And it's irrelevant in any case. Even if there were a "gay gene," it would operate at the level of a suggestion, not a command; in other words, it would influence inclination; it would not control behavior.
Every person alive has innate temperment factors which are influenced by genetics. You might get your hot temper from your father, or slide towards "melancholic and depressive" like your grandma. You might have a bent toward overeating and oversleeping, like your kinfolks on one side, or be more inclined toward hyperactivity and impulsiveness, like your kinfolks on the other side.
The same--- who knows? --- might be partially applicable to innate sex drives, too. I say "might be". I say "partially". Who knows?
But behavior is not irresistably dictated by inherted traits. If gays were in fact incapable of controlling their sexual behavior,, then not only should they not be in the military; they shouldn't even be allowed out of the house.
But if there's no "behavior," then it's a non-issuie. Don't ask, don't tell.
One example in my personal experience that has always made me think about this was a set of identical twin brothers I knew in High School. They both grew up in a stable, two parent, Christian home. From somewhere along in the 4th or 5th grade, it was quite obvious one was homosexual and one was heterosexual.
In my thinking, if it were nature (purely genetic), homosexuals would have disappeared in one generation because they can't reproduce. My knowledge of the twins above argues strongly against nurture. What does that leave? Genetic mutation? Combination of nature and nurture?
“And it’s irrelevant in any case. Even if there were a “gay gene,” it would operate at the level of a suggestion, not a command; in other words, it would influence inclination; it would not control behavior.”
Excellent observation, you nailed it. It could be said that 99.9999% of all heterosexual males have a propensity to be adulterous. Does that excuse them when they do....no it doesn’t. Because we aren’t animals and don’t have to act on our impulses. You may not be able to stop an “impluse”, but you can determine whether you give in to it.
Goodness, we may as well excuse serial killers....it is probably genetic as well. The genetic excuse is a slippery slope that can get out of control.
I have dear friends and relatives that have a genetic propensity towards types of mental illness...like bipolar or others. Do they say, “I born that way and OK”? No, they recognize it is abnormal and seek treatment.
Homosexuality is abnormal. To call it “OK”, even if genetic, is just foolish.