More researchers
tackle gay gene question

Researchers at Illinois's Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute are preparing to tackle a contentious question: Is there a gay gene?

The institute is now recruiting 1,000 pairs of gay brothers in hopes of finding an answer, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. While the scientific world now rejects the view of homosexuality as an illness, there is still dispute over whether it's learned behavior.

Timothy Murphy, a University of Illinois bioethicist and consultant to the study, believes the research will show homosexuality is genetic, reports the Sun-Times. Murphy believes that finding would encourage more acceptance of gays by the public.

Alan Sanders, the director of the Evanston study, echoed those sentiments. "We hope our study will dispel mythologies and ignorance about homosexuality," Sanders told the Sun-Times.

Previous studies have shown that homosexuality is tied to both genetic and environmental causes. Identical twins, who share the same genes, are more likely than fraternal twins to both be gay. Environmental factors, including exposure to certain hormones during pregnancy and having older brothers, have been shown to increase the likelihood of a male child being gay as well. (The Advocate)