Is it a myth? Is it real? Many people affiliated with the Christian faith believe that homosexuality is immoral and deviant. Many believe that it is a sin and an abomination. Something that young men and women see on TV and the internet. I think that it is something that is developed while you are in the womb. I don’t mean your mother jamming to the Hamilton soundtrack will “turn” you. I mean scientifically, while you are growing in the womb. Although there are some studies that show some cases to be socially driven, there are other studies that show it to be genetically driven. Here are some of these studies:

Homosexuality was originally believed by the American Psychological Association (APA) to be a mental disorder. A study was done by Karen Hooker in 1957 to explore the relationship between homosexuality and psychological development and illness. Studying both homosexuals and heterosexuals, she matched them for age, intelligence quotient, education level, and three psychological tests (the Rorschach, Thematic Apperception Test, and the Make-A-Picture Story test). When analyzed, both group’s answers were very similar. Hooker concluded that there was zero correlation between social determinism of sexuality. Because of this study, and probably from public outcry, the APA removed homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychological Disorders in 1973.

In 1990, D.F. Swaab conducted a study on brains. He studied the brains of homosexual men and heterosexual men. He found that a portion of the hypothalamus, the portion of the brain that is directly related to sex drive, was twice the size in the homosexual man’s brain than the heterosexual man’s brain. Similar studies followed showing the same result.

One of the most prolific studies was done by scientist Dean Hammer. Hammer believed that homosexuality was genetic and it was linked to the X-chromosome. Taking 40 DNA samples from homosexual men, he genetically examined them. Hammer found a “remarkable concordance” for 5 genetic markers on a section of X-chromosome called Xq28. The statistical chances of the 5 genetic markers on the Xq28 to match randomly came out the be 1/100,000, which gave even more credibility to his findings. While examining the family trees of these men, he found that there were a larger number of other homosexual men stemming through the maternal lineages. Because of this finding and his discovery on Xq28, it led to his findings being dubbed “the gay gene”.

While there are studies that say being homosexual is a result of the environment in which you are raised, the findings by Dean Hammer are incredible to read. This is a debate that has yet to see the end; however, society has become more excepting to the LGBT community in the past 15+ years. Maybe there isn’t a real answer to this debate. Perhaps some are born with a “gay gene” and some are not. Nevertheless, we should respect one another as human beings and not judge by race, nationality, or sexuality.