This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
Published on August 29, 2019, a groundbreaking study by a team of top geneticists and social scientists has shed new light on the complex genetics of same-sex sexual behavior.
The researchers analyzed data from over 493,000 individuals, including answers to questions about their sexual identity and fantasies, and found significant genetic overlap between these aspects of sexual orientation and same-sex sexual behavior.
Dean Hamer, a former National Institutes of Health scientist who led the first high-profile study identifying a genetic link to being gay in 1993, praised the large research effort.
“Having said that, I’d like to emphasize that it’s not a gay gene study — it’s a study of what makes people have a single same-sex experience or more,” said Dr. Hamer, now an author and filmmaker.
Experts widely agree that the research was conducted by first-rate scientists, and Dr. Mills of Oxford noted that the study’s findings were not surprising, given the complexity of human genetics.
Dr. Neale, a member of the research team, explained that one reason for the study was to ensure that less careful researchers would not tackle the topic first, given its sensitivity and personal nature.
