[extropy-chat] Gay marriage in Spain, a world of change

[Gina Miller]

But remember that while twins have the same genetic code and a particular gene that may hardwire them to be predisposed to exhibit a particular behavior, there is the environmental element. Twins do not live the same exact experiences as each other. Take for example the more recent findings of a link between genetics and alcoholism in siblings. They have the gene but they do not all exhibit the behavior. We may not even be able to identify what specific moment(s) activated the predisposition. There are a lot of individual variables to this issue. 


Gina "Nanogirl" Miller
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  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mike Lorrey 
  To: ExI chat list 
  Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 9:32 AM
  Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] Gay marriage in Spain, a world of change




  --- MB <mbb386 at main.nc.us> wrote:
  > 
  > Recently I read Susan Blackmore's "The Meme Machine".  In it she says
  > the following:
  > 
  > p. 137
  > | The taboo against homosexuality is especially interesting.
  > | There is no generally accepted biological explanation of
  > | homosexuality and superficially it does not appear to be
  > | adaptive. Nevertheless, evidence is accumulating that there
  > | is an inherited predisposition for homosexuality. 

  Last I heard, the heritability claim has been losing steam. Studies of
  gay twins found only 50% of gay identical twins had gay twin siblings.
  22% of gay fraternal twins and 11% of gay siblings reported gay twins
  and siblings, respectively. Technically speaking, fraternal twins are
  no different from normal siblings other than sharing a uterine
  environment for 9 months.

  Simon LeVay's studies of cadaver brains suffered in peer review because
  his classification of  individuals as heterosexual was problematic,
  especially given many claimed heteros died of AIDS, nor could LeVay
  demonstrate that the brain cell cluster differences he reported were
  cause or effect, or why some known gays did not exhibit the claimed
  feature.

  In 1993, a team of researchers led by Dr. Dean Hamer announced
  "preliminary" findings from research into the connection between
  homosexuality and genetic inheritance. In a sample of 76 homosexual
  males, the researchers found a statistically higher incidence of
  homosexuality in their male relatives (brothers, uncles) on their
  mother's side of the family. This suggested a possible inherited link
  through the X chromosome. A follow-up study of 40 pairs of homosexual
  brothers found that 33 shared a variation in a small section of the X
  chromosome. Although this study was promoted by the press as evidence
  of the discovery of a gay gene, some of the same concerns raised with
  the previous two studies apply here. First, the findings involve a
  limited sample size and are therefore sketchy. Even the researchers
  acknowledged that these were "preliminary" findings. In addition to the
  sample size being small, there was no control testing done for
  heterosexual brothers. Another major issue raised by critics of the
  study concerned the lack of sufficient research done on the social
  histories of the families involved.

  Second, similarity does not prove cause. Just because 33 pairs of
  homosexual brothers share a genetic variation doesn't mean that
  variation causes homosexuality. And what about the other 7 pairs that
  did not show the variation but were homosexuals?

  Finally, research bias may again be an issue. Dr. Hamer and at least
  one of his other team members are homosexual. It appears that this was
  deliberately kept from the press and was only revealed later. Dr. Hamer
  it turns out is not merely an objective observer. He has presented
  himself as an expert witness on homosexuality, and he has stated that
  he hopes his research would give comfort to men feeling guilty about
  their homosexuality.

  By the way, this was a problem in every one of the studies we have
  mentioned in our discussion. For example, Dr. Simon LeVay said that he
  was driven to study the potential physiological roots of homosexuality
  after his homosexual lover died of AIDS. He even admitted that if he
  failed to find a genetic cause for homosexuality that he might walk
  away from science altogether. Later he did just that by moving to West
  Hollywood to open up a small, unaccredited "study center" focusing on
  homosexuality.



  Mike Lorrey
  Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
  "Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
  It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                        -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
  Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com



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