GenQ - For the not so straight individual

For years, in an attempt at defending ourselves against both the ?homosexuality is a sin, you're going to hell? contingent, and the ?homosexuality is a mental disorder, you're a pervert? delegation, the GLBTQ community embraced the Nature half of the Nature v. Nurture argument. After all, when trying to defend your very existence to a distraught parent, confused heterosexual spouse, or angry alleged gay-basher, explaining that it wasn't your fault ? or your mother's fault ? just could at least buy you a moment of befuddled politically correct paralysis. (It's amazing how many people balk at offending someone who is mentally or physically challenged, while their strict moral code has some sort of loophole when it comes to using the word ?faggot.?) However, are scientists anywhere near discovering a ?gay gene?? Every few years, Time, 60 Minutes, or Frontline does a feature on the subject and everyone goes crazy ? supporters, detractors, religious zealots ? everyone has an opinion. But no one seems to be listening to what is actually being reported.

60 Minutes aired a piece in early March with a new twist. Leslie Stahl reported on a set of nine year old male twins, Jared and Adam, one of which displays what is usually considered normal heterosexual characteristics and one of which displays ?gender nonconformity.? Since the same mother is raising both boys in the same environment, the argument could be made that Nurture isn't quite as pivotal in sexual orientation as once thought. So they're twins right? How different could they possibly be?

If 60 Minutes is to be believed, Jared is a He-Man among boys ? destined to be the captain of the football team and date the head cheerleader. He does everything a typical boy should. He plays with airplanes, military toys, and is quick to point out where the toy guns for his little army men are. His favorite video game is Battlefield 2, Special Forces. Meanwhile, Adam enjoys his painted nails, stuffed animals, and Neopets: the Darkest Faerie. Clearly, Adam is destined to be a My Little Pony. Well, if we're going to take the stereotypes that far, we might as well go all the way with it. This is all presented to support the premise that homosexuality is physiological. Well, great ? that's not news to most of us over here in the land of the rational.

Childhood gender nonconformity, gender identity disorder, and gender dysphoria are all present from birth and essentially resolve themselves through varying degrees of transsexuality later in life. So how do we go from these to a gay gene? Well that tremendous leap is made by one undocumented, broad, sweeping statement: ?Research shows that most children with extreme tendencies toward gender nonconformity grow up to be gay. ? (CBS) The viewers are left with the rest of the report focused on gender nonconformity and transsexuality mislabeled as homosexuality.

A network news program is furthering the misconception that to be a gay is to want to be the opposite sex. Adam paints his nails pink, so he wants to be a girl AND he's going to grow up to be gay. That's a lot of responsibility to lay on some nail polish, don't you think?

Psychological or physiological, the toll a gender identity disorder can take on a life and a family is unimaginable, yet many transgendered people live out productive and fulfilling lives. Being born transgendered does not guarantee homosexuality. While the percentages are higher then in those born without any sort of gender issues, many FTM's (female-to-male transsexuals) transition completely (with or without surgery,) and as they are adjusting to their physical self now becoming in sync with their mental and emotional selves, discover that they are attracted to men. Is this considered homosexuality? Are these men actually heterosexual because they were born women and now they are sexually attracted to men? Are they homosexual because they are now men who are attracted to other men?

Attempting to define and categorize sexuality remains futile, even for scientists. Gender identity might be able to be singled out on a strand of DNA but sexual orientation is, as far as can be determined, determined by many factors ? some physiological and some psychological. For as many definitions and labels as can be created for sexual orientation, there will always be someone who just doesn't color between the lines. Misleading mainstream America by furthering the notion that somehow gender identity and sexual orientation are interchangeable is irresponsible and lacks the politically correct precision that news reports about any other medical meter would receive.