<p>The article you linked (<a href="https://www.mun.ca/biology/scarr/Hamer_et_al_1993_Science_261-321.pdf" rel="noreferrer">Hamer, et al. 1993</a> [Open Access PDF]) was cited in <a href="https://finchwrangler.com/download/mills-2019.pdf" rel="noreferrer">Mills (2019)</a> [Open Access PDF] which states,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Work in the 1990s isolated a relationship with the Xq28 region on the X chromosome (5 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1195-248" rel="noreferrer">[Hu, et al. (1995)]</a>, 6 <a href="https://www.mun.ca/biology/scarr/Hamer_et_al_1993_Science_261-321.pdf" rel="noreferrer">[Hamer, et al. 1993]</a>). Subsequent studies found similarity in the sexual orientation of identical twins, with genetics explaining 18% (for women) and 37% (for men), with the remainder accounted for by directly shared environments (such as family or school) and nonshared environments (such as legalization or norms regarding same-sex behavior) (7 [<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Niklas-Langstroem/publication/5320571_Genetic_and_Environmental_Effects_on_Same-sex_Sexual_Behavior_A_Population_Study_of_Twins_in_Sweden/links/0fcfd50f9451e0a08a000000/Genetic-and-Environmental-Effects-on-Same-sex-Sexual-Behavior-A-Population-Study-of-Twins-in-Sweden.pdf" rel="noreferrer">Långström, et al. (2010)</a> Open Access PDF]). Many of these studies could not be replicated, and although twin and family studies found a genetic basis, they could not isolate variants associated with same-sex orientation at specific genetic loci.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Mills (2019) also reports that,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>On page 882 of this issue, Ganna et al. (3 [<a href="https://www.votvsa.org/uploads/1/2/7/0/127040057/large-scale_gwas_reveals_insights_into_the_genetic_architecture_of_same-sex_sexual_behavior.pdf" rel="noreferrer">Ganna, et al. (2019)</a> Open Access PDF]) report the largest study to date, comprising almost half a million individuals in the United Kingdom and United States, identifying genetic variants associated with same-sex sexual behavior. They provide evidence that genetic variation accounts for a small fraction of same-sex sexual behavior and uncover a relationship to the regulation of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen as well as sex-specific differences. They also reveal complexity of human sexuality.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>There is also a comment on this study (<a href="https://scholar.archive.org/work/zs7s6zstpnew7a2lvbtwztioyq/access/wayback/https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/371/6536/eaba2941.full.pdf" rel="noreferrer">Hamer, et al. 2021</a> Open Access PDF) and response (<a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/371/6536/eaba5693.full" rel="noreferrer">Ganna, et al. 2021</a> Open Access) is also available for your review.</p>
<p>With all this in mind, in review of Hamer et al. (1993) you linked to, the <a href="https://psychology.stackexchange.com/a/26858/7604">answer</a> to the question <a href="https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/26851/7604">Can hocd change sexual orientation?</a> still stands that,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[N]othing and nobody can make you homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The thing is, genetics has nothing to do with persuading someone to be gay other than the fact that if genetics were involved, persuasion cannot be effective.</p>
<p>So with that in mind, reviewing the rest of the <a href="https://psychology.stackexchange.com/a/26858/7604">answer</a> to the question <a href="https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/26851/7604">Can hocd change sexual orientation?</a>, it still stands that,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[N]othing and nobody can make you homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="references-rdde">References</h2>
<p>Ganna, A., Verweij, K. J., Nivard, M. G., Maier, R., Wedow, R., Busch, A. S., ... &amp; Zietsch, B. P. (2019). Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior. <em>Science, 365</em>(6456). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat7693" rel="noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat7693</a></p>
<p>Ganna, A., Verweij, K. J., Nivard, M. G., Maier, R., Wedow, R., Busch, A. S., ... &amp; Zietsch, B. P. (2021). Response to Comment on “Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior”. <em>Science, 371</em>(6536). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba5693" rel="noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba5693</a></p>
<p>Hamer, D. H., Hu, S., Magnuson, V. L., Hu, N., &amp; Pattatucci, A. M. (1993). A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. <em>Science, 261</em>(5119), 321-327. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.8332896" rel="noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1126/science.8332896</a></p>
<p>Hamer, D., Mustanski, B., Sell, R., Sanders, S. A., &amp; Garcia, J. R. (2021). Comment on “Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior”. <em>Science, 371</em>(6536). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba2941" rel="noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba2941</a></p>
<p>Hu, S., Pattatucci, A. M., Patterson, C., Li, L., Fulker, D. W., Cherny, S. S., ... &amp; Hamer, D. H. (1995). Linkage between sexual orientation and chromosome Xq28 in males but not in females. <em>Nature genetics, 11</em>(3), 248-256. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1195-248" rel="noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1195-248</a></p>
<p>Långström, N., Rahman, Q., Carlström, E., &amp; Lichtenstein, P. (2010). Genetic and environmental effects on same-sex sexual behavior: A population study of twins in Sweden. <em>Archives of sexual behavior, 39</em>(1), 75-80 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9386-1" rel="noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9386-1</a></p>
<p>Mills, M. C. (2019). How do genes affect same-sex behavior?. <em>Science, 365</em>(6456), 869-870. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay2726" rel="noreferrer">http://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay2726</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-13T10:09:08.367Z
2021-07-13T10:09:08.367Z
Chris Rogers
<p>Can a person become gay? Can a person be persuaded to become one? I heard that gayness is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.8332896" rel="nofollow noreferrer">correlated</a> with some genetic characteristics so, I figured, laws against &quot;gay propaganda&quot; (e.g. in Russia) are anti-science, aren't they (in addition to being discriminatory)?</p>
<h2 id="references-h233">References</h2>
<p>Hamer, D. H., Hu, S., Magnuson, V. L., Hu, N., &amp; Pattatucci, A. M. (1993). A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. <em>Science, 261</em>(5119), 321-327. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.8332896" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1126/science.8332896</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-12T06:38:34.767Z
Related: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/26851/7604 plus https://psychology.stackexchange.com/a/9323/7604 and https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/17540/7604
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-12T06:40:03.920Z
Does this answer your question? [Can hocd change sexual orientation?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/26851/can-hocd-change-sexual-orientation)
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-13T11:48:20.457Z
I think it is a case in which the question is not a duplicate, but the answer answers this question. I think it is best to allow deviating questions on this one (keep it open), but add an answer which simply links to the other answer. I think the more specific answer Chris added shows why that is beneficial.
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-16T04:19:12.570Z
That doesn't really make sense. If gayness is genetic, all the more reason that gayness cannot be infuenced
prata
<social-psychology><sexuality>
Can a person be persuaded to become gay?
Sergey Zolotarev
# Can a person be persuaded to become gay?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-07-03)

Can a person become gay? Can a person be persuaded to become one? I heard that gayness is [correlated](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.8332896) with some genetic characteristics so, I figured, laws against "gay propaganda" (e.g. in Russia) are anti-science, aren't they (in addition to being discriminatory)?

## References

Hamer, D. H., Hu, S., Magnuson, V. L., Hu, N., & Pattatucci, A. M. (1993). A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. *Science, 261*(5119), 321-327. <https://doi.org/10.1126/science.8332896>

**Tags:** social-psychology, sexuality

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Related: https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/26851/7604 plus https://psychology.stackexchange.com/a/9323/7604 and https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/17540/7604  
> **username_1**: Does this answer your question? [Can hocd change sexual orientation?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/26851/can-hocd-change-sexual-orientation)  
> **username_2**: I think it is a case in which the question is not a duplicate, but the answer answers this question. I think it is best to allow deviating questions on this one (keep it open), but add an answer which simply links to the other answer. I think the more specific answer Chris added shows why that is beneficial.  
> **username_3**: That doesn't really make sense. If gayness is genetic, all the more reason that gayness cannot be infuenced  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-07-13. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

The article you linked ([Hamer, et al. 1993](https://www.mun.ca/biology/scarr/Hamer_et_al_1993_Science_261-321.pdf) [Open Access PDF]) was cited in [Mills (2019)](https://finchwrangler.com/download/mills-2019.pdf) [Open Access PDF] which states,

> Work in the 1990s isolated a relationship with the Xq28 region on the X chromosome (5 [[Hu, et al. (1995)]](https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1195-248), 6 [[Hamer, et al. 1993]](https://www.mun.ca/biology/scarr/Hamer_et_al_1993_Science_261-321.pdf)). Subsequent studies found similarity in the sexual orientation of identical twins, with genetics explaining 18% (for women) and 37% (for men), with the remainder accounted for by directly shared environments (such as family or school) and nonshared environments (such as legalization or norms regarding same-sex behavior) (7 [[Långström, et al. (2010)](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Niklas-Langstroem/publication/5320571_Genetic_and_Environmental_Effects_on_Same-sex_Sexual_Behavior_A_Population_Study_of_Twins_in_Sweden/links/0fcfd50f9451e0a08a000000/Genetic-and-Environmental-Effects-on-Same-sex-Sexual-Behavior-A-Population-Study-of-Twins-in-Sweden.pdf) Open Access PDF]). Many of these studies could not be replicated, and although twin and family studies found a genetic basis, they could not isolate variants associated with same-sex orientation at specific genetic loci.

Mills (2019) also reports that,

> On page 882 of this issue, Ganna et al. (3 [[Ganna, et al. (2019)](https://www.votvsa.org/uploads/1/2/7/0/127040057/large-scale_gwas_reveals_insights_into_the_genetic_architecture_of_same-sex_sexual_behavior.pdf) Open Access PDF]) report the largest study to date, comprising almost half a million individuals in the United Kingdom and United States, identifying genetic variants associated with same-sex sexual behavior. They provide evidence that genetic variation accounts for a small fraction of same-sex sexual behavior and uncover a relationship to the regulation of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen as well as sex-specific differences. They also reveal complexity of human sexuality.

There is also a comment on this study ([Hamer, et al. 2021](https://scholar.archive.org/work/zs7s6zstpnew7a2lvbtwztioyq/access/wayback/https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/371/6536/eaba2941.full.pdf) Open Access PDF) and response ([Ganna, et al. 2021](https://science.sciencemag.org/content/371/6536/eaba5693.full) Open Access) is also available for your review.

With all this in mind, in review of Hamer et al. (1993) you linked to, the [answer](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/a/26858/7604) to the question [Can hocd change sexual orientation?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/26851/7604) still stands that,

> [N]othing and nobody can make you homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual

The thing is, genetics has nothing to do with persuading someone to be gay other than the fact that if genetics were involved, persuasion cannot be effective.

So with that in mind, reviewing the rest of the [answer](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/a/26858/7604) to the question [Can hocd change sexual orientation?](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/q/26851/7604), it still stands that,

> [N]othing and nobody can make you homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual

## References

Ganna, A., Verweij, K. J., Nivard, M. G., Maier, R., Wedow, R., Busch, A. S., ... & Zietsch, B. P. (2019). Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior. *Science, 365*(6456). <https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat7693>

Ganna, A., Verweij, K. J., Nivard, M. G., Maier, R., Wedow, R., Busch, A. S., ... & Zietsch, B. P. (2021). Response to Comment on “Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior”. *Science, 371*(6536). <https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba5693>

Hamer, D. H., Hu, S., Magnuson, V. L., Hu, N., & Pattatucci, A. M. (1993). A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. *Science, 261*(5119), 321-327. <https://doi.org/10.1126/science.8332896>

Hamer, D., Mustanski, B., Sell, R., Sanders, S. A., & Garcia, J. R. (2021). Comment on “Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior”. *Science, 371*(6536). <https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba2941>

Hu, S., Pattatucci, A. M., Patterson, C., Li, L., Fulker, D. W., Cherny, S. S., ... & Hamer, D. H. (1995). Linkage between sexual orientation and chromosome Xq28 in males but not in females. *Nature genetics, 11*(3), 248-256. <https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1195-248>

Långström, N., Rahman, Q., Carlström, E., & Lichtenstein, P. (2010). Genetic and environmental effects on same-sex sexual behavior: A population study of twins in Sweden. *Archives of sexual behavior, 39*(1), 75-80 <https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9386-1>

Mills, M. C. (2019). How do genes affect same-sex behavior?. *Science, 365*(6456), 869-870. <http://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay2726>


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