Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
I have a hard time believing that homosexuality is completely environmental. The only known consistent environmental factor leading to homosexuals is that EVERY ENVIRONMENT produces them. Even environments that are extremely hostile (even lethal) to homosexuals produce them. Can anyone name one that doesn't?
I suppose there may be some environmental factor that is responsible for most instances of homosexuality out there. But can anyone point out what that might be? I don't believe anyone can, so I believe homosexuality must be inherent, or at least there there must be an inherent predisposition to it, in some people.
(CONJECTURE) It is quite easy to imagine how such a "gay gene" might have been passed down through the generations even despite the superficial difficulties. Historically, cultural hostility has forced gays into the closet, where they function as heterosexuals even to the point of child-bearing. This is especially apparent in the case of female homosexuals, as females have had little choice in the matter of child-bearing for most of history... their sexuality has quite frankly been irrelevent, as men were going to impregnate them regardless (no value judgment here, just statement of fact). So a "gay gene" could easily be passed for quite a long time.
(CONJECTURE) Ironically, it may have been society's prejudices against homosexuality that have actually allowed homosexuality to spread more widely though the human population than through most other animals. In most species, animals that don't want to mate with the opposite sex just don't mate with the opposite sex... and no offspring means that any genetically-based traits will not be passed on. On the contrary, due to cultural effects, homosexual humans have been FORCED to produce offspring despite their sexuality.
That's a totally interesting idea to me... however, there has been no proof whatsoever of the heritability of homosexuality; on the contrary, there is ample evidence that a child's sexuality can NOT be predicted based on the parents'. We just have no idea how homosexuality arises. Not nearly enough research has been performed on this topic to say ANYTHING with any certainty. So why do so many people on both sides of the argument continue to do so?
(edits for clarity and spelling)
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
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That's a totally interesting idea to me... however, there has been no proof whatsoever of the heritability of homosexuality; on the contrary, there is ample evidence that a child's sexuality can NOT be predicted based on the parents'. We just have no idea how homosexuality arises. Not nearly enough research has been performed on this topic to say ANYTHING with any certainty. So why do so many people on both sides of the argument continue to do so?
I agree with most of this. However those on the other side insist that its an inherint trait. Those on our side tend to think there are many different reasons or a combination of reasons that cause homosexuality.
Again its just common sense
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Focus on the Family Gives the Facts on Gay Adoption
Pro-Family Organization Reaffirms the Importance of the Traditional Family
Colorado Springs—Last month an eight-member executive committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed same-sex parenting, claiming that children raised by homosexuals fare just as well as children whose parents are heterosexual. Talk show host Rosie O'Donnell recently added her voice to what appears now to be a coordinated effort to achieve yet another cherished objective by homosexual activists. Significantly, O'Donnell announced her opposition to the Florida law banning adoption by homosexual couples on ABC's Primetime Thursday. In sharp disagreement, Dr. James Dobson, heard by 7.5 million listeners each week, emphasized the important role mothers and fathers play in parenting on his national daily broadcast this week and discussed the facts surrounding this critical matter.
The AAP's endorsement of homosexual parenting is NOT supported by the research. Drs. Robert Lerner and Althea Nagai, professionals in the field of quantitative analysis, examined 49 empirical studies on same-sex parenting. They found no basis for the conclusion that children raised by homosexual parents fare just as well as those raised by heterosexual parents. They found serious methodological flaws in each of the studies examined, including inadequate sample size, biased sample selection, lack of proper control groups and the failure to account for confounding variables indeed, the AAP's own report began with this statement, "Accurate statistics regarding the number of parents who are gay or lesbian are impossible to obtain."
The AAP's committee's recommendations have ignited a firestorm of protest among America's rank and file pediatricians. Many physicians have condemned the report, challenging its assumptions and criticizing the research cited by the committee as "seriously flawed." Some pediatricians have pulled out of the organization and many others are threatening to as well. The AAP hosts an online bulletin board on their "members only" website and the majority of pediatricians registering their opinion overwhelmingly disagreed with the committee's report.
Children raised by homosexual parents are more likely to experience gender and sexual confusion, more likely to become promiscuous and more likely to experiment with homosexual behavior. They are also at greater risk of losing a parent to AIDS, substance abuse or suicide.
Children raised in a stable, married, heterosexual home do better than children raised in any other type of household. They are healthier physically and emotionally, do better academically, experience less poverty and commit fewer crimes.
Children need both a mother and a father. Why? Sociologist David Popenoe of Rutgers University has done extensive research on the different functions that mothers and fathers play in their children's lives. His studies show that while fathers tend to stress competition, challenge, initiative and risk-taking, mothers stress emotional security and personal safety. When disciplining, mothers provide important flexibility and sympathy, while fathers provide predictability and consistency. By nature, same-sex couples are unable to provide one-half of this equation.
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Exceot homosexuals are far less inclined ti have such a relationship.
And thats not the only risks
Adoption agencies should always look at the family situation, the people who want to adopt tend to be in a stable reltaionship, I'd assume.
[QUOTE=Gawain of Orkeny]
Other reasons to oppose gay adoption.
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However, the percentage of homosexuals among pedophiles is 25%. (Blanchard R et al. Fraternal birth order and sexual orientation in pedophiles. Archives of Sexual Behavior 2000; 29: 463-78.) Therefore, the prevalence of pedophilia among homosexuals is about 10-25 times higher than one would expect if the proportion of pedophiles were evenly distributed within the (hetero- and homosexual) populations.
Do they count people that just like little boys and not grown men as homosexuals ? Because that would be another matter entirely. And up to what age are the minors involved considered ? Someone who likes 16-17y old boys is totally different from someone who likes 6-7y old boys. How is homosexuality defined ? Consistent homosexual contact, one experiment, serval experiments ?
I'd have to see the entire study, and will probably still have a lot of question then, before I could assert the validity and possible bias (statistical or intentional) of such a study. After all, statistics can be used to prove anything, especially if you just mention the results in such loaded terms.
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As far as claims of homosexuals are born that way
I'm not fond of the gay gene theory either, but I believe in a genetic base. We tend to believe athletic parents are more likely to get athletic children, intelligent parents more likely to have intelligent children, heck, fat people more likely to have fat children, etc. so why not gay parents more likely to get gay children ?
I believe homosexuaity is due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
As for the study showing gays can be cured, it is an exception amongst studies on the subject and most gay people did revert back to homosexual behaviour after a while.
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And as far as your studies showing no difference between those rasies by same sex couples
LINK
Catholic education.org as a source ? :help:
Anyway, all they are saying is that most studies use bad statistics, any conclusion they draw from those studies suffers from the same problem.
As far as the length and stability of homosexual relationships, I already said that i'd expect only stable couples to apply and to be accepted. The average gay couple might not make it past 8 years, but the average straigth couple doesn't do much better (8y is about the average lifespan of a marriage these days).
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They could even in some cases be btter. However I maintain this is the exception not the norm. Chances are the stright couple will be better for them based on things like ive just posted and common sense.
Well, all other things, I'd also prefer the straight couple, but like I said before, all other things are rarely the same and then this is just an academic discussion. (ahem, as far as the word 'academic' can be used in the backroom anyway).
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By we are all bi sexual Im saying that we can all enjoy sex with either gender . Its our programed bias against homosexuality that stops many from experimenting with it. Plus the health risks and dissinigratin of the family.
Probably true, without the negative view of homosexuality it's highly possible that most men would at some point experiment with it, however, I do think most would settle in a heterosexual relationship.
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Well the study I quoted says its even less.
It depends on how you define 'homosexuality' and whether people are considered that are actuallyhomosexual or whether a guess is made about the percentage of the population that actually is homosexual, accounting for oppression (and peer pressure, and family pressure, etc.).
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If this were so there would be no need for gay adoption or any adoptions. In fact we have more unwanted children now han we did in the 50s despite far more use of contraceptives and sex education. We have become far more promiscous it seems despite claims that this is not so.
I don't know, I'd like to see figures :book:
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
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Do they count people that just like little boys and not grown men as homosexuals ?
Why shouldnt they?
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Catholic education.org as a source ?
They are not the source of the study.
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but the average straigth couple doesn't do much better (8y is about the average lifespan of a marriage these days).
Where?
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About 75 percent
of Jewish Israelis remain married for their entire lives
How horrible. Must have something to do with being religous.
Also I cant find it now but 57% of all marriages in the US last over 20 years.
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Some specfic rebuttals (I await the rebuttals of my rebuttals):
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Originally Posted by Divinus Arma
Do we want the world culture to accept man-man love and female-female love just as equally as a male-female relationship?
If so, then you must be equally tolerant of polygamy and possibly even beastiality.
Well... many cultures ARE tolerant of polygamy (and some have polyandry as well). And beastiality is clearly NOT the same... an animal cannot consent to a romantic relationship like an adult human (of any sexuality) can. To say that an animal loves you in a romantic way is foolish, and to actually have sex with that animal is clearly abuse, by just about any standard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Divinus Arma
Being in favor of the natural order of things,
Odd. You denounce homosexuality because it is not the natural order of things. Yet a few lines above you also imply that you are not tolerant of polygamy. Which is weird since the vast majority of mammals, including all those most closely related to us, practice polygamy nearly exclusively. Isn't polygamy also therefore the natural order of things?
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Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Except that if everyone liked blue the human race would still go on.
Unlikely. If the entire species was uniformly attracted to the color blue, there would undoubtedly have arisen some sneaky blue predator that would have eaten us all. :)
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Originally Posted by Hiji
The Human race is just like any other animal. At our core our purpose is to be born and reproduce so our race can go on. You cannot say that gays are born gay, it simply goes against the laws of nature.
Read my previous post. Did you know that in the species most genetically similar to us humans, the bonobo or pygmy chimpanzee, which shares 97% of its genes with us (some estimates put it over 99%), female-female sexual contact is actually MORE COMMON than female-male sexual contact?
(Source: This book.)
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Originally Posted by Hiji
Look at falcons, they produce only 1-2 chicks per breeding season, and thats why they are endangered.
Wrong. Some (not all) species of falcons are endangered because their interactions with humans have had negative consequences for them. They were quite happily and successfully producing only 1-2 chicks per breeding for tens of millions of years before we arrived. Mule deer also produce only 1-2 fawns per breeding, and are nowhere near endangered, because their interactions with humans have had largely positive consequences for them... in fact, their numbers exploded after the arrival of humans who killed off most of their now-endangered canine and feline predators (who, incidentally, have very high litter size). Clearly, litter size (clutch size for birds) has far less to do with a species becoming endangered than the consequences of their interactions with humans.
Humans themselves produce only 1-2 young per breeding. Oops.
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Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Exceot homosexuals are far less inclined ti have such a relationship. [added by Sheep for clarity: promiscuous relationships that result in STD infections]
I would assume that higher rates of STD and promiscuity in homosexuals would be largely irrelevent to the current discussion of adoptions, considering that effective regulation of adoption would screen out diseased and promiscuous people of all genders and sexuality. The same argument goes for blacks' greater statistical likelihood of being convicted criminals... the adoption agencies SHOULD be screening out convicted criminals (whether they do is up for debate).
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Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
However those on the other side insist that its an inherint trait. Those on our side tend to think there are many different reasons or a combination of reasons that cause homosexuality.
I'm not sure how I ended up on 'your' side... I said in my very first sentence I doubted environment was solely responsible for homosexuality. 'My' side is that there is not enough evidence to come to a definitive conclusion yet... yet you seem to draw conclusions quite freely. I could be wrong; I don't know you that well.
Also, I don't claim to know whether or not adoption by gay parents is good or bad... but I can say it doesn't help anyone's argument to post documents produced by organizations with a clear and STATED bias towards one conclusion. If you want to see studies to determine socialism works, you don't go to a socialist website.
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheep
Read my previous post. Did you know that in the species most genetically similar to us humans, the bonobo or pygmy chimpanzee, which shares 97% of its genes with us (some estimates put it over 99%), female-female sexual contact is actually MORE COMMON than female-male sexual contact?
Sexual contact, yes, but still they get children. It`s bi-sexuality
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
QUOTE]but I can say it doesn't help anyone's argument to post documents produced by organizations with a clear and STATED bias towards one conclusion. If you want to see studies to determine socialism works, you don't go to a socialist website.
[/QUOTE]
Again the study was not done by the site I listed but by a canadian doctor. Almost every document posted by the other side is from a gay rights site. There are few non biased sites on this matter.
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Also, I don't claim to know whether or not adoption by gay parents is good or bad
Either do I. Again its a case by case basis. However I feel the odds favor heterosexual couples. I dont oppose gay adoption outright.
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Can you get a gay couple here? Maybe you're on the wrong site?!?!?:laugh4:
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Why shouldnt they?
Liking little boys or grown men is totally different. Little boys are somewhat similar to women, there are lots of cases in history (and currently) where homosexual behaviour was practised with little boys but not with grown men. The connection between the two is rather vague, some organisation with a clear agenda (like that boy love thing or the religious right) might want to connect the two to either make homosexuality seem very bad or make boy love seem acceptable (yeah right...).
If that 25% (max estimate) of the homosexuals that are pedophiles is calculated without the requirement that those pedophiles have engaged in 'normal' homosexual contact, the argument against adoption by gay couples because of the greater risk of pedophilia is a joke. It uses 2 step logic to demonstrate its point: 25% of the pedophiles are gay, 1% of the population is gay so that a gay person is a pedophile is 25 times more likely. If however that 25% has never had a mature homosexual contact, but say only 1% has, then the chance of someone in a 'normal' homosexual relationship being a pedophile is about the same as that of a straight person.
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They are not the source of the study.
Okay, but I thought it was funny nonetheless.
8 years of marriage is a figure often cited for Belgium and I think most of Western Europe, it is actually iirc, the average marriage gets ended after 8 years, calculated for specific years (when the marriage occured) or a specific time period (say 1980-1990).
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How horrible. Must have something to do with being religous.
Also I cant find it now but 57% of all marriages in the US last over 20 years.
Yes, it depends on how you calculate it. What did I say about statistics again ? :2thumbsup:
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Viking
Sexual contact, yes, but still they get children. It`s bi-sexuality
You are correct. I don't think anyone on Earth would deny that the union of male and female gametes is necessary for humans to reproduce (aside from cloning, potentially). [edit: Except maybe one time, if you are one of the billions that follow a certain 2000-year-old religious text!]
At issue is whether homosexuality is somehow "wrong" or "unnatural" because it does not lead to reproduction. I bring up bonobos to show that homosexual behavior can be quite common, and reproductive success can still occur. We know they have good reproductive success simply by the very fact that they continue to exist. (And no, bonobos are not endangered because almost all of them are bisexual, at least. They are endangered because they were unfortunate enough to have been discovered by humans.)
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Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Almost every document posted by the other side is from a gay rights site. There are few non biased sites on this matter.
Very true. My comment was actually directed at both sides, not just at you (just as the last comment in my previous post was). You have posted articles taken directly from sites like Focus on the Family, and your opponents respond with quotes from the aforementioned gay rights site. I apologize if it seems I was singling you out. Nobody is alone in their bias.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Again its a case by case basis. However I feel the odds favor heterosexual couples. I dont oppose gay adoption outright.
I apologize unconditionally for drawing conclusions about your beliefs without knowing them.
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
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Liking little boys or grown men is totally different.
Whats the definition of homosexuality again?
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Main Entry: 1ho·mo·sex·u·al
Pronunciation: "hO-m&-'seksh-(&-)w&l, -'sek-sh&l
Function: adjective
1 : of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward individuals of one's own sex —compare HETEROSEXUAL 1a
2 : of, relating to, or involving sexual intercourse between individuals of the same sex —compare HETEROSEXUAL 1b —ho·mo·sex·u·al·ly /-E/ adverb
Theres no age requirement that seperates them.
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If that 25% (max estimate) of the homosexuals that are pedophiles is calculated without the requirement that those pedophiles have engaged in 'normal' homosexual contact, the argument against adoption by gay couples because of the greater risk of pedophilia is a joke. It uses 2 step logic to demonstrate its point: 25% of the pedophiles are gay, 1% of the population is gay so that a gay person is a pedophile is 25 times more likely. If however that 25% has never had a mature homosexual contact, but say only 1% has, then the chance of someone in a 'normal' homosexual relationship being a pedophile is about the same as that of a straight person.
This would apply to the heterosexuals in the study as well then and you would therefore come up with the same statistics. The study clearly indicates that homosexuals are far more likely to be pedophiles.
Quote:
Yes, it depends on how you calculate it. What did I say about statistics again ?
Theres only one way to make that calculation. 57% of those who marry stay married for at least 20 years. Not hard to understand.
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Whats the definition of homosexuality again?
Theres no age requirement that seperates them.
http://dictionary.reference.com/sear...eterosexuality
het·er·o·sex·u·al·i·ty Pronunciation Key (ht-r-sksh-l-t)
n.
1. Sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex.
2. Sexual activity with another of the opposite sex.
Also no age requirement. Do you therefore believe that there is no difference between liking little girls and liking grown women?
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Whats the definition of homosexuality again?
Theres no age requirement that seperates them.
Bah, semantics, there is a real difference no matter what the dictionary says, just as there is a differnce between people who like little girls and people who like mature women.
The definition of homosexuality for research purposes is often problematic, often 'previous homosexual contact is used'. If the we would define heterosexuaility that way pretty much all homosexuals would fall into the heterosexual category. Purely homosexual behaviour over an entire lifespan is extremely rare.
Quote:
This would apply to the heterosexuals in the study as well then and you would therefore come up with the same statistics. The study clearly indicates that homosexuals are far more likely to be pedophiles.
At most it indicates that pedophiles prefer little boys to little girls.
A lot of the cases I've heard about the pedophile was in a normal heterosexual relationship (or marriage) but then raped little boys on the side. If you count these as homosexuals it biases the conclusions severely. It would have been better and far clearer, if the studies indicated how many of the pedophiles were currently involved in a heterosecual relationship vs how many in a homosexual one, if not in a relationship they could have used a last serious relationship criterium. The way it is put now is unclear and doesn't prove anything about homosexuals in a normal relationship.
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Theres only one way to make that calculation. 57% of those who marry stay married for at least 20 years. Not hard to understand.
1) You take a year, say 1980 and look at when those people got divorced, you can
1a)look at when >50% of the people who got married have divorced
1b)use a distribution function and calculate the expected time of a marriage started in 1980
2)You look at all people married today and calculate how long they have all been married and then average it
3) You take a certain number of years (say 20) and look how many marriages have made it past that point compared to all marriages
There are probably other strategies to, they all have there upsides and downsides. The difference is of course, that people didn't divorce quite as often in the good old days, so depending on which timeframe you include, you can seriously alter your results.
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Almost every document posted by the other side is from a gay rights site.
Actually, the article I linked to earlier was from here:
http://www.religioustolerance.org
Very clearly not a gay rights site. And the article referenced studies that went a long way towards disproving all this "same sex parenting is bad for kids crap" that has been spouted in this thread.
That must be why none of the anti-gay adoption folks commented on it.
As an aside, I would encourage everybody to have a look at that web site. It's pretty cool. Look at their fan/hate mail section.
They receive hate mail and death threats not only from crazy fundies (of all religions), but from extremist gay-rights folks as well.
The funny thing is, they also receive fan mail from conservative religious types and gay rights advocates.
The big difference between the hate mail and the fan mail? It appears that the writers of the fan mail have all achieved at least a grade 9 reading level, while the writers of the hate mail have trouble even spelling expletives properly.
Funny, that...
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Quote:
het·er·o·sex·u·al·i·ty Pronunciation Key (ht-r-sksh-l-t)
n.
1. Sexual orientation to persons of the opposite sex.
2. Sexual activity with another of the opposite sex.
Also no age requirement.
Did you read my post?
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This would apply to the heterosexuals in the study as well
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Also no age requirement. Do you therefore believe that there is no difference between liking little girls and liking grown women?
Not as far as them being a homosexual act or heterosexual act. Depending on the circumstances. There are heterosexual pedophiles,homosexual pedophiles and bi sexual pedophiles. Their not mutaly exclusive terms. Male on male sex is homosexual sex no matter what you choose to call it.
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Bah, semantics, there is a real difference no matter what the dictionary says, just as there is a differnce between people who like little girls and people who like mature women.
And what of those who like both? And what constitutes a little girl? One of the judges from SCOTUS thiinks the age of consent should be 12.
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Very clearly not a gay rights site
Even worse. Its a Canadian site :laugh4:
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And the article referenced studies that went a long way towards disproving all this "same sex parenting is bad for kids crap" that has been spouted in this thread.
And Ive shown you none of these studies are worth the paper their written on.
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Did you read my post?
Yes I did, and the line you just quoted from yourself was down below the next quote and certainly did not appear to be referencing your dictionary definition argument. But if it was then I guess I stand corrected on that point but that certainly was an odd place for it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
Not as far as them being a homosexual act or heterosexual act. Depending on the circumstances. There are heterosexual pedophiles,homosexual pedophiles and bi sexual pedophiles. Their not mutaly exclusive terms. Male on male sex is homosexual sex no matter what you choose to call it.
Male on male sex is indeed homosexual sex. His point is that at least some pedophiles who enjoy homosexual sex with little children do not appear to enjoy it with adults of the same gender. In fact numerous pedophiles are married and have children of their own. So the fact that 25% of pedophily reported is with children of the same gender as the abuser, simply means that 25% of pedophiles like children of the same gender. It does not necessarily mean that 25% of pedophiles are identifiably gay outside of their predilection for children.
This is an important distinction because the topic at hand is whether to allow gays to adopt. You present evidence that they should not be able to, because of the higher incidence of homosexual pedophilia. But if many of these homosexual abusers are outwardly heterosexual (ie, married, have kids, etc) then adult homosexuality is not necessarily a predictor of homosexual pedophilia.
I also wonder about the validity of the statistic itself. I wonder how much adult-female-on-male-child pedophilic interaction goes unreported. This would tend to increase the percentage of heterosexual pedophilia. But I have not read the study so perhaps that topic is addressed. The statistic is more convincing to me if it does.
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Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny
And Ive shown you none of these studies are worth the paper their written on.
You have not. You have cited one report (quoted at a conservative Christian website if not performed by that group) that claims that many studies have methodological errors. The report does not address the specific studies that he has offered. Have you actually read the studies he has presented and examined the data, methods, and conclusions? Can you find anyone else who has? If not, then you have shown nothing. Just because many studies have errors does not mean that ALL studies on the subject have them or will have them when written in the future.
Clearly not enough is known about either of these issues (homosexuals' tendency towards pedophilia, or the effects of child-rearing by homosexuals on the children themselves). The case is far from closed in either direction. If it can be proven that gays are more likely to become pedophiles, then that is definitely important information and should be taken into account when deciding whether to allow gay adoption. It would at least mean that gay applicants should be scrutinized more closely in order to ferret out pedophilic tendencies.
Do we allow homosexuals to adopt in the meantime before we know these things? That is an interesting question that I do not have an answer to. I can see effective arguments on both sides ("We should not use children as guinea pigs." vs. "How will we ever know if we don't try it?" et cetera)
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Quote:
Do we allow homosexuals to adopt in the meantime before we know these things? That is an interesting question that I do not have an answer to. I can see effective arguments on both sides ("We should not use children as guinea pigs." vs. "How will we ever know if we don't try it?" et cetera
So in reality we agree. This is another question with no clear and easy answer. Thats why it constantly comes up on these boards.
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Regardless of the definition of homosexual, do you understand why I say the study (as it is presented/quoted here) says little to nothing about the risk of homosexuals in an adult relationship ?
I don't really have the time to go into a big debate here, but I think this is a very important point about quoted statistics, and the difference between what was actually researched and the result presented.
Re: Can I get a gay couple here?
Funny thing about marriage is, AFAIK, that wherever divorce is (made) fiscally, legally and socially feasible, the rates soar. Seriously. Which strongly suggests certain things about the stability of these things in general. I don't wonder about that; even otherwise perfectly fine parent-child relationships tend to start getting strained if they're stretched too long (twenty-odd years of cohabitation were starting to do that for me and my mother, for example), nevermind now those between people whose only real connection may well be having once been in love (which, for that matter, is by no means an automatic basis for marriage anyway...). "Running out of things to talk about" and just plain getting fed up with each others' proximity are pretty common issues in long-term relationships, I understand. Not that young people were too good at finding out suitable partners either; I'm not too familiar with these things, but one gets the very strong impressions breaking up and getting together with someone else is pretty common among youngsters these days. Gay couples have additional sociocultural stresses added to that - no wonder they're pretty unstable.
I'm not too convinced of the overall heredity of human traits beyond those that have to do with the actual structure of the body - pigmentation, height bias, tendency towards obesity or thinness, and suchlike - and even those tend to be pretty hit-or-miss things; children usually get a pretty random combination of traits from their biological parents, including ones that don't express at all in their immediate progenitor (relatives tell me I have inherited several of my maternal grandfather's features, which my mother doesn't possess for one example). Anything to do with neurology gets AFAIK pretty questionable, and personality traits (not counting those stemming directly from the odd hereditary neurological feature) are notoriously Right Out.
I've always been under the impression exclusive homosexuality from the word go is a bit of an inborn "glitch" not entirely unlike many genetic disorders; AFAIK quite a few of those turn up quite spontaneously without any perceivable heredity pattern (expect perhaps on the macroscale, but that's not really a concern on the practical level anymore). Case in point: my little brother suffers from an inborn grand mal strobe epilepsy. Nobody else in the family does; not me, our mother, father, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, *nobody*. If it's hereditary it's something ludicrously regressive, that's for sure.
"Gay gene" ? Unnecessary. People express odder deviations spontaneously enough.
