Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 19 replies, 20 voices, and was last updated 23 years, 3 months ago by
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- On July 15, 1993, researchers at the National Institutes of Health found a linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. This discovery brings the researchers closer toward mapping and isolating a genetic locus which may influence sexual orientation within a certain subset of male homosexuals. When they find a way to "alter" the X chromosome, would any male homosexual go to the clinic to alter his X chromosome to become a "straight male"? I feel someday there will be a cure for homosexuals. The next question is: Will homosexuals welcome it?
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Name : David, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 31, City : Westland, State : MI Country : United States, Social class : Middle class,Why would I want to alter how I was created? What purpose would it serve? I may have a slightly more difficult time advancing in my career, or run a slightly higher risk of getting assaulted because of my sexual identity, but what would I gain by changing how I was created? I'm satisfied with who I am. As for "a cure for homosexuality," you work under the assumption that homosexuality is a disease, when in fact no major accredited medical organization currently suggests that. It is not a disease, and it is not a flaw. It is a trait that makes me no different from you - I have the capacity to love another human being who just happens to share the same gender as myself.User Detail :
Name : Tom24135, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Prescott, State : AZ Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College,I'm sure there are also chromosomes that indicate why women, black, Asian and Indigenous American communities are the way they are. Do you think people dissimilar from you, if given the possibility, would prefer to become white heterosexual males like you, if given the chance? From history's observations, the vast majority of gay people throughout humanity have been and are highly intelligent, well-adjusted, happy, creative, intelligent, cultured, well-rounded, dynamic, fun and sometimes as equally boring as the average heterosexual.I'm positive that in the process of discovering the roots of homosexuality, the causes for heterosexuality will be scrutinized as well. A "cure"? Perhaps it is not gays, lesbians and transgendered individuals that need to be "cured", but the view you take of them.
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Name : G. Chan, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Humanist, Age : 16, City : Toronto, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : Cultural Change Agent, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,Even though it was tough for me to come out of the closet, and I had thoughts of "if I could only change" before I came out to everyone, I still like the fact that I'm me. One of my greatest fears as a child was that I would be just like all the other people around me. I enjoy the fact that I'm different and that I have the unique gift to girl-talk with total strangers, the gift to be comfortable with my emotional side, and gift to feel other people's emotions (kind of like Diana Troy on Star Trek). You state that "someday there will be a cure for homosexuals." I do not believe homosexuality is a disease. I believe God made homosexuals for a reason. Straight men seem to be good at building buildings. Gay men, like Michelangelo and de Vinci, were good at designing and decorating buildings. Homosexuals seem to have gifts to offer the world. Changing that would be changing God's will.User Detail :
Name : Patrick S., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 24, City : Dallas, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Programmer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I view sexual orientation in the same light as other differences such as hair color, skin color or height. It is my expectation that many preferences are wired in to us. As an example intended not to trivialize the situation but instead draw on a lowest-common denominator, I prefer chocolate rather than vanilla. Vanilla is what the vast majority of people prefer. No matter how much I exhibit vanilla-consuming behavior, it does not change my preference for chocolate. Ultimately, what difference does it make whether a person finds people of the same gender or another more sexually attractive?User Detail :
Name : Thomas24786, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Asian/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 45, City : Lyman, State : ME Country : United States, Occupation : Computer Programmer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,I did not realize being gay was a disease. Why are people spending money to find a so-called gay gene? Why do people seem to enjoy finding more and more ways to separate people from everyone else? Will straight people welcome being "cured" of their straightness?User Detail :
Name : Natalie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 17, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : High School Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class,I think everyone is missing something here. Even if the "gay gene" is discovered, what makes anyone think that someone could find a gay adult, change his entire genetic structure and suddenly make him straight? Perhaps it happens in science fiction, but genetics and genetic engineering does not work that way. The changes would have to be made very, very early in development, when the number of cells is small enough to allow the change to propogate throughout development. As for why people should be spending money to find the "gay gene," well, the point is to map out the entire human genome or genetic code. The researchers find what they find. In my view, finding a gene influencing homosexuality would be the same as finding a gene that determines whether you are right or left-handed. I would think that it would scientifically debunk any idea that homosexuality is a matter of choice. Isn't that worth determining?User Detail :
Name : John K., Gender : M, Age : 26, City : Cranford, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : Chemical Engineer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,The questioner, in addition to exhibiting the common chauvinism against homosexuals, also exhibits a profound lack of understanding of genetics. This person thinks that changing a gene in a full-grown individual will change that person. What if that 'homosexual gene' controls only fetal development? Then the change will have no effect in a full-grown person. I don't think the questioner even understands how gene therapy works. The human body contains trillions of cells, and you have to use a virus to transmit genetic fixes into the nucleus of the particular cells you want to change. This question is the absent musing of a chauvinist. It is sad and hilarious.User Detail :
Name : Mark S., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 31, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,As a biology student, let me say that even if the theoretical homosexuality causing gene on the X chromosome could be pinpointed or altered, it could not change men who are already gay. Genes are a blueprint for the development of a person, and---since a gay male would have already developed into who he is---changing the blueprint would do nothing to the already developed man. The only thing possible would be to prevent homosexual children before conception. Maybe someday, parents could even custom-create their own 'genetically perfect' children. Why does this remind me of Hitler's dream of a perfect Aryan race? Leave people the way they are!User Detail :
Name : John-Kemp, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 22, City : Jacksonville, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,The genetic theory is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we could finally say, "Here is proof that it is not a choice, as we have been saying all along." But there is a dark side. The "You Can Change" ads will not apologize, but become "We can change you." As one conservative Christian radio host said, "This genetic theory is nonsense, but if we do find it, we will be able to eradicate it, and rid our country of homosexuals." It sent shivers down my spine that this man, confessing to be a follower of Christ, sounded more like Hitler wanting to cleanse Germany.Parents might consider aborting gay fetuses, or change their children without their consent. Will gays embrace this therapy? First, you have to explain why they should change. It isn't because they are a threat to society. In fact, gay people contribute to society, from doctors to computer programmers. We are not beating heterosexuals, slamming students into lockers or fighting against equality for heterosexuals, as some are doing toward us. It can't be for religious reasons, because God condemning someone for the way they were born would be unjust - and make God suspect of being far from good or perfect. So, the only reason I can come up with is to make heterosexuals feel comfortable, and that they would want to assuage guilt from the mean-spirited "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" quotes, or the "Love the sinner, hate the sin" slogan with the apparent hatred of both. If one's conscience bothers them, that is not my cross to bear.
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Name : Craig, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 37, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States,Homosexuality seems to be an "illness" that affects the people surrounding the homosexual more than the homosexual himself or herself. Most gay people are perfectly happy with their sexuality. Those who aren't are likely so because they've been conditioned to believe that only heterosexuality is correct. Gay people who conceal their sexuality are also only doing so to avoid vilification by heterosexuals. Thus, it is straight people - not gay people - who are truly "sickened" by homosexuality. This theoretical genetic alteration would thus be a perfect cure for what is essentially a heterosexual ailment.User Detail :
Name : Dan27152, Gender : M, Age : 22, City : La Salle, State : IL Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College,Your post makes so many assumptions that I'm not sure where to begin. Let me address a few of them. 1) Yes, sexual orientation may depend to some degree on genetic coding. But I don't think anyone believes genetics by itself will explain anything as complex as sexual orientation. 2) Finding a genetic cause - if possible - has nothing to do with changing someone's genes and thereby changing that person. Thus, for example, someone who wants blue eyes cannot go to a geneticist and ask for a gene transplant. Genes deal with heredity - they have nothing to do with reshaping ourselves. 3) Choice is irrelevant to issues like sexual orientation. Say, for example, that you're heterosexual. When did you choose to become heterosexual? Or take another example: Say you're a Christian - that's a matter of choice. There is no Christian gene (as far as I know). You could choose to convert to another faith, for example, to become a Wiccan. And then you could choose to convert back. Would you be cured of Christianity? And then be cured of being a Wiccan? What does "cure" mean? Sexual orientation is far more profound than religious choice. And as far as anyone can tell, sexual orientation is a God-given attribute that never changes, no matter how much a person may pretend to the contrary. (None of the religious groups that claim to convert homosexuals has ever been willing to let neutral professionals test those converts.) In that sense, being gay is like being left-handed. My mother was born left-handed, but the nuns made her change. To them, being left-handed was wrong and bad in a right-handed world. The change left real scars on her self-image. She didn't choose to be left-handed. God made her that way. But the nuns considered that God had made a mistake that they would cure. Poor little God - so limited compared to the religious folk who know so much better!User Detail :
Name : Thom24779, Gender : M, Age : 56, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,This very interesting and vastly debatable subject was posed in the movie Twilight of the Goulds(sp?). In it, a genetic researcher finds out that his and his wife's baby carries the gene linked to homosexuality. I would suggest anyone interested in this topic view this movie. I believe it accurately depicts the reactions of each of the family members from their point of view, i.e. Jewish mother, gay son, Jewish grandmother, etc.Now, the question being asked of me - Would I change myself from gay to straight? No, although there were many times during my teen years when I wished I was more like everyone else. I am happy and in a loving relationship that I would not give up for anything. I think this question would be like asking a black person, Would you want to be changed to Caucasion? I love myself and would not change my sexual orientation. I fear that doing so for anyone would be like pulling a thread out of a beautiful quilt: It could change everything about me, for this one aspect of me has shaped me to be who I am today.
Lastly, the question of "Will I welcome the options this discovery presents?" I believe our society is ready for such discoveries. I am scared that babies could be aborted for no other reason than exhibiting a positive showing of this gene. But I ask myself, "Is that such a bad thing?" I am confident that the people who would consider killing their unborn child for no other reason but his presumed sexual orientation, should not be blessed with this child in the first place. In my opinion, just in my lifetime the quality of life for the Lesbian/Bisexual/Gay/Transgender community has improved by such leaps and bounds that I would not wish for anyone to go through the hate and torment that has caused so many suicides in the gay population.
In summary, I believe our society is ready for this discovery. I also believe it will only go to improve the quality of life of all people on this planet. However, as a gay male, I am very concerned as to how this "discovery" will be used.
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Name : Stephen H., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 29, City : Lafayette, State : LA Country : United States, Occupation : Human Resources Consultant, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,Am I to understand this properly? They've found the gene that makes people gay? And now, I guess, they can work on gene therapy to effectively make everyone gay. Now all those bumbling, stiff-wristed, car-fixing, crack-showing, woman-harrassing straight men can cure themselves, become gay and relinquish the overwhelming burden of having all the power. Women everywhere will breathe a sigh of relief, and the world will be filled with art and music. Oh, thank God, a cure for heterosexuality!See how stupid that sounds? Funny that you didn't word your question to ask if straight people would consider the opportunity to "become" gay a cure.
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Name : Kathryn26647, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Dyke, City : Roanoke, State : VA Country : United States,I have always thought most gay men and lesbians are homosexual because of genetics - just like eye color, height, weight, etc. I think someday this will come to be proven true. It sounds like this research may be right on the money. However, I don't think homosexuals need to be 'cured' of anything. Not any more than blue-eyed people need to be cured of their blue-eyedness. The good news: Someday every gene will be thoroughly mapped, and then the really important work can begin: Cures for cancer, alzheimers, MS, Lou Gehrig disease, muscular dystrophy and all the other real genetic disorders that make human life miserable.User Detail :
Name : Cheryl S., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 51, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : Technical, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,
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