Ever since term “gay gene” became popularised in the early 90s following a flawed study on male sexual preference, it’s become a throwaway thing that non-LGBTQI+ people have used to erroneously explain why people like to have same-sex sex.
Well folks, it’s time to debunk that ridiculous notion once and for all because science has proved that the “gay gene” is nothing more than a ridiculous myth.
A massive new study published in Science Magazine involving the analysis of genomes of nearly half a million participants from America and the UK found nothing in our genetics that could reliably predict whether someone has same-sex sex.
While researchers found no genetic link, the study doesn’t rule out the idea that genes play absolutely no role in a person’s sexual orientation. They argue that a person’s sexual preference is influenced rather than determined by a ridiculously complex mix of “genetic markers,” like genes, environment, life experiences, and many more that are still unknown and require further study.
Researchers also found some link between sexual orientation and genes, such as a gene associated with same-sex behaviour in men also being associated with male pattern balding. However, these areas were only touched upon and require further study before anything can be definitively confirmed.
But the long and short of it is that science has shown there is no single “gay gene” that dictates your sexual orientation, and liking people of the same gender is as natural as liking people of the opposite gender.
That being said, the study wasn’t without its limitations. The sample size, while large, was primarily from the UK, relied on self-reported sexual behaviour and only included people whose assigned-at-birth sex and self-reported gender match.
This means the study can’t tell whether ethnic background plays a part in sexual orientation, the sample size could’ve missed out on people who are attracted to the same sex but never acted on it, and none of the study’s results can say anything definitive about transgender or non-binary people.
Having said all that, the most important takeaway from this study is the hope that the ridiculous “gay gene” idea will be dispelled once and for all.
While the LGBTQI+ community don’t really care that much about the “gay gene”, it does affect how non-LGBTQI+ people view the community and the big hope of this study is to educate uninformed folks that same-sex behaviour isn’t genetic and it comes from the same human place that influences opposite-sex behaviour.