If one identical twin is gay is the other
It has long been clear that a person’s sexual liking – whether they prefer male or female sexual partners, or both – is influenced by his or her genetic makeup. The most straightforward evidence for this is that sexual liking is more likely to be the same in resembling twin pairs, whose genetic makeup is identical, than in non-identical twin pairs, who share only around 50% of their genetic makeup.
What has been elusive is understanding of what specific gene, or genes, are involved. A study found male sexual preference was influenced by a particular gene on the X chromosome, which the media naturally dubbed the “gay gene”. But a later review did not copy this finding, and subsequent follow-ups yielded mixed results.
Read more: Born this way? An evolutionary view of 'gay genes'
The challenge was that these studies were too small to outline confident conclusions. There are millions of parts of our DNA that commonly differ between people. That means conclusion the genes linked with sexual favor is like result a needle in a haystack.
So an international team of
Identical twins and sexual identity
Dear Dr. Roach: I study your recent column regarding identical twins where one of the two was balding while his twin was not. Within my extended family, there are identical twin brothers, who also were almost doomed for family members to differentiate. If their DNA genes are "identical," now that they are adults, how can one be homosexual, while his twin is married with children? — Anon.
Dear Anon.: Sexual identity defies a easy, single explanation and even categorization. As time goes on, scientists have established that not everybody fits into the clear-cut categories of "straight" and "gay." Some people are attracted to both sexes; some to neither; some perceive that traditional gender roles don't really fit them. As such, trying to identify a single result in of sexual identity, genetic or environmental, is not going to be flourishing. With increasing recognition that people do not drop into binary categories, we can see the limitations of studies that possess attempted to answer your question. Nonetheless, the facts is useful to stare at.
St
Identical twins spend their lives existence compared. They share duplicate DNA (although it&#;s expressed in alternative genes), as well as the same upbringing so they&#;re generally similar individuals, notwithstanding the strive they put into being one-of-a-kind. And this is why I find two of my friends so interesting.
Angus and Eric Woodward are identical 25 year-old twins from Melbourne. Eric is gay, while Angus is vertical, which created an interesting microcosm of individualism as they strike puberty. Discovering sexuality is a journey for anyone, but maybe more so when you&#;ve got a twin who is also your opposite. So to detect out how sexuality affected their relationship, and their understanding of themselves, I asked Angus and Eric to share some insights.
VICE: Hey Eric, let&#;s start with how you discovered your possess sexual orientation.
Eric: In central school I can vaguely recall noticing guys and feeling attracted to some of them. Then I remember by year 8 or 9, I started thinking that meant I was probably gay. I was hoping that ideally I wasn&#;t, but you kind of have a selection
Why Do Some Identical Twins Have Different Sexual Orientations?
by Justin Lehmiller
A growing amount of research suggests that sexual orientation has a genetic basis. In proof, scientists recently identified two specific genes that show to differ between same-sex attracted and straight men [1].
If sexual orientation is indeed genetically determined, it would be tempting to consider that identical twins would always have the identical orientation, right? If they have the exact identical genes and our genes control our sexuality, this would seem like a pretty logical conclusion. As it turns out, however, it’s not accurate.
Identical twins sometimes have different orientations. For example, one may be straight while the other is gay. So why is that?
In cases like this, some might argue that perhaps both twins are actually homosexual, but one just hasn’t come out yet. In other words, maybe there isn’t a true discrepancy. But this idea has been refuted scientifically.
In a study where scientists looked at the sexual arousal patterns of identical twins with different sexualities—specifically, where one was