Gay People Are Not ‘Born This Way’, Scientists Claim

A scientific paper has claimed that gay people are probably not ‘born this way’ - as there’s little evidence that being gay is genetic or caused by differences in the brain.

Instead, Paul McHugh and Lawrence S Mayer of John Hopkins University argue, sexuality is complex - and often fluid - and environmental factors play a large part.

The reseachers say that being homosexual is ‘not a choice’ - but that it is not something that is fixed from birth, like left-handedness.

The researchers based their work on analysis of 200 scientific papers on the subject.

The researchers write, ‘The belief that sexual orientation is an innate, biologically fixed human property - that people are “born that way” - is not supported by scientific evidence.

Dr McHugh is a controversial figure who is an opponent of gender reassignment surgery.

In an interview this summer, he said, ‘Well, as I have said, there is no gay gene. And there are factors more influential than biology.”

‘If you are a man and you grow up in a rural environment, you are four times less likely to have homosexual relationships than if you grow up in a metropolitan area. That’s not left-handedness.’

Dr Mayer says, ‘This report is about science and medicine, nothing more and nothing less. Cultural and political trends should not influence the reality of the importance of dealing with these difficult and personal issues.

‘As citizens, scholars, and clinicians concerned with the problems facing LGBT people, we should not be dogmatically committed to any particular views about the nature of sexuality or gender identity; rather, we should be guided first and foremost by the needs of struggling patients, and we should seek with open minds for ways to help them lead meaningful, dignified lives.’