Debate Magazine

Identical-twins Studies Show Homosexuality is Acquired, Not Genetic

By Eowyn @DrEowyn
Gay Pride Parade, Miami Beach, 2013

Gay Pride Parade, Miami Beach, 2013

For no scientific reason, we’ve all been brainwashed into believing that homosexuality is not by choice, that homosexuals are born that way.

But eight major studies of identical twins in Australia, the United States and Scandinavia during the last two decades all have arrived at the same conclusion: homosexuality primarily and overwhelmingly (90%) is an acquired disposition, instead of genetic.

The findings of those studies are presented in Chapter 10, “Twin Studies: the strongest evidence,” of Neil E. Whitehead, Ph.D., My Genes Made Me Do It! – Homosexuality and the scientific evidence (Third edition, Oct. 2013). (You can download the book, free, in PDF format here; or buy a copy here.)

Dr. Neil Whitehead is the author of over 140 published scientific papers. His Ph.D. is in biochemistry, 1971, New Zealand. He was employed as a scientist with the New Zealand government for 24 years, at the United Nations for 4 years, and more recently as a scientific research consultant to Japanese universities on the effects of radiation exposure.

Before I present the findings in Dr. Whitehead’s Chapter 10, “”Twin Studies: the strongest evidence,” we first need to know the importance of studying identical twins.

IDENTICAL TWINS

Identical or monozygotic twins occur when a single egg is fertilized to form one zygote (hence, “monozygotic”) which then divides into two separate embryos that grow and develop into identical twins. Being formed from the same zygote, identical twins therefore have identical genes or DNA. Furthermore, being in the same womb, the twins also share identical pre-natal biological conditions.

As a result of having the same genes and prenatal conditions, identical twins are perfect subjects for scientific study to determine whether a disease, disposition or personality attribute is caused by nature (genes) or nurture (acquired). If homosexuality is caused by genetics and/or prenatal conditions in the womb, then identical twins will always be identical for same sex attraction. That is, if one identical twin is homosexual, the co-twin should also be homosexual. In other words, the same sex attraction (SSA) concordance should be 100%. 

(In contrast, fraternal or dizygotic twins usually occur when two eggs are separately fertilized by two different sperm cells, but are implanted in the uterus wall at the same time. The two eggs or ova form two zygotes, hence the term “dizygotic twins”. Fraternal twins have different DNA and really are two ordinary siblings who happen to be born at the same time.)

Identical twins and homosexuality

Twin registers are the foundation of modern twin studies. We now have very large twin registers in many countries, one of the largest in use is in Australia, with more than 33,000 pairs of twins on the books, all of whom are prepared to assist in general research. A team of Australian researchers used that twin register and, in 2000, published their findings as:

  • J. M. Baily, M. P. Dunne, and N. G. Martin, “Genetic and Environmental influences on sexual orientation and its correlates in an Australian twin sample,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78:524-536.
  • S. L. Jones and M. A. Yarhouse, Homosexuality. The use of scientific research in the church’s moral debate (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP, 2000).

The Australian identical twins study found that for self-declared lesbians and “gays” the pairwise concordance is 14% and 11% respectively. Five later and very large studies found very similar results.

A same sex attraction (SSA) concordance of 11% means that when one of a twin pair from a general twin registry is homosexual, his co-twin is homosexual one time in nine, or 11% of the time, which is not very much.

Since identical twins not only have the same DNA, shared the same prenatal conditions in the womb, as well as (usually) grew up in the same family environment, the 11% SSA concordance means that “neither genes nor upbringing is very important” because something(s) else that was not shared by identical twins accounts for the overwhelming majority (89%) of SSA cases.

Put simply and bluntly, homosexuals are not born that way. (In fact, no homosexual gene has been found or is expected to be. See Chapter 9 of Whitehead’s book.) 

Nor do people become homosexual because of upbringing. Fuller studies, which include fraternal twins, show that for SSA the effect of upbringing is low and even less than that of genes. Results from twin studies for very many traits show family influence is less than genetic influence. In other words, parents are usually not directly involved in making a son or daughter homosexual, either genetically or through parenting.

Dr. Whitehead writes:

This degree of concordance [11%] now has the backing of half a dozen major twin studies so is very unlikely to change. So the following conclusion will not change in the future either: The predominant cause of SSA both in men and women is individual post-natal random reactions to biological and environmental factors.

Random events and homosexuality

Unusual random events, e.g., some early sexual experience such as pornography or molestation, can have extraordinarily powerful influences by impressing themselves on our memory, and affect our responses and behavior for years. If an event or feeling has been mulled over numerous times for years, it is important, possibly formative, and may even be a mind habit.

Whitehead writes, “There is a wrong but popular impression that SSA development is a great mystery. But in many ways it’s no more mysterious than the development of heterosexuality.” Many homosexual men and women, recalling incidents which they believe were instrumental in the development of their SSA, recount clear early memories of one particular thing done or said in families that deeply influenced their later choices. Otis and Skinner in a non-twin study identified some of them by sampling a group of SSA men and women who said the factors in the figure below had at least some influence on their orientation, such as positive same-sex experiences.

Otis & Skinner study on factors influencing SSA

So what are the random factors experienced by one identical twin but not another which could determine as much as 89% of same sex attraction? Here are some examples:

  • Sexual abuse (same sex for men, opposite sex for women)
  • Exposure to “gay” porn (mostly for men)
  • Parental preference.
  • Bad experience with opposite sex.
  • Gender-atypical physical feature(s), e.g., slight body built (for men); obesity, unfeminine and physical unattractiveness (for women).
  • Fetishes.
  • Middle age (for women): note the Hollywood actresses who, in middle age, have come out as lesbians, e.g., Kelly McGillis and Meredith Baxter.
  • Parental encouragement to be gender atypical, e.g., dressing little boys in girl’s clothes.
  • Single parent family (no male role model for boys).
  • Cultural approval/disapproval.

The Australian identical-twins study was of adult twins. A large ongoing study of tens of thousands of adolescent students in the United States found even lower SSA concordances in identical adolescent twins of only 7.7% for males and 5.3% for females—lower than the 11% and 14% in the Australian study. Moreover, not only is SSA concordance less in adolescents, it is also more malleable — adolescents with SSA generally change their attractions from year to year.

Conclusion

Given the scientific findings that:

  1. Homosexuality overwhelmingly is not inborn or genetic, but is acquired as a result of random experiences (and reaction to those experiences), which include pornography, broken homes, and cultural approval/disapproval;
  2. Sexual orientation in adolescence is very malleable.

And given the transformation of American culture and society into one of broken, single-mother homes; where pornography (including gay and tranny porn) is widely available online; where homosexuality and sexually deviant behaviors increasingly are not just tolerated, but accepted and celebrated; and where Christianity is on the wane, we can expect more young people to identify themselves as homosexual and transsexual. Already, 1 in 2 of young people in the UK identify themselves as not 100% heterosexual. That is America’s dismal future.

H/t FOTM Facebook reader Dianne Allyn-Fowler

See also

  • The Gay Mafia and America’s aggressive homosexual agenda
  • Crossdressing summer camp for confused boys
  • Boy Scouts of America goes homo despite evidence of homosexuals being more prone to pedophilia
  • Homosexuals are more narcissistic and more prone to pedophilia and murder
  • Judicial Tyranny: Dissenting opinions on Supreme Court’s ruling on homosexual marriage
  • Conservative National Review magazine goes homo
  • The dark side of the push for transgenderism: Sex with she-males
  • Speech Crime comes to America: $¼M fine for referring to trannies by their biological gender

~Eowyn


Back to Featured Articles on Logo Paperblog