What is your position on, the scientific theory epigenetics possibly being used explain homosexuality?

plausible

Science isn’t really a matter of opinion, so it doesn’t make sense to have a position on a theory. I don’t have a position on evolution, for instance. I just recognize that it is one of the best confirmed scientific theories of all time. So are you just asking how plausible we think the theory is at this stage of development? If so, I think it’s very plausible. There have been “biological-but-not-genetic” theories of homosexuality since the mid-90s, so this is just the latest iteration of that line of evidence. And unsurprisingly, it’s the best supported version of that line of evidence. So like @ARE_you_kidding_me said, “plausible.” Not confirmed yet, but very promising.

@JeSuisRickSpringfield Fair point. However since there is nothing absolute on this scientific theory at present, I am asking for predictions based on the available information we currently have.

I don’t support it unless a consecutive research on that particular subject has taken place in wider population where the variance in sample size is diverse. Even so, paradox will eventually present itself in time.

It seems a major snipe hunt to me. The lynch pin of it “is not supported by any data.”. That places it the same as the spiritual counterpart of faith. People want to believe it because they want to believe it is caused by something and not a ”gay gene”, as if it would be akin to some disease. Even worse, that it is in some fashion a choice. Simply because homosexuality run in some families is easily explained as to why some families have more alcoholics than others, if you grow up in a family where abusing alcohol, street drugs, etc. is a daily norm, avoiding it doesn’t seem important. Kind of why abusers who abuse their wives do so because that is what dad did. Smoke and mirrors, nothing more.

It seems there is nothing to support the idea apart from epigenetics being fashionable just now.

Just because they have not yet found a gay gene, doesnt mean that there isnt one (or several). So, if thats the reason why the epigenetic theory is so appealing, thats not that compelling a reason to embrace it.

Personally, i dont think that there is only one “cause” for kids being gay. Theres also the whole issue of hormonal exposure in the womb during certain critical stages of fetal development which may eventually prove to be more critical to the end result.

All fetuses in the very beginning start out as female and its that influx of hormones which begins the development of male penis and testes. That would seem like a better place to start looking looking for root causes.

And, as was pointed out in the article, since being gay is not a disease or pathological, arent there issues more critical for research such as curing cancer or finding solutions for numerous heritable causes of death or debilitating disease?

I mean, practically speaking, what good would it do even if the precise cause could be definitively nailed down?

Would this then provide the basis for decisions to abort (similar to testing for Down Syndrome). Would society be better off if gay people coukd be eliminated while still in the fetal stage?

Those are some pretty horrible scenarios to contemplate, but couldnt definitively proving a gay gene inevitably resort to that for some people?

Im trying to see an upside to definitively finding out the cause for why a kid turns out gay. Really, what would such a discovery contribute in a positive way?

If anyone thinks this will silence once and for all those (primarily religious) folks who keep insisting that ones sexual orientation is a choice. And if its a choice, then the corollary is that it can be “unchosen” it will not change their minds.

Decades of research and all those conversion therapy efforts have proven it false and yet there is still a hardcore group who refuse to accept that (even tho both the RCC as well as one of the major Ex-Gay groups have
finally come around) So, there will always be diehards who insist that all that gay people need to do is “pray away the gay” simply presenting them with another proof to the contrary wont do much. They will dismiss rhat as well.

So, I really dont see much point to trying to discover what makes people gay. Am i missing something here?

@Buttonstc The hormonal exposure in the womb stuff is epigenetics. As for why we want to know, it’s because we are curious. Human beings are driven to learn. And we often discover many other things in the process of trying to learn about one thing. Many of the biggest advancements in science and technology have been accidents—coincidental outgrowths of research that started out having nothing to do with where it ended up. So why stop people from following what interests them? Historically, it gets the best results.