Check this out!

[captainrick]

Interesting piece.

 

 

http://60minutes.yahoo.com/segment/68/gay_or_straight

[Adrian Michaels]

Wow, that was interesting...

 

At first, I wasn't very comfortable with the tests they were doing, but then I thought about it. Although the study was looking for specific characteristics which may perpetuate the gay stereotype, it was handled very well. I'm glad is was emphasized that the tests didn't work 100% of the time.

 

The rat part was very interesting as well.

 

I've heard of the older brother theory, but never really had it explained to me... I just thought that it was a bit ironic, considering that I'm the oldest and only boy in the family. 2% Chance?? Wow, I must be lucky.

 

Personally, I'm not sure why we spend so much time focusing on WHY someone turn out to be gay. As I said before, I don't like the idea that its genetic, because that only means that someone is going to try and cure it... The hormone thing makes more sense, but does that mean mothers will start taking extra hormones during pregnancy?

 

*Sigh* I'm just left with more questions...

[Drewbie]

Different case with different familes imo. In my family it's definitely Genetic. Three Generations, Me, Uncle John, Mom & Uncle John's, Uncle Richie. One other one but he's been gone for a long time, This past weekend, Was mom's parents 50 th anniversary, took a picture of just us gays with Richie's partner in it, Some saying it's from nurturing, both uncle was only around some holidays mostly, I don't think I turned out gay cause I was around them.

[TalonRider]

In my family, it seems to be the first born son that's gay. I have two younger brothers. The youngest brother I suspect but can say for sure. I have two cousins (sisters) on my moms side that for both, their first born son is gay.

 

Jan

 

Added edit.

I forgot about another cousin on my moms side. I don't know of any one on my dads side.

Edited May 23, 2007 by TalonRider

[Menzoberranzen]

A psychologist told my mom I was gay when I was 4 years old... I also have a gay uncle. I'm definitely of the opinion it's genetic, but it really isn't something that concerns me much.

[MMandM]

Interesting. I have a younger brother and he

[colinian]

Two comments about the show.

 

The show equated femininity with being gay. In many cases it may be true, but in many cases it isn't. My friends at school who are gay are not fem, including me. We're into sports, go hiking and backpacking, go downtown and hang with our friends, play video games, go to movies, like action flicks, read, listen to music, watch TV, scour the internet for porn, eat junk food, go to school, spend too much time on our computers, go to bed too late every night, joke around, in other words, normal things any teenage guy would do. Except we are attracted to guys.

 

The show said there is a significant propensity for boys with older brothers to be gay. They said that only 2% of first-born boys are gay. If they have the statistics, maybe that's right. But it's not the whole story. I'm gay, and I'm the oldest in a family of 3 kids. I have two younger sisters, no brothers, older or younger. My cousin is an only child and is gay. My boyfriend has an older brother and an older sister and is gay. One of the star players on our football team came out at school last year, and he's the oldest of 3 boys and 2 girls in his family. My best friend from elementary school is an only child and is gay. My cousin's boyfriend has a younger sister and no brothers and is gay. While this is statistically a very small sample, it doesn't match up to their conclusion, IMO.

 

There's a problem in trying to determine how many gays and lesbians and bisexual people there are in the U.S. While things are improving for LGBT people in some (maybe most) parts of the country, I could be wrong but I'd guess that the majority of LGBT people in the U.S. are still in the closet, especially teens. There are just no statistics that can be trusted to identify what percentage of the population is not heterosexual. Including what percentage is out versus still closeted!

 

Colin

[Benji]

Sadly, I didn't see it, I'm not a fan of 60 minutes, had I seen a promo of the show, I would have tuned in. I was more fascinated by everyone response's on this matter in this forum. Seeing that I out-to-myself only, it never occurred to me how little I know of myself, I mean when I went to High School I never even knew of anyone who could have been (insert label), sure there were rumors of this guy or that. But they were never confirmed back then. Hell, it wasn't don't ask, don't tell ........it was DON'T LET ANYONE F_CKING FIND OUT! I guess the relaxed manner of the forum is still new to me, I can count on one hand the number of people I even know that are gay. I am what I am, I believe it is genetics, I can't imagine me or anyone else just chosing a "lifestyle" that comes with all its grief. I have as much distaste for the religious right as I have for the extreme left......opps!! seemed to have slipped off-topic sorry, e'nough said

[JSmith]

So if my mom and I ever sit down and talk about this, I can point this out and say, "Hey, it's your fault for having my brother before me!" Though I don't expect her to ever actually talk to me about it.

 

Anyway, I watched it and thought it was very interesting.

[Graeme]

The show equated femininity with being gay. In many cases it may be true, but in many cases it isn't.

This has always annoyed me. It is my one major objection to the word "gay". It has connotations of effeminacy which is not accurate. Homosexual males span the spectrum from effeminate to very masculine. I can see changes in perception in society today (at least here in Australia) about this connotation, but I suspect it will be around for a long time.

 

Before anyone jumps up and down, I am not putting down effeminate males. I am objecting to the implication that effeminacy and homosexuality are synonymous when it is clear that they are not.

[boy on a string]

I found it interesting. While I don't believe in the choice theory ... people don't chose to be gay, I do believe that it can be several factors combined. Part may be genitics, part may be hormones and part may be enviornment.

 

All these factors have an influence.

 

I am worried about how someone who is seen as 'efemininit' now that this has aired being bullied even more by family and peers. The one twin at the begining of the show may find his life taking a really rough turn when he enters puberty and or high school.

 

Boy on a String

[Matthew]

It's a lot of interesting theories, but the research is still very much in its infancy and pervaded by vested interests and deeply held beliefs.

 

I was going to be able to blame my brother for my being gay, but then the left handed thing came up. Apparently as a left-handed person I'm immune to the older brother effect and have only myself (or hormones, or God, or genes, or whatever) to blame. Oh well.

[jfalkon]

I didn't see the show so I may be missing part of the story here but I'm not convinced of the older brother theory. The reason is that the oldest kid in the family has a lot more presure put on him to set an example, please parents, be responsable, etc. I remember reading somewhere that this afects their behavior considerably. The oldest child, at least in thoery, would be more concerned with disapointing people and less likely to admit to anything that others might find upsetting. The second youngest would be more likely to misbehave and less likely to care what anyone thinks. If this is realy the case younger brothers may just be more honest. Of course that's theory and speculation too.

[JamesSavik]

The show equated femininity with being gay. In many cases it may be true, but in many cases it isn't. My friends at school who are gay are not fem, including me. We're into sports, go hiking and backpacking, go downtown and hang with our friends, play video games, go to movies, like action flicks, read, listen to music, watch TV, scour the internet for porn, eat junk food, go to school, spend too much time on our computers, go to bed too late every night, joke around, in other words, normal things any teenage guy would do. Except we are attracted to guys.

 

I agree with you Colin. The gay = feminine thing is way overblown. While it may be true for some, it clearly doesn't work for others.

 

There is a a comedian who does a that's so gay bit. Todays gay guys hang out in gyms and bench press 300 pounds. That's so gay indeed.

 

Back when I was a teen, the very few people that were "out" were effeminate in mannerism. This caused me some difficulty because I didn't fit in with that crowd. When they found out that I wasn't an easy lay, they called me "Butch boy" and didn't let me play in their catty fairy games. Not that I really wanted too- I found them obnoxious as hell.

[Matthew]

If this is relay the case younger brothers may just be more honest. Of course that's theory and speculation too.

The theory as I understand it, as presented in the program, is that the mother sees male hormones as a foreign substance, and creates more and more antibodies with each boy that attack the hormones. This is an explanation for why they have found that males with older brothers are more likely to be gay. They say say that the odds of a male being gay increase by 1/3 for every older brother he has, but there is no such correlation for women or left handed men.

 

A theory based on nurture posits that the younger brother feels overshadowed and uses femininity to distinguish themselves from their older sibling(s).

 

Back when I was a teen, the very few people that were "out" were effeminate in mannerism. This caused me some difficulty because I didn't fit in with that crowd. When they found out that I wasn't an easy lay, they called me "Butch boy" and didn't let me play in their catty fairy games. Not that I really wanted too- I found them obnoxious as hell.

I know, based on what I've read from you, that my coming out was entirely different than yours, but I feel similar in this respect. One reason I didn't want to come out in college was that my roommate was gay, and everyone despised him, mainly because he made being gay the one and only component of his personality. This made it hard for me to distinguish between people disliking him for how he acted and not for being gay. I eventually met people who you couldn't tell were gay from 5 blocks away, and they really helped me see that gays are not at all uniform in mannerisms or personality.

Edited May 25, 2007 by Matthew

[Drewbie]

Some Fem boys still like sports or play, Go Camping etc.

[Adrian Michaels]

Some Fem boys still like sports or play, Go Camping etc.

 

I know I do!!! Well, maybe I'm kinda fem... But I camp a ton.

[Matt]

I'm another 'eldest son' the oldest of three sons... so 2%, i WAS lucky! And i'm fairly sure neither of my little brothers are gay... hmmmm interesting stuff. I'm straight acting 90% of the time, extreme sports, cars, gadgets, action movies etc, and when i tell people i'm gay, most are very surprised... but i still like 'chick flicks' and feminine stuff too.. but then i do all the work on my own cars, engines etc i don't see being gay as 'who' i am, just a small part of my life, just like having curly hair.. or whatever, but then again, i don't believe it's competely genetic... hmmm, i guess we're just left with more questions *sigh*

 

Matt x

Edited May 25, 2007 by Matt

[Drewbie]

Love Cars too