Study: Genetic Link Between Homosexuality and Siblings' Number of Sexual Partners

Two points here: 1- It is a statistical fact - not a theory - that twin siblings of gays have more than average sexual partners. There is no point making any comparison to your family or others (especially when none of you mentioned twins). This is, however, a correlation and there is no indication in the article that being gay causes siblings to have more sexual partners or vice versa. 2 - Then researchers theorized why this might be (a gene is passed to all siblings, gay or straight, and that straight siblings may continue to pass it along making more gay babies down the road). They don't know; there could be one or more additional factors coming into play that causes both things. But it is a sound theory to investigate given one of the strongest arguments against a biological source of "gayness" - that argument being why would there continue to be gay people if it's biologically based and we don't reproduce in great numbers? So the research is worthwhile in my opinion.

Wow- I have come up with a scientific theory that may be a breakthrough in explaining gayness.I will be submitting this to the AMA Journal for publication.YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST! People who are born with an anus are more likely to engage in sodomy. Thus scientists delving into my slut sisters sex life ,must also be engaging in self love as they appear to have their heads up their asses!" Greetings from Ohio

Personally, the study I 'liked' best was "Biological versus nonbiological older brothers and men’s sexual orientation" that postulates in part that 'the link between the mother’s immune reaction and the child’s future sexual orientation would probably be some effect of maternal anti-male antibodies on the sexual differentiation of the brain.' This is the 'my mother made me gay' rhetoric. Ofcourse, being the only (gay) son and third child of four, I do not fall within the parameters of the study. But also, the study being so narrow failed to consider lesbianism - female homosexuals were absent from the study and no one bothered to question that this oversight completely trashed the premise of the study. Sexuality is a gift from God; homosexuality is a test of faith for God-fearing people and a non-issue for people raised with a free will to ‘judge not less you be judged’. Remember, prejudice and intolerance is learned at the kitchen table, it is not innate.

Let's remember that statistical associations aren't causes. In summer ice cream sales increase at the same rate as seaside drownings. Does this mean that eating ice cream causes the drownings? No its just more people swim in the sea in summer. And they eat more ice creams then too. A statistical association between multiple partners or higher sex drive of heterosexual siblings and having a homosexual or bisexual brother or sister, doesn't say anything about a "cause" of people's sexual orientations. One reason why some people get interested in this is to debunk accusations by people like Sarah Palin, that homosexuality is a choice. Christians tend to be more likely to accept people that are living as God intended them to do. And if they're born gay, there isn't a choice. In my view homosexuality and bisexuality are OK whether they're choices or inbuilt. If scientific research helps Christians become more accepting, then fine.

I'm skeptical with the article's assumption that genetics has anything to do with promiscuity. Can we be hardwired to want multiple partners? "Correlation does not equal causation." Maybe promiscuity and homosexuality (more specifically, the willingness to come out of the closet, since it would be impossible for closeted gays to participate in this study) are linked to a certain type of family environment that is more encouraging or permissive of non-conventional sexual habits. To suggest that genes are the obvious link seems a little funny. I would hope the Zeitsch study addresses this question. Lastly, I personally don't consider "promiscuous" a pejorative. But that's just me.

You guys don't get it...It is not saying were are gay because of permiscuous siblings. It is sayng that 1. Siblings of gays tend to be more permiscuous and 2. Because of this, there is a likely hood of more kids being born, therefore the gay gene may be passed on more. I myself can look at my family and agree with it. Both my parents had fidelity issues, and I am quite certain by stories I have heard about my dad that he was quite the player before he met my mom. I have 5 siblings. 4 sisters and a brother. My oldest sister is on her 4th marriage, and in between them I think she found time to "date" one of the Seal teams. The next sister is on her 6th marriage, and would make Jenna Jameson blush at the amount of partners she has had. My brother is on marriage #3 and I dont want to think about how many kids might be out there Lastly my lone sister with 1 marriage, going on 27 years, and me and my partner of 18. So yeah...I see it

ge, I am the eldes of ten siblings, I was out long before any of them were sexual... This theory makes no sense to me. Personally, methinks it's back to the drawing board... better yet, let's not. Let's just accept that gays and lesbians exist and forget about why.

This study is stupid and just goes to show that anything can be published. I am gay. My grandparents had one spouse each and each couple had nine children. All my father's siblings had many children as did my mother's siblings. All stayed married to one spouse. My two brothers had many children and they too remained faithful to their one spouse. I am the only gay one in the whole bunch.

We can't possibly know all our ancestors habits, so just say it is gentically prompted and get on with it. The only ones that care are in Science, and they look for proof of everything. Then there is the Religiously motivated people, the extreme ones, who won't accept GLBT without proof, and when they have it they will find another loophole to argue. I saw the rukus in video this A.M. in Oakland with people running around with No and Yes Signs for Prop 8, some corner they use every day for fighting over it and other Props. The ones who say they have GLBT friends but they shouldn't marry are in essence saying, I don't believe in the American Constitution and I'll live here and benefit by all it gives me, but the Gays can't have it. You all should be kicked over to Iraq, and live under Theocracy.

Hm, I haven't read the actual journal article, so this issue may be more reflective of the above abstract than the actual research piece...however: Just because someone has more "promiscuous" siblings doesn't mean that genetics are necessarily at work. What role do social factors (from social mores in natal households to shared experiences) play in these similarities? M.Phil., Anthropology Yale University