” a chapter of a book The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee, “Homosexuality:Born or Bred?”by Newsweek Staff, ‘God Made You This Way,’ Pope Is Said to Have Told Gay Man,by Jason Horowitz,“The Innate-Immutable Argument Finds No Basis In Science”by Dean Byrd and the Watchtower Online Library. My belief in homosexuality is that it is neither evolutionary,biological,neuroscientific,genetic,culture and etc. For me it is neither of the choices because I strongly believe that we were not not born gay or have a special gene that indicates a person is gay. There are enough reasons to actually believe in this, since the beginning of the creation we were created as a man and a women. As stated in the Bible in Genesis chapter 1 verse 27.(Genesis 1:27 JW Library)

        No one is born with different characteristics than the other or have an extra gene. We are all composed with the same amount of genetic information. For example,in the “The Last Mile”a chapter from the book The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee there is an example of different cases on twins who were far away from each other. Mukherjee stated that there were two men who had been separated at birth and had a similar life. “ Both Jims had married women named Linda. Both had owned dogs that they had named Toy.”(Mukherjee,383) Siddhartha Mukherjee is saying in other words that twins are capable to have similar genetic information which will bring them together always. The truth is that even though twins have some similar characteristics but they don’t have the same blood type,or the same exact genes. Identical twins have special characteristics and there was and is a Creator who has the capability to create them with such special characteristics. The genes that are found in twins are particularly important to examine that there was a Creator who made them have such genes. For instance,we were created as the same image of God which it is stated in the Bible as well in Genesis 1:26,27. It states that “Let us make man in our image,according to our likeness”(JW Library), meaning that we are all created with the ability to love,care,be generous,benevolent and so on.This takes us to the next example which is Simon LeVay who states that was homosexual at the age of 12 also known as the age of hormones being all over the place.

         Simon LeVay wanted to prove that it’s a matter of destiny not choice. LeVay stated an example of a mother who had a child at 17 who revealed he was gay. Usually around the age of 12-19 many young adolescents want to experiment new things in their life and are still undecided which is why they incline towards becoming gay. This means that we were not born gay because they realize they like people of their same sex at an age in which they don’t know what they want yet. Annette E. Brenner mentioned that she would negotiate with her son but didn’t have the results she wanted so she would always thought“ Sure,this week you’re homosexual. Enjoy the experiment,have fun. Next week you’ll be a Hare Krishna”(Staff,9) As a mother you should never try to negotiate but instead orient your son or daughter because during that age it’s when they need more attention. In my opinion parents have the obligation to discipline and orient them because they need of the parents around that age. Around the age of 13 it’s more likely to have certain type of inclinations and as I was taught during my entire life,parents should always be able to help their children when they seek help. Orienting the child isn’t the only thing you can do but also realize how God sees you.

     A.Dean Byrd believed that there were many opinions that were controversy. In the article, “The Innate-Immutable Argument Finds No Basis in Science”, Dean Byrd stated that Mitchell thought “Homosexuality is not purely genetic…environmental factors play a role.There is not a single master gene that makes people gay…I don’t think we will ever predict who will be gay”(Byrd,1) There are no specific proves that anyone will know someone is gay or born being gay. Mitchell wanted to leave clearly that scientific people are yet to prove we were born gay or have a way to predict someone will be gay. Even though there might be some traits that are deeply ingrained in a person it is up to us to orient ourselves. Another statement that was stated is what an activist Camille Paglia said “Homosexuality is not ‘normal.’ On the contrary it is a challenge to the norm…Nature exists whether academics like it or not. And in nature,procreation is the single relentless rule. That is the norm. Our sexual bodies were designed for reproduction… no one is born gay. The idea is ridiculous…homosexuality is an adaptation,not an inborn trait…”( Byrd,3) Even though I don’t fully agree with the statement I do agree that we were designed for reproduction and if there are two men or two women how will there be reproduction. In order to have children there must be a men and a women because the female needs the sperm of the male. If we weren’t created with such traits then how were we born.

     God designed sex to be engaged in only between a male and a female and only within the arrangement of marriage. However I would like to clear my view of homosexuality which is that I don’t hate homosexuals but I can’t approve of their conduct. What the Pope said in the article ‘God Made You This Way,’Pope Is Said to Have Told Gay Man doesn’t go in agreement with what other religions teach you. For example, Pope Francis said to the Chilean Juan Carlos Cruz that “You have to be happy with who you are.God made you this way and loves you this way,and the Pope loves you this way.”(Horowitz,1) This is contradicting from what Mitchell said in the article of Dean Byrd because the pope said that we were born gay meanwhile Mitchell said that there are no proofs that we were born with a gay trait. Also, “The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that people with “homosexual tendencies” “must be accepted with respect,compassion,and sensitivity,” but it also calls a “deep-seated” homosexual inclination and its acts “intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to the natural law”(Horowitz,2) This is definitely controversial because even though they make it look like the religion of Catholicism is respectful, God is also a kind God and tells us to show kindness to all people even if they are gay. As Jehovah Witness we are not homophobic and do not reject homosexual people but their conduct. To illustrate it, I also choose not to smoke. In fact, I find the very idea of it repugnant. But suppose you’re a smoker and you feel differently. I wouldn’t be prejudiced against you for your view,just as I’m sure you wouldn’t be prejudiced against me for my view,right? The same principle applies to our differing views of homosexuality.(Watchtower Online Library,g 12/10 pp.22-24)  We are not prejudiced against homosexual people but just don’t agree the fact that it is said thaws were born that way and that God love you the way you are. God is benevolent and loves everyone but didn’t create us with homosexual inclinations.

     Religion is a controversial topic but throughout my argument I have accomplished remarking what I see and think. As mentioned before I am Jehovah Witness and I do not hate homosexual people but I don’t approve their conduct. I have been Jehovah Witness since I was 3 years old and I can affirm that God is love,benevolent,and is wise. There is no other like him and even though there are many proofs to see him many people don’t want to see it. Mitchell and Camille Paglia both mentioned in the article of Dean Byrd both agree that there are proofs that we have an inborn trait or have developed a gay trait in us. The pope and Simon LeVay both are in concordance since they both believe that we were born gay or have the approbation of God. We were all born with natural inclinations but as time has passed being gay has become a trend and it is very common to see more homosexual people.

       In conclusion,homosexuality is a controversial topic to talk about because it can involve evolution,religion,biology,neuroscience,genes,culture and more. It is now a trend and has been developing as a natural law for many people. Although I have mentioned this at least two times I would like to repeat it so no one takes it the as if I was prejudiced. I do not hate homosexual people but I cannot approve of their conduct. The four articles helped me see how many different views there are. But in the last website I saw that it was very useful to take out key facts in order to explain in more details. I respect everyone’s different views but I hope there is respect towards my personal view.

                                                          MLA 8 Citation

         Byrd, A. (2001). The Innate-Immutable Argument Finds No Basis in Science. [online] Available at: Http://www.narth.com/docs/innate.html [Accessed 16 Jul. 2012].

       Horowitz, J. (2018). ‘God Made You This Way,’Pope Is Said to Have Told Gay Man. [online] Available at: Https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/21/world/europe/pope-francis [Accessed 30 Oct. 2018].

       MUKHERJEE, SIDDHARTHA, 2016, The Gene,an Intimate History. Published by Scribner 2016.

       STAFF, NEWSWEEK, 1992, Homosexuality:Born or Bred?. .1992.[Accessed 4 March 2018].

      https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200272757

JW LIBRARY [Accessed 2 December 2018]

Britany Dupuy
Professor Fraad
November 19,2018
English 1101

Imagine living in a world where being gay doesn’t make you good enough for society. Many would argue that being gay is a gene that your born with and others in fact may think the being gay is a choice. The controversy in society today men are not allowed the luxury of being openly without someone trying to change them , or making them believe the choice of their sexual orientation is wrong. These men are faced with cruel punishments because of the preference of their sexual orientation. Men being homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual is strictly based on genetic factors biological factors. The biggest question that people are so content with answering is, what determines one’s sexual orientation. Between several of the scientific research, it has said to be that the sexual orientation gay gene is most commonly found amongst identical twins. The article “ The Last Mile”, by Siddhartha Mukherjee , it states, “ J.Michael Bailey had tired to study the genetics of sexual orientation using a twin-study experiment….. When Bailey looked for concordance of gayness among twins , the results were striking. Among the fifty-six pairs of identical twins, both twins were gay in 52 percent …”,Mukherjee 373. This study done on the twins by some Bailey is an indication that indeed environment does not always play a role in one’s will to being a homosexual or a heterosexual. This is a likelihood that identical twins have a higher chance of being homosexual rather it is for than fraternal twins where only one of them could be but the other one remain heterosexual. This is a concept that shows genes indeed play a great role in determining the sexual preference of one’s sexual orientation.
Many always believe the sexual orientation for men at least is always decided in womb based on the babys genetic factors, whereas for women some may be born gay but majority of the time that come later on in life. In the article ‘’Pas de Deux of Sexuality is Written in the Genes”, it states, ‘’ Desire may seem the core of human sexual behavior, but it is just the central act in a long drama whose script is written quite substantially in the genes.’’, “ An anthropologist at Rutgers University, argues that three primary brain systems have evolved to direct reproductive behavior.’’,(Wade 6). With this such negativity associated with prejudice and discrimination against homosexuals, it justification that there is need to let the society appreciate the fact that sexual orientation is not a matter of choice but it is predetermined by the genes. This is what has prompted to research of the biological factors as the main determinants of sexual orientation.
Some may even believe that besides the fact of being born gay , God made them gay. The dicrimination set against homosexuals has always been a serious issue , this issue sometimes leads to being attacked by others. Most of these individuals live in fear of isolation , to where they don’t practice there sexual orientation in public. Many of these individuals live in fear to practice their religious belief because the shame they are afraid to receive. In the article “ God Made You This Way; Pope Is Said to Have Told Gay Man’’, it states “ You have to be happy with who you are. God made you this way and loves you this way, and the pope loves you this way.” ( Horwitz 1). With this discussion to the public many gay men came forward with there stories of attacks, now these men can live in peace and no longer in fear.
On the contrary many believe the sexual orientation of being gay is not a genetic trait, but it has to do more with the environmental factors. Many beileve that they have been practicing hemoseuality but that doesnt make them gay because they still had affection for women until they had sexual encounters with men to finally know there really gay. In the article ‘’Homosexuality:Born or Bred?”, it states “ To find out, he thought he should try sex with men. When he did, he says, “The bells, went off ,for the first time. Those homosexual encounters were more fulfilling.”(Newsweek Staff 1). This shows that genes is not always a cause of gay orientation but rather the environmental factors and experiences. Therefore, society should have a level of normalcy where everyone will be appreciated regardless of their sexual orientation. In such biological factors should not affect such a choice.
In conclusion the controversy some parts of men are not allowed the luxury of being openly without someone trying to change them , or making them believe the choice of there sexual orientation is wrong. These men are faced with cruel punishments because of the preference of their sexual orientation. Men being homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual is strictly based on one’s genetic factors they may have inherited upon conception whether it came from mother or father. This shows how society can have a impacted on one’s life whether its having them question their own sexual preference to fit into society or the experiences which shows them their path.

Work Cited Page
Mukherjee Siddhartha, “ The Last Mile” The Gene, Scribner 2016.
Newsweek Staff, “ Homosexuality: Born or Bred’’, February 23,1992
Wade, Nicholas, “Pas de Deux of Sexuality is Written in the Genes’’, The New York Times, April 10,2007
Horowitz,Jason, “God Made You This Way; Pope is Said to Have Told Gay Man’’, The New York Times, May 21,2018

Biological and Environmental Factors of Homosexuality

Nicole Eresis

English 1101

Professor Fraad

          In the world, as it is today, there are billions upon billions of different race, African American, white, Hispanics and so much more. Around these billions of people they are surrounded, does not know each other’s story’s or our sacrifices, to where we are today. Different kinds of cruelty are shown in the world, and it is used against us. There is cruelty shown and demonstrated to our people just because they love the same sex. The people that love the same sex are viewed differently because they like their sex although they did not choose to be judged by their parents, friends, nor their religion. It was not their choice to be gay, want to look feminine, or masculine. Homosexuality is the result of genetic and environmental factors.

       In the chapter “The Lost Mile” by Siddhartha Mukherjee (2016), the author claims that a person becomes homosexual based on biological and environmental factors. A study cited by Mukerjee (2016) showed that of about 110 pairs of male twins, both pairs turned out to become gay, and then the result was “ among the fifty-six pairs of identical twins both twins were gay in fifty-two percent of the fifty-four pairs of non-identical twins, twenty- two percent we both gay” (373).  A way that this work was cited shows biology, as well as environmental in his study, was that being gay could also be influenced by a person’s surroundings and the people that they surround themselves. There is a forty- two percent of male twins that is shown to be gay and the other pair not gay.

    In another study created by Dean Hamer, cited by Mukerjee, Hamer’s idea was to map out genes related to homosexuality. The second examination that Hamer did was an AIDS-related study, which was during the 1980s. With this illness different that is known in the gay community a result of AIDS was that a “Kaposi’s sarcoma (rare) indolent tumor had been found at a strikingly high frequency among gay men” (375). The information of this study by Hamer was able to create a family gay gene, a tree of the one hundred and fourteen gay men from his study. The outcome is “higher concordance in sexual orientation about 20 percent” (375). This study shows that being gay can be a genetic possibility, as Hamers was able to create a family tree of one hundred and fourteen gay man, as well as being able to find out were the gay gene could have come from.
    Another study that was done by a scientist named Thomas Bouchard was based on both male and female twins. His research was to show if twins have the same likes and dislikes even after being separated their whole lives and returned together (383). The outcome of this experiment was that it is true, after not knowing that there was a twin of themselves they both have equally common dislikes and like, and that is because there are profound genetic aspects.
      Moreover, Mukherjee and the author of “Homosexuality: Born or Bred”  in Newsweek both showed the outcome of Bailey study that genes do influence gays by how their brain is structured in the beginning of their lives. In the article written by the Newsweek staff, they demonstrated a study by Simon LeVay that scanned brains and showed that, “LeVay determined that a tiny area believed to control sexual activity was less the size in gay men than in heterosexual […] evidence of what some gay have long contended that whether or no they choose to be different, they were born different” (2/14).  After LeVay examined the brain of forty- one that being including homosexual male brain he concluded that being gay was during their early lives there was a sport in your brain that was for sexual preferences, even without the person knowing. Hamers, LeVays, as well as Bailey all three of these scientist research how does the gay gene works and how does a homosexual become homosexuals.
      A way that the gay community shows the impact of environmental factors is is in the article “Pas de Deux of Sexuality is Written in the Genes” written by Nicholas Wade. Wade wrote on the impact of both biological and environmental aspects. A fact that was mentioned in the passage was how the fetus in a woman’s stomach is being formed, “the body of a developing fetus by default and becomes male if the male-determining gene known as SRY is present (⅙)” which is the dominant gene. Despite the first female form, if it turns out to be a male just because of the strong Y chromosomes, so they have a females soul but the body of a male. Another way that a similar study is shown in the article by Newsweek‘s Staff is when the writer mentioned “once a gay fetus is detected in utero, it is aborted” now the question bring, how can a mother adopt will something that the child didn’t choose.  

      Homosexuals are being judged and killed because their religion or family does not allow them to be with the same sex. In today’s day Muslims cannot come out with their partners outside, or they can not show their true selves. If both females and males comes out to be gay, they would be either executed or in prison. However, other people believe in there being more of an environmental aspect in the process of being gay, but there are also biological factors. Hammer, Bailey LeVey and many other scientists studied the “gay gene” as well as the brain. They concluded that the homosexual males and females where born with it, and it was not a choice that they were given.

Works Cited

Mukherjee, Siddhartha “ The Last Mile.” The Gene: Scribner, 2016, PP 370-390.

Newsweek Staff. “Homosexuality: Born or Bred?”  Newsweek, 23, Feb 1992, https://www.newsweek.com/homosexuality-born-or-bred-200636. Accessed 4, Nov. 2018.

Wade, Nicholas. “Pas de Deux of Sexuality is Written in the Genes.” The New Yotk Times, 10 Apr.

2007, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/10/health/10gene.html. Accessed 5 Nov, 2018.

Francisco Alvarez
Professor Fraad
English 1101

Throughout decades, scientists and the public at large have debated whether homosexuals are born or made, whether their sexual orientation is the result of a genetic role or a combination of formative factors in their composition of their DNA. In the articles entitled “The Last Mile” by Siddhartha Mukherjee and “HOMOSEXUALITY: BORN OR BRED?” by Newsweek Staff, and in “God Made You This Way,’ Pope Is Said to Have Told Gay Man” by Jason Horowitz as well as “The Innate-Immutable Argument Finds No Basis in Science” by A. Dean Byrd, Ph.D., MBA, MPH Shirley E. Cox, DSW Jeffrey W. Robinson, PH.D. Some of the authors claim to what it extends to homosexuality the primary basis is genetic, in other words sexual identity is determined by genes while others claim that homosexuality extends to environment and religion. So, you may ask is homosexuality generic? Or is mostly nature and not nurture? This a very common question when it comes to homosexuality among society today. Genetics is defined as the study of genes, heredity and genetic variation in living things. Therefore, I believe that homosexuality is mostly determined by genes. Identical twin studies, Hamer’s research on genetics and Simon LeVay’s neurological research all demonstrate a biological basis.
When it comes to homosexuality and what it extends to, I have four main categories that I will like to share with you. The primary is based on Dean Hamer and Bailey and Pillard that proposed a generic explanation for homosexuality. “When Michael Bailey, an expert on sexual orientation at Northwestern University looked for concordance of gayness among twins, the results he found were striking. Among the 56 pairs of identical twins, both twins were gay in 52 percent. Of the 54 pairs of none-identical twins 22 percent were both gay, lower that the fraction for identical twins, but significantly higher than the estimate of 10 percent in overall population”. This clearly shows that genes are involved in gay man when it comes to sexual identity. I believe that 52 percentage in identical twins is a very reasonable number to at least consider that genes play a role in homosexuality. In the same way Dean Hamer, a researcher at the National Cancer Center Institute conducted an identical twin study in 1991. Hamer studied 114 gay men, by 1992 Hamer had collected information in nearly one thousand families’ members and he built families trees. What he found was higher concordance in sexual orientation, about 20 percent nearly twice the population rate of about 10 percent. Hamer also found out that maternal cousins through aunts tended to have higher concordance than any other cousins. Gay men tended to have gay uncles but only on maternal side. Due to this Hamer realized that the gay gene had to be carrier on the X chromosome (The Last Mile, p.375-376). This clearly shows that there is genetic base when it comes to homosexuality and we can also see that mothers have something to do with their sons’ sexual identity. Accordingly, to Hamer notably of the 40 gay siblings, he found out that 33 brothers shared a small stretch on the X chromosome called Xq28. The outcome of this study of brothers is that when it comes to homosexuality genes play an important role in a man’s sexual orientation. Furthermore, Hamer believes that homosexuality is somewhere near Xq28 that determines male sexual identity. Now you may say that Hamer’s study was long time ago, and you might be thinking about new technology that can corroborate that information. Well in 2015, in yet another detail analysis of 409 additional sibling’s pairs, the link to Xq28 was validated again and a previously identified link to chromosome 8 was reiterated. This is very important because from here we can see that the study that Hamer did decades ago had fundamentals bases in genes and this recent study in 2015 validated Hamer’s study but not only that it also provides more information about genes, the researchers discover that in gene number 8 there is something that affects a male sexual identity. Following this by “The Bailey-Pillard Twin Study” the study had its own shortcomings in 56 identical twins the 52 percent were both gays as against 22 percent of fraternal twins who have somewhat weaker generics bonds. Although of the adoptive, none genetically related brothers in the study only 11 percent were both gay. As a result, the suggestion of a shared genetic bond is very strong. As we can see on account to identical twin studies, we can conclude that there is definitively a genetic reason behind homosexuality. Therefore, I believe to what it extends to homosexuality, genes are a very important key to determined homosexuality. I say this because if we look at the evidence that influences the propensity of height there is a concordance of about 55 percent. Although homosexuality can also be influence by families, friends, religious beliefs and social culture. However, genes don’t fully prove that homosexuality is 100 percent the truth when it comes to homosexuality. Homosexuality is suggested to other non-biological reasons as I mentioned previously.
The second category is posited by Simon LeVay who proposed a neuroscientific explanation on homosexual’s differences in the hypothalamus of gay men. Simon LeVay a neuroscientist at the Salk Institute in La Jolla in California, had a chance to conduct a study in scanning the brains of 41 cadavers, including those of 19 homosexual males. LeVay found out that a tiny area in believed to control sexual activity in the brain was less than half the side in the gay men than in the heterosexuals. Perhaps this the first direct evidence of what some gay have long contended, that whether they choose to be different, they are born different (Newsweek Staff 2). This clearly implies that LeVay believes homosexuality is not a choice most likely he sees it as something that you are born with. This also indicates that homosexuality is not a simple thing to look at, it is mostly something very complex because it doesn’t involve only genes. But also, homosexuality can be perceived from a neuroscientist point of view. For this reason, it is important to understand that homosexuality is a complex thing even though genes play mostly a dominant role when we talk about homosexuality.
On the other hand, the third category was proposed by Dean Byrd. He proposed a psychological explanation to what it extends to homosexuality. Byrd sees homosexuality more as an attraction and less as biological. He believes that in homosexuality a sexual desire towards another man can be diminished and changes can be made. Regarding to change lesbian activist Camille Peglia said, “homosexuality is not normal.’ On the contrary it is a challenge to the norm. Nature exits whether academics like or not. And in nature, procreation is the single relentless rule… no one is born gay.” This is clearly the antithesis of what it extends to homosexuality according to Hamer, Bailey and Pillard researches that believe homosexuality is in the genes. As a result, Byrd believes homosexuality can be changed because biology doesn’t fully prove that homosexuality is determined only by genes. Therefore, homosexuality can be considered as a sexual preference, and for instance it can be changed. In addition to change in “HOMOSEXUALITY: BORN OR BRED?” we can see a clear example of change if we look at Mike a 49-year-old who was married for 18 years but he had preference towards men as well. After his wife died, he would often visit homosexual’s bars to seek of gay men. Mike took therapy for six months and he said after completing the therapy he has not had any homosexuals’ encounters. This in effect, clearly shows that homosexuality is subject to change. On the contrary, this person claims that he still sometimes has homosexual’s feelings. Because of this I strongly believe that homosexuality is definitively determined by biology. Not necessarily focused on genes but in biology in general.
The last category I will like you to look at is what Jason Horowitz proposed, which is a genetic and religious explanation to what it extends to homosexuality. Horowitz supports the idea that homosexuality has basis with generics, but it also has basis in culture and religion. For example, Juan Carlos Cruz a Chilean survivor of clerical sex abuse in August 2017 in Chile, had a chance to speak with the leader of Roman Catholic Church Pope Francis. During the conversation that last approximately 3 hours Mr. Cruz revealed to pope Francis that he was gay. To Mr. Cruz’s surprised pope Francis told him “you have to be happy with who you are. God made you this way and loves you this way and the pope loves you this way.” This clearly implies that the Vatican Francis believes that a person can be born gay. Moreover, here we can see that my thesis about homosexuality is right because even the pope believes that you can be born gay, which means if we see it from the biological point of view, we can see that genes are involved in what it extends to homosexuality. But you may have asked yourself is homosexuality generics or nurture.? I personally consider that when it comes to homosexuality genes have a very strong role to determine a male sexual identity. Therefore, I think that what it extends to homosexuality genes play a significant role. Otherwise think it this way, do you think the pope would say something like “God made you this way”? what does this implie to you or what can you determine from what he said? At least for me I see it as something that you are born with and that implies genes and biology in general, in other words this a clearly piece of evidence that shows us that when it comes to homosexuality genes and biology have a lot do with sexual identity.

MLA 8 Citation

Byrd, A. (2001). The Innate-Immutable Argument Finds No Basis in Science. [online] Available at: Http://www.narth.com/docs/innate.html [Accessed 16 Jul. 2012].

Horowitz, J. (2018). ‘God Made You This Way,’Pope Is Said to Have Told Gay Man. [online] Available at: Https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/21/world/europe/pope-francis [Accessed 30 Oct. 2018].

Mukherjee, Siddhartha. The Last Mile. Scribner, 2016

Staff, Newsweek. Homosexuality: Born or Bred?http://www.newsweek.com, 23 Feb. 1992.