Is beg 'gay' a choice? Science says y (but not the way you're thkg) | btrmt.

Contents:

• BEG GAY NOT A CHOICE: SCIENCE CONTRADICTS BEN CARSON
• IS BEG 'GAY' A CHOICE? SCIENCE SAYS Y (BUT NOT THE WAY YOU'RE THKG)
• WHY ARE PEOPLE GAY? GAY BY CHOICE OR IS BEG GAY GEIC?

BEG GAY NOT A CHOICE: SCIENCE CONTRADICTS BEN CARSON

Ben Carson, a retired nrosurgeon and printial hopeful, recently apologized for a statement which he said beg gay is "absolutely" a an terview on CNN, the potential 2016 Republin printial ndidate mented that "a lot of people who go to prison, go to prison straight, and when they e out they're gay, so did somethg happen while they were there? "Sce then, he has apologized for the divisivens of his ments, but hasn't backed down om the notn that beg gay is somethg people scientists would disagree. What's more, some studi suggt that beg gay may have a geic or blogil basis.

[5 Myths About Gay People Debunked]Blogil origsHumans aren't the only speci that has same-sex pairgs.

And nearly 130 bird speci have been observed engagg sexual activi wh same-sex the evolutnary purpose of this behavr is not clear, the fact that animals routely exhib same-sex behavr beli the notn that gay sex is a morn human studi have found specific "gay gen" that reliably make someone gay. But some gen may make beg gay likelier.

IS BEG 'GAY' A CHOICE? SCIENCE SAYS Y (BUT NOT THE WAY YOU'RE THKG)

For stance, a 2014 study the journal Psychologil Medice showed that a gene on the X chromosome (one of the sex chromosom) lled Xq28 and a gene on chromosome 8 seem to be found higher prevalence men who are gay. That study, volvg more than 400 pairs of gay brothers, followed the 1993 report by geicist Dean Hamer suggtg the existence of a "gay gene. " Other rearch has found that beg gay or lbian tends to n fai.

It's also more likely for two intil tws, who share all of their gen, to both be gay than is for two aternal tws, who share jt half of their gen, to both be homosexual. A 2012 study proposed that epigeic chang, or alteratns marks on DNA that turn certa gen on and off, may play a role homosexualy.

WHY ARE PEOPLE GAY? GAY BY CHOICE OR IS BEG GAY GEIC?

But this so-lled epigenome n also be passed on om generatn to generatn, which would expla why beg gay seems to n fai, even when a sgle gene n't be such gay gen get passed down om generatn to generatn has puzzled scientists, given that gay upl nnot reproduce. One study found that gay men are blogilly predisposed to help re for their niec and nephews. Essentially, the gay uncl are helpg their relativ to reproduce.

"K therefore pass on more of the gen which they would share wh their homosexual relativ, " said evolutnary psychologist Pl Vasey of the Universy of Lethbridge Canada, a past Live Science article.