ManxATP From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2003, 37 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 1773 times:
Okay - firstly, sorry to those of you who are tired of another ‘gay’ thread, but I think there is a sizeable number of us who find them interesting.
Anyway, I am interested in knowing whether you can identify any gay/lesbian relations in your family tree and whether there is any pattern of occurrence. My personal view is that sexuality is a genetically determined aspect of an individual, like much else. Whilst I concede there is an extent to which environmental factors play a part, I think this is more in terms of how people identify themselves. For example there are a number of cultures in which homosexuality is prevalent but the concept of being gay, near none-existent. If sexuality is determined in such as way then it would make sense for homosexuality to run in a family. Whilst again there is the issue of how people identify themselves (and there are unlikely to be footnotes to such effect in the family bible!) I think it is still possible to make interpretations.
When looking at my own family I feel such a pattern exists. I am gay, and when I talk to my Granddad about his fathers side of the family it appears as though his aunt and uncle were both gay. Certainly his aunt shared a bed and was very close to their female maid, never marrying. Likewise his uncle never had any female lovers, and looking through his possessions there are a number of sketches and images of male acquaintances that could potentially be more than friends. Could it not be that such a gene is recessive, skipping generations (and hence explaining why I’m here). Thinking of other families I know, there are similar patterns concerning aunts and uncles with both gay and straight siblings. The main problem with the idea is if my great, great uncle was gay, then being open about it could have landed him in prison, and so it’s very hard to verify.
Has anybody any ideas or opinions? Can you identify anything similar with your family?
Saigonhouston From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 390 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 1735 times:
My friend....... his parents has 4 son. Three of them are gays.
ManuCH From Switzerland, joined Jun 2005, 2971 posts, RR: 51 Reply 3, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 1718 times:
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I think that's a quite interesting thread. I also believe that sexuality is more genetically determined than by the environment (which also plays a role, but to a lesser extent). Unfortunately this theory doesn't find any support in my family: I am apparently the only gay around
There are other families I know where this is different, though: for example I know brothers who are both gay. Maybe it's just a coincidence, maybe not. Who knows?
AMERICAN757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 475 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1709 times:
im pretty sure im the only gay in my family. no traces of any that were in the past.
Cxsjr From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1691 times:
No history of it in my family that I know of, but must admit I had my suspicions about my nephew until he married ... but then that means nothing as I too was married once (thankfully, my ex-wife is still my best friend!).
My partner is a triplet, and has 7 brothers/sisters in all, and again no history of homosexuality in his family - although we did catch his sister kissing another girl on a drunken night out once but now she is happily settled with a cute guy!
A good friend of ours has, believe it or not, suspicions about his Dad. His Mum & Dad split up and ever since, his Dad spends a lot of time with a male 'friend'.
So, IMO, whilst there could be links, as you have rightly pointed out, in view of the very closed society in which our ancestors grew up, it's really difficult to tell who did what behind closed doors?
DesertJets From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 7673 posts, RR: 19 Reply 7, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1679 times:
While I strongly believe that sexuality is biologically determined. I do not believe that it is passed along from generation to generation like hair color or eye color. I also do not believe that human sexuality is simply a binary or even a trinary construct, that rather it exists along a continium from heterosexual to homosexual, with varying degrees in between.
To discover a strong hereditary basis for homosexuality in your family you'd have to dig back fairly far to get a big enough picture to even have a large enough sample to draw any sort of conclusion. And even then I'd be suspect of any results you might get.
Stop drop and roll will not save you in hell. --- seen on a church marque in rural Virginia
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18810 posts, RR: 64 Reply 8, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1678 times:
Quoting ManxATP (Thread starter): Has anybody any ideas or opinions? Can you identify anything similar with your family?
As often as I've thought about it, my family tree has too many Southern Democrats popping out babies faster than you can count 'em in the genealogy.
But then, growing up in the SF Bay Area in the 60's and 70's, in a family deeply involved in the arts, and recognizing that friends of my parents did more than share a flat together, didn't make what I was feeling myself seem at all a bit queer.
ArmitageShanks From UK - England, joined Dec 2003, 3361 posts, RR: 16 Reply 9, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1655 times:
As far as I know, there aren't any homosexuals in our family.
FlyAUA From Austria, joined May 2005, 4604 posts, RR: 57 Reply 10, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1650 times:
I don't think there is such a thing as a gay gene. Then again I haven't got a PhD in human genetics. I do however believe that when X&Y take place, a gay child can be concieved. After all it IS proven that we are genetically different.
I also don't believe that if I am gay my brother or kids (if I were to ever have any) need to be gay. But, there is evidence (again) that suggests the higher the number of consecutive kids you get with the same gender, the higher the probability that they are gay. In that study they found that the highest probability peaked when you're 3rd consecutive kid is male.
Well, guess what? I'm the 3rd male amongst my siblings! Shit really hit the fan the night I was concieved
Seb146 From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9803 posts, RR: 17 Reply 14, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1573 times:
But some families are not able to trace things like this. My father's family is like this. The men will marry women and the women will marry men. Period. Mom's side is a little more open but still, it is not something they talk about. So, I have no idea.
AIR757200 From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 1579 posts, RR: 8 Reply 15, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1577 times:
To my knowledge, I'm the only homosexual in the family, including extended family -- and we are talking of at least 40 first total cousins on both sides of the family.
I have a friend however that has two older brothers of which are gay also- they are hot also!
We're Nuts From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 5705 posts, RR: 22 Reply 16, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1559 times:
STLGph From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 8977 posts, RR: 28 Reply 17, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1544 times:
so far, I seem to be the only one. which is surprising considering my family's background.
oh well.
Eternal darkness we all should dread. It's hard to party when you're dead.
RobertNL070 From Netherlands, joined Sep 2003, 4506 posts, RR: 10 Reply 18, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1533 times:
My uncle (father's youngest brother) is gay, and I am gay. My boyfriend's brother is gay and that's it: their parents have no other 'straight' children, and therefore no 'natural' grandchildren. I do have two heterosexual siblings and three nephews and one niece.
ManxATP From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2003, 37 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1518 times:
Perhaps I was being over simplistic by suggesting that sexuality was as clearly defined as gay or straight. There are of cause many shades of grey in between, however perhaps this could be where self perception and environment are influential? I guess that the consistency of the number of homosexuals (the much contested 10% figure) is suggestive of some sort of pre-determination, rather than it being a completely arbitrary factor.
There would be difficulties in researching such a notion (i.e. the inability to disprove the hypothesis) because how can anybody, for certain, label a dead ancestors sexuality!? It is completely contestable and reliant on anecdotal evidence - I just hope granddad wasn't having a 'senior moment'!!
UAL747 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1493 times:
My great uncle was gay. That's the only one identified in my family with homosexual tendencies, other than me. He died of AIDS in the 80's, so he kind of came out in his last days on the earth, because it was obvious. Sad, really, he was so afraid of people knowing he had AIDS that he told everyone he had cancer. But, in all honesty, I was about 8 when he died, so perhaps he told me that because cancer seemed easier to understand for a child. But I think society had put a lot of shame on him for being gay AND having AIDS.
Other than that, I can't think of any that are gay, though I do question some members of my family.
Jetset763 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1483 times:
Wow I am really suprised how many other gay people there is on this forum , I've only just joined this forum and there are loads. It must have something to do with Aviation! - I wonder what the connection is though....hmmm
ZRH From Switzerland, joined Nov 1999, 5535 posts, RR: 40 Reply 24, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 1438 times:
Quoting AMERICAN757 (Reply 4): im pretty sure im the only gay in my family
Hey young man. You bring up another question. You say that you are gay. I see in your profile that your age is between 13 and 15. For that you are in the middle or even beginning (if you are only 13) of puberty. I really doubt that a boy or girl at this age already can tell if he/she is gay, hetero or bi. I remember that with the age of 14 I was interested in girls and boys. I think most people only can be sure perhaps between 16 and 18. Of course everybody is different.
25 FlyAUA: I already "knew" when I was 13. I was only "sure" though when I was 17.
26 ZRH: Yes, that was what I actually wanted to ask. At this young age you probably guess something, but to be really sure you have to pass puberty (17-18 or
27 FlyAUA: I think most people go through that phase of experimentation. I wouldn't go as far as calling it bisexuality though, since they have already establis
28 A340600: Hmm, I came out first when I was 13, having known a bit before that even, and haven't gone back since, so it is definately true that some people real
29 ZRH: That's really early. With 13 I even did not really know much about sex and was not yet into puberty. But obviously I was late bloomer .
30 MEA-707: My sister is lesbian, and some aunts, and we even suspect our grandma (now deceased) that she was stuck into a straight relationship with our grandpa
31 UAL747: I've ALWAYS wondered what the gay/aviation connection was. There has to be something inherent. I mean, just by looking at a.net as a microcosm of the
32 Redngold: Waaay back and not directly in line with my personal lineage, we "suspect" that my grandmother's uncle was gay. He had a male companion living with hi
34 Searpqx: We've got them all over my family. My 1/2 brother (dad & second wife) is gay. Further up the chain, My maternal Grandfather's brother and nephew are g
35 LH423: As far as I know, I'm the only gay person in my family. Though I have had my suspicions about one of my cousins, he's still too young to be sure. Thou
36 Beowulf: A very interesting question and even more interesting answers. In some family trees there seem to be a lot of "gay traces" and in others not. Maybe we
37 ManxATP: I think Beowulf has a point that such things are bound to depend upon family size a little. My grandfather and dad are both only child’s and (I'm as
38 Barcode: As far as I know, nobody else in my family is gay. I've been suspicious of one of my 11 (!) siblings for years; but it's not my place to intrude. Heck
39 UAL747: OH, I guess I must post this as it is relevant. My father was adopted, so I don't know that much about the Paternal side of my family. UAL
40 Beowulf: I am not up to par on genetics these days, but is sexual orientation determined by specific genes? If we look at evolution, only a sexual orientation
41 TWFirst: I am one of four children.... we're ALL gay (3 male 1 female). I also have male first cousins on both sides who are gay, and I suspect a couple other
42 Matt27: As for as I know I am the only one in my family, but I have my suspicions about one of my cousins. Hmmmm, and I have two older brothers.....
43 LH423: As do I. That certainly would explain a lot! LH423
44 Scamp: I'm gay, my late younger brother was also gay.
45 Scamp: Honey, I knew I "preferred" boys (okay, you pervs, MALES!) before I even knew it was used for something other than peeing from...like 5 or 6.
46 Ussherd: While I don't know of anyone else in my family who is gay, there is a history of "confirmed bachelors" on my mother's side of the family. My mom has q
47 BA767s: If it's too young at the age of 13 to know if your gay, does that mean that its too young at 13 to know if you are straight??? Whenever people ask me
48 Jetset763: Yeah I know exactly what you mean, I've known from a very young age that I was gay- probably 11 or 12 years old but it took a good few years for me to
49 ManuCH: It's also funny when people ask you "How do you know you're gay if you've never had sex with a woman?" ... the right answer is: "How do you know you'
50 Jasepl: No one in my family's gay. At least no one we know of (or suspect). My ex has 3 gay cousins and a gay (late) grand uncle.
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, I've only just joined this forum and there are loads. It must have something to do with Aviation! - I wonder what the connection is though....hmmm
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