posted by [identity profile] jonobie.livejournal.com at 12:58pm on 12/05/2005
It is the case, though, that the researchers weren't willing to say whether the scent difference was a cause or effect of being gay:

"The different pattern of activity that Dr. Savic sees in the brains of gay men could be either a cause of their sexual orientation or an effect of it. If sexual orientation has a genetic cause, or is influenced by hormones in the womb or at puberty, then the neurons in the hypothalamus could wire themselves up in a way that permanently shapes which sex a person is attracted to."

(From the New York Times coverage of the same study.)

So while I think it's interesting and possibly another indicator that being gay is something you're born with, I would hesitate to say that this study says specifically that, given that the researchers who conducted it are unwilling to conclude as much.

Cheers,
Jonobie
 
posted by [identity profile] rfunk.livejournal.com at 01:12pm on 12/05/2005
Whether cause or effect, this still seems to indicate that it's biological, rather than the choice that so many people seem to think it is.

Of course, standard disclaimers about scientific repeatability apply.
 
posted by [identity profile] jonobie.livejournal.com at 03:48pm on 12/05/2005
Well, I read the researcher as allowing that a person might make a choice, and then the biological change might follow.

I know of at least one other straight guy to comment on this -- see
http://www.livejournal.com/users/mdf356/10146.html

So you're not totally alone. :)

Cheers,
Jonobie
 
posted by [identity profile] rfunk.livejournal.com at 04:07pm on 12/05/2005
OK, I didn't get the biology-follows-choice thing from the paragraph you quoted, but now that I've had a chance to read the NYT story I see the following paragraph:
Alternatively, Dr. Savic's finding could be just a consequence of straight and gay men's using their brain in different ways.

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