Scientists possibly located the "Gay Gene"

[none123]

I found this article, surprising on Fox News:  http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/07/15/have-scientists-found-gay-gene/

...A group of Korean geneticists has altered the sexual preferences of female mice by removing a single gene linked to reproductive behavior. Without the gene, the mice gravitated toward mice of the same sex. Those mice who retained the gene, called FucM, were attracted to male mice. (FucM is short for fucose mutarotase.)

The geneticists' study, published last week in the journal BMC Genetics explains that female mice without FucM avoided male mice, declined to sniff male urine, and made passes at other females.

Lead author Chankyu Park, of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, says this shows the absence of FucM tricks female mouse brains into functioning like male brains. "The mutant female mouse underwent a slightly altered developmental program in the brain to resemble the male brain in terms of sexual preference," he told the London Telegraph.

Park said he now wants to research whether this finding has any relevance for humans...

I hope studies like this that show it is genetic, will get religious nuts to quit saying homosexuality is a choice, you aren't born with it, and that it is sinning.

[Tanker]

I found this article, surprising on Fox News:

I got that far and stopped if Fox News is reporting it I'm not listening untill the scientific community starts reporting it.

[none123]

I don't blame you, they are terrible, it is the only newspage we have access to on work computers.  I followed it to it's source though:

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-07/has-gay-gene-been-found-female-mice

[Squid]

The provisional article is available from BMC Genetics (an open source, peer-reviewed online journal):

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2156/11/62

[KebertX]

Religion fights science, it doesn't incorporate it. Do you realize how hard they were fighting in Galileo's day just to keep people believing that Earth was the center of the Universe? That is an attitude that has never changed.  They show the same militant attitude with refuting Evolution. I highly doubt they would give up on all the bits of the bible that condemn homosexuality just because of irrefutable evidence that it's genetic (i.e. God's own damn fault).

I've been hearing about the individual discoveries of the gay gene for years. It always gets buried.  I'm in fact more interested that this is coming from FOX News: It means even the right wing nut-jobs are finding the evidence irrefutable!

[Whitney]

I hope studies like this that show it is genetic, will get religious nuts to quit saying homosexuality is a choice, you aren't born with it, and that it is sinning.

Almost every human is born with a genetic urge to have sex after reaching puberty yet many Christians still try to claim that choosing to acknowledge out sexuality is a sin.

[Tank]

The Gay Gene is called 'FucM' and this is not an April 1st Joke!

[Squid]

The Gay Gene is called 'FucM' and this is not an April 1st Joke!

Yep and fucose unknown is abbreviated "FucU" - no joke.

[Tank]

The Gay Gene is called 'FucM' and this is not an April 1st Joke!

Yep and fucose unknown is abbreviated "FucU" - no joke.

Would you credit it, scientists with a sense of humour.  

[Byronazriel]

I hope this doesn't lead to parents aborting their kids, and various "cures"...

I see nothing wrong with homosexuality, as a matter of fact from my point of view it is hardly any different than heterosexuality.

I am asexual, sex in general makes me uncomfortable... But I firmly believe that people should be able to love, and be attacted to whomever they want. That's their business. And as long as any machinitions that arise are between consenting adults then they're well within their rights.

If I ever have kids, I wouldn't care what their sexuality was as long as they acted on those desires safely and concentually.

[MilkyWay]

I hope this doesn't lead to parents aborting their kids, and various "cures"...

I see nothing wrong with homosexuality, as a matter of fact from my point of view it is hardly any different than heterosexuality.

I am asexual, sex in general makes me uncomfortable... But I firmly believe that people should be able to love, and be attacted to whomever they want. That's their business. And as long as any machinitions that arise are between consenting adults then they're well within their rights.

If I ever have kids, I wouldn't care what their sexuality was as long as they acted on those desires safely and concentually.

I agree with you Byron.
 

[Will]

[wildfire_emissary]

Reminds me of Posilac.

[karadan]

The Gay Gene is called 'FucM' and this is not an April 1st Joke!

Yep and fucose unknown is abbreviated "FucU" - no joke.

 

[dloubet]

I wonder what would happen if stem-cell research could pave the way for a gay cure.

Paradox!

Ugh. Even barely thinking like a religionist for only a moment makes me want to wash my brain.