What makes someone gay? Science is trying to get it straight. | Alice Dreger | Big Think

What makes someone gay? Science is trying to get it straight.
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Heterosexual people have been less interesting to scientists than gay people, in terms of where they come from, because, evolutionarily speaking, being gay doesn't lead to a higher "higher reproductive fitness" - meaning, it doesn't lead to more babies. Across cultures, gay boys tend to be more interested in spending time with their mothers. We still don't really know why gay people are attracted to each other.
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ALICE DREGER:
Alice Dreger is an historian of medicine and science, a sex researcher, an award-winning writer, and an (im)patient advocate. Dreger’s latest major work is Galileo’s Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science.
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TRANSCRIPT:
ALICE DREGER: We don't actually know the extent to which gender is socially constructed because you can't do an experiment where you remove culture and see what happens. So we don't know to what extent what we see as gendered patterns are the result of sex, biological sex, males and females. We know that gender differs according to culture, but we also know that there are patterns that appear to be fairly universal in terms of gender norms. And the ones that are more universal are more likely to probably have a sex bases to it, an evolved-to-sex basis, that is to say biological basis for males and females. So, for example, which gender serves a very important meal may be different by different cultures. So in some cultures a man will serve a very important meal versus a woman. So for example, think about it in the United States that historically speaking the father carves the turkey on Thanksgiving, but in general women prepare food historically speaking. So what we know is that these kinds of things can differ by culture, but that there are some "universals". And one of the universals we find, for example, is in childhood play that we find that children who are girls tend to do more social play, they tend to do more social role-play. Children who are boys tend to do more competitive play, they tend to do more play that mimics aggression or that mimics sport and mimics sometimes building, and so there are these kinds of patterns. But that doesn't mean everybody fits them.
And it's really interesting actually too if you look cross-culturally scientists find evidence that this may have - it's not just gender, that there's a sexuality component to it too. So boys who are going to grow up and be gay, and we know who they are because of retrospectively they grow up to be gay, they're what's called androphilic, that is to say they're attracted to males. And the majority of females are also attracted to males, so most females are androphilic and a small percentage of boys will grow up to be androphilic. We know that historically speaking, cross-culturally they tend to be more feminine in terms of their interests, they're more interested in social role-play, for example, they're more interested in helping their mothers, they're more interested in associating with girls as young children and more interested in dressing as girls, for example. That doesn't mean that they are girls, but it does suggest to us that sexuality and gender have interplayed components in them, that gender isn't just about social role but it has something to do with sexuality and that there's a reason females end up with these kind of patterns and males end up with these kinds of patterns and when you have a male who's attracted to males he ends up with a little bit more of the female pattern and in some circumstances if you have a girl and she's attracted to girls she'll end up with a little bit more of the male pattern in childhood.
So gender and sexual orientation seem to have sort of some connection to each other, but it's not a perfect connection in terms of absolute correlation and so we can't say that we can easily predict what would be somebody's gender role or sexual orientation simply by looking at some of the components.
Evolution would naturally favor heterosexuality because that's how you get babies. And so if we're thinking about genes trying to produce genes it would make no sense to have genes that would lead to people who don't reproduce, because those genes would not be reproduced. That said, we know cross-culturally gay people exist. So we know that that's a natural variation in the population. And so then scientists ask the really interesting question, why is that there?...
For the full transcript, check out bigthink.com/videos/what-make...

[@bigthink]

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[@DatBoiJG2025]

I do

[@ezrafaulk3076]

I watched this video hoping you might address psychological influence like religions and political groups *shaming* straight men for being straight, and *isolating* them from women, only allowing them to be around other men. It'd be *great* if you could address that, because I honestly think that could be a huge factor too.

[@garthmccrary4019]

Smart enough already to know right from wrong.

[@loribrown7444]

Hi, has blood type incompatibility in LGBT children's family lineages been studied to check for patterns when incompatible bloodlines cross? Especially Rh positive and Rh negative bloodlines, and when the child's blood type doesn't match their Mother's blood type.

[@userone7057]

I watched the video due to concerns about the potentially biased and evidence-lacking portrayal of gender identification within my culture, which can lead to Assumptions and Prejudiced Views, Stigmatization, and Discrimination that impact Mental Health and Self-esteem, Obstructed Dialogue and Understanding, Hindered Support for Gender Equality.

[@DoomRulz]

Someone told me my clothes were gay. I said, "I know. They came out of the closet this morning."

[@blindeagleace3629]

HA!

[@powerhouse884]

LMAOO 😂 Nice one

[@robomop9711]

Heh

[@peladomontiel1]

And everyone clapped

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

Badum tish!

[@pennythetherian.]

“Scientists are trying to get this straight” 💀💀💀💀

[@Kai-sg8qc]

They can’t

[@ilovepdub]

😂😂😂😂😂😂 yooooo

[@lokibaum926]

what a terrible pun

[@Gryphondork.]

☠️

[@DannielSmith]

😂😂😂

[@casanndrabetz2113]

"straight people remain largely a mystery." can i please use this as my senior quote oh my god it's perfect

[@WCKERBAST]

Heheh.

[@Gatozparty]

LOL I WANNA USE IT TOO NOW LOLL

[@malachix780]

Hmm, think it's fairly obvious why some people are straight. It was an odd thing for her to say.

[@mylesleggette7520]

@@malachix780 I do find it fascinating how our modern culture tries to turn being normal into something odd.

[@yoonie7979]

Is it now a problem to be a normal straight human?

[@LeCrenn]

She has an impressive ability to speak about a potentially charged topic without triggering anyone. Very clear analysis presented in a fascinating way. Great job.

[@ShwetabhSenpai]

she's speaking science

[@davidmiranda4745]

triggering the heteros you mean

[@An-oh2py]

Science language, only pope hates that.

[@renderz8435]

Because its science. When you bring religion it makes it problematic because religion has no logic

[@harshabhigyan928]

Yeah, the way she worded certain parts, it could have been kinda offensive if a normal had said that😂. Dodged many bullets haha

[@MAXIMUS-yk5vs]

I wish my mom would call me a genetic advantage

[@antoinebutterfly8555]

I felt that.

[@notyou9272]

Max Allen me 2 lol she sees me as a curse from god.

[@bleaky8885]

@@notyou9272 What the heck that's messed up

[@jjju3]

DAMN homie can we get a F in the chat lmao. Felt that one in my bones.

[@MAXIMUS-yk5vs]

B-atiful! ooF

[@patrickhodson8715]

I always have a ton of respect for scientists who say “we know very little about why [...] happens”

[@whittakerdanielj]

Yet a whole theory is built off that explanation and generalized findings, and promoted and taught as evidence, and no one is allowed to question it.

[@johndinh1889]

@@whittakerdanielj I agree a big thing about these studies is that they seem to be correlation studies and something I always hear is correlation does not equal causation so why do they use correlated proof as evidence and just accept that sexuality isn't something that they can easily find and discuss.

[@whittakerdanielj]

@@johndinh1889 That is a good question. I have heard that correlation does not imply causation plenty of times. I once read a follow up to that, "There can be no correlation without caution." I found that common sense quite refreshing. Sexuality is quite complicated. Sadly, it is shown as something quite simple.

[@ludmilamaiolini6811]

John Dinh Correlation doesn’t equal causation, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless data. It can lead to better hypothesis to explain an issue, and those hypothesis can lead to higher quality studies. The problem with studying human sexuality is that we are restricted to observational studies with lots of variables we can’t isolate or even identify, so it’s hard to find conclusive evidence

[@theseeker2586]

@@whittakerdanielj How the fuck is no one allowed to question it? It's science. This is literally what you are meant to do, question things ( provided that you have an alternative theory based on evidence ).

[@pinksky_24]

I remember when I was around ten years old, I noticed I never had crushes on boys, and I was even saddened by the idea of marrying a man when I got older. I didn’t know about queer relationships at this point, until I was around 12. When I saw a lesbian couple for the first time, I can’t even explain the way it made me feel. I just felt immensely happy and almost relieved? Like oh it’s ok to like women as a female. Then I started watching queer media, and It made me feel like I was normal for the way I felt. But then I learned about homophobia… and I decided not to be gay (as though I had a choice), because as a child I was scared. I didn’t accept that I was gay until I turned 18, but I thought about it constantly leading up to my birthday. Once it was my birthday, I decided that I might as well be myself now that I was an adult. I’m 20 now and still in the closet, and it’s very hard to not want to share a side of you out of fear while also feeling trapped and alone. I also am very feminine so I don’t think anyone would believe me if I told them I was a lesbian because I don’t fit the stereotypes…

[@midsummer124]

I understand you totally,cuz I'm in the closet too . Maybe because I'm masculine, my friends don't believe that I might be gay ,so they sometimes make jokes on gay topics ,it kind of anoying me.😭

[@pinksky_24]

@@midsummer124 I'm sorry you have to experience that, I totally have had the same experience before with my straight friends, they say insenstive things sometimes and it bothers me. Just know you are apart of a community that cares about you, and we are here for you, okay? I hope things get better for us one day and we don't have to hear stuff like that

[@midsummer124]

@@pinksky_24 I really appreciate you for saying this and I firmly believe it too. I hope that one day we won't need to come out of the closet because we are homosexual, but rather be universally accepted by the world just like heterosexuals.I wish you all the best.😄

[@studymode-nm6ux]

​@@midsummer124I am so sorry that you guys had a manufacturing defect😢.we actually need to blame natural selection for this.becouse if natural selection work perfectly you guys don't even exist😊

[@studymode-nm6ux]

​@@midsummer124I am really sorry that you guys have a manufacturing defect 🥲.we need to blame natural 😠. because if it works perfectly you guys don't even exist 🤗

[@Christopher50now]

I learned I was gay at 9. I remember exactly when it happened. My friend Donnie and me came back from lunch. I remember watching him go to his seat as I was sitting down i felt the desire to hug him. I just had a overwhelming want to hug him. I thought about it for prob a min and went “I’m a F*G!! Oh no!!! What am I going to do?!?” Then I got a crush on him. We rode the same bus and sat together. And I wanted to hug him on the bus and instead I punched him for making me gay. I didn’t want to hurt him but I didn’t want to let me having a crush on him to come out so I turned on him to keep a distance so my feelings wouldn’t come out. It’s not a choice. If it was I’d have kids. I want a kid so bad but I’m 48 and I don’t have 50k to adopt.

[@_Spider4]

9? Go to hell

[@jmdsservantofgod8405]

Thanks for your story……so it’s natural!

[@studygram_]

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

[@VincentNguyen07]

Thanks for sharing your story. I was curious on whether being gay was something you aggressively decide on or it just the tendency of leaning toward other male individuals.

[@wyndiefeatherstone948]

This is such a shame, men are taught that hugging someone is a sign of weakness or homosexuality. It's isn't it is just an emotion that we all share at one time or another. Many women complain that their male mates are not this way with them and they would love to be hugged or kissed unexpectedly. Women's best friends are many times gay men because they like the same things. My ex husband and I got back together one time and we were out driving around and he pulled over and stopped and was saying "Get out, get out of the car!" I thought something was wrong, but he ran around the back of the car, grabbed me up and swung me around laughing, gave me a kiss and we got back in the car and took off. Why? I don't know it was a happy emotion!

[@JSTama]

As a straight guy who was always linked with being affeminate, both straight and gay stereotypes create very confusing expectatives on people, which makes for a very confusing childhood/teenage years for those who fit the stereotype but not the label.

[@jfish032]

THANK YOU. As a gay man I have observed that literally the only traditionally "feminine" aspect of gay guys, other than their attraction to select men, is their ratio of female to male friends in high school. That's it. Not the voice, not their interests, clothes, hand gestures, ETC.

[@jjbud3124]

@@jfish032 As a child, I had a friend who was very feminine in appearance and behavior . Years later I found out he was gay. I barely knew what gay was as a child. I wonder why some gays are very feminine. Could it be that some are intersex and raised as the wrong sex? I know another gay man who is also very feminine in action but masculine in appearance. I've always wondered how that happens. One thing I do know is that no one chooses how they are born. Personally, I was a tomboy growing up. Played war and cowboys and I didn't like dolls or girl things. I wanted to be a boy, but I was a girl. I still am some many years later, married with children, but I have many male interests. I've never been sexually attracted to other girls or women. Sexual identity can be confusing.

[@JenSumma]

I wish we could discover the causation of the behavior. My sister is a lesbian and I wonder if it was caused by my mom telling her to be the son my dad never had. She was 3 years old and that’s when she started evolving into a tomboy. It was sad for me because I felt like I lost my sister

[@jjbud3124]

@@JenSumma It wasn't caused by your mom. You don't cause people to become gay. They just are.

[@saraperpetua1093]

Oh

[@SydneyFabel]

My two takeaways from this are 1) I'm going to be an awesome gay uncle and 2) straight people remain largely a mystery.

[@robinmatz6686]

What else is new?

[@orangeziggy599]

Go for it! Your family needs you.

[@Puffytosser]

Breeders man. Can’t pin them down for nuthin

[@bradsuarez2683]

How so? She did say there is a clear evolutionary bias for being heterosexual thus there isn't a need to do a million and one studies hoping to find and answer to that question. And all the hypothesis she spoke about as to why someone might be gay is questionable at best and down right laughable at worst.

[@bokurowuu]

cishetero people will always confuse me lol

[@mr.nolife7255]

some people argued that our sexuality preference is a choice. To the straights have you tried liking same sex like you choose to like without forcing yourself? Same goes to the gays, have you tried to choose to like your sex counterpart, without forcing yourself? I rather be shunned, ignored or insult by the society rather than staying with someone I force myself to like that eventually ended up you feeling annoyed and burdened. As long as the main pillar of my life (family) accepts me. Because I rather kill myself than seeing my own mom watch me with her unwanting eyes.

[@anuanu-ck9nm]

same. In my girls only school Everyother says lesbians are virus, mental problem, disease etc. And our so called principle says these kinda things and I think the reason is grown people always think they know everything they've seen everything they're never prepared to accept anything unique and different like us. But students/children they accept lgbt if they're taught about us When I came open about having a gf, most of my classmates welcome me and my gf. They seriously know how to embrace kinda unusual things

[@marmar90000]

To make things more interesting: Ask these individuals when they "chose NOT to be gay" instead of asking when they chose "to be straight". Make gayness the default they have to opt out of! 😋

[@mr.nolife7255]

​@@marmar90000 as we lived in this world and exposed to different life struggles and environment, the default of sexuality is somewhat an imaginary line that was made for human to live in a constructive society, but as the world keep moving foward toward modernization. The line is actually not much needed anymore, what we human do need is our own gauge of moral between right and wrong. To make my point simple is, asking them why they choose not to be gay is not the right way to make them understand, because sexuality isn't something that we can choose, what we can choose is how we react and act between it. We don't need to opress the other sexuality just so other can be equal, we need a better way and a better understand to live in harmony. And that is one of not the right way. peace out~

[@marmar90000]

@@mr.nolife7255 You do realize I was being facetious and do not actually think gayness should be the default, yes? I agree that "compassionate education" is the best/preferable approach, but sometimes you need to match and cut through an unempathetic antagonizer's energy in order to make your point land. A calculated "rude awakening," if you will.

[@mr.nolife7255]

@@marmar90000 i am sorry as it didn't reach my brain that you were being facetious. but sometimes I do think its not good to respond fire with fire as it would only get bigger and going nowhere.

[@richardsilva5110]

Would you guys post the cited studies? It's important.

[@Marshmallow_Trees]

I was thinking the same thing. It’s a hot, controversial (still) topic and to flippantly say, “many studies” is a bit frustrating. Surprised the speaker didn’t cite a few studies by name. Very interesting theories.

[@avggamer86]

@@Marshmallow_Trees maybe the reports are apart of private libraries and can't directly cite them without paying. Or not, i really dont know nor would it be an excuse

[@payamsh5519]

Go to sciencedirect and search homosexuality. Whatever she says is pretty much common knowledge and nothing new to anyone who searches the literature from time to time. Most of the articles are not free but you can view the abstract freely. That gives you the gist of it.

[@hotbooinva85]

When you do search for really any peer reviewed paper you can generally simply email the author(s) and request a copy of the study. They are surprisingly more than happy to send it your way for free.

[@richardsilva5110]

It's not for me guys, it's for other people who might not know the tricks

[@alexisgill1155]

I wrote a 10 page paper for college on homosexuality, and she literally sited every study I did XD

[@orangeziggy599]

Well done! I wish she would provide the citations!

[@cobrakai6209]

Val Gal did you also happen to use the study done by Andrea Camperio-Ciani where he discovered that the female relatives of gay men are more fertile and have more children . He also found out that gay men have more gay male relatives then straight men but only on the mothers side of the family meaning that if there is a gene responsible for turning guys gay that it is probably on the X chromosome. He hypothesize that the genes they modeled may cause people of both sexes to be extremely attracted to men, which would lead men with the genes to pursue relationships with other men, while causing women with the genes to have more sexual partners, and become pregnant slightly more often than an average woman.

[@barbarahouk1983]

Did you study the new Embryology? Do you know about the other chromosomes that affect sexual characteristics besides those on the 23rds?

[@barbarahouk1983]

I suspect it has to do with the methylation process. This selects for which alleles are going to be expressed.

[@letkwu]

Could you send it to me?

[@deeznuts4551]

Can't wait till i grow up and become the rich gay aunt.

[@ronsmith2241]

The fact that I am gay was medically proven during electronic shock therapy. Happy to explain. I am gay and proud of it. A 51 year marriage to my very accepting wife did not change a thing. I am not interested in finding a boyfriend. Too old now. I am 76. It is also true that some of 1500 animal species are gay.

[@laricasims124]

Why the focus on gay males? Do the same hypotheses apply to lesbians?

[@Aimia4]

Did miss what she was talking about? The focus was on a piece of research based on homosexual men in Samoa. Research is only useful if you limit the variables, and focus on them. You could say 'why not focus on transgenders too,' or 'why not focus on trans-racial, gender-fluid furries too?' The research isn't politically motivated, it's trying to move science forward.

[@sophia4740]

deepweeb dive ‘most women who identify as lesbian are also attracted to men’ uh, citation please. They’d ID as bi if that were the case. Maybe a small percentage are still unsure, but saying ‘most’ is just incorrect

[@RK-ep8qy]

Twisty The Clown putting aside this video I think it’s because there’s a general outlook or assumption woman are close to each other anyway, more so than most men so the fact men can be intimate in that way intrigues people more. Not saying I’m right, just a theory.

[@ThePhanttasm]

We live in a masculine dominated culture that hates men who act "feminine". When women wear pants or act assertive, men respect them because, "they aren't like other women." But when men cry, or isn't competitive, they are pathetic. Many straight men love the idea of two women kissing, but the idea of two men kissing makes them sick. That's why it's seen as a bigger problem to a majority of people in science. Also, there is no way for a mother to change a female fetus with male hormones, obviously. It's also not that female sexuality isn't just as important to understand nowadays, but there are fewer leads. There aren't a lot of cultures that have gender identities associated with our lesbians, maybe a few native american tribes.

[@bluesmurff6163]

Sexism and stereotypes mostly. Gays have usually gotten more attention because they were though as more "dangerous" by the medical field. They still get the extra attention today it would seen. Also male homosexuality seems to be easier to study, since men usually declare themselve either straight or gay. It's also easier to find gay participant than lesbin ones, don't why though.

[@thomasw4422]

Almost didn't click, but that title won me over.

[@matthewgordon3281]

I have two thoughts on the science of gender identity and preference. !. We should definitely seek genuine knowledge about why people are as they are. 2. We don't need scientific explanations to except people who are different and not hurting anyone. Trans, cis, gay, lesbian, straight, asexual, nonbinary, bisexual, etc. just be good to people.

[@syedmammar1]

All I know is that being gay or straight is not a conscious choice we make.

[@skyler862]

Actually, it is you just don’t know It yet

[@Brave-tamer]

​@@skyler862source?

[@anticorncob6]

​@@skyler862 I know for an absolute fact that it isn't, because I tried choosing to be straight and couldn't. Therefore, at least for me personally, it is not a conscious and revertible choice. Period. There is no counter-argument to that.

[@ATHEIST_69]

​@@anticorncob6i was gay at 14 - 19 I had my boyfriend But I didn't know something just snapped I was losing interest in dcks but more interest in pussy Buy 19 I was doing gym Idk whether it's hormone stuff

[@GOOBER42018]

​@skyler862 its not a conscious or unconscious choice, period. Its just natural

[@ClubMayview]

In my family, who ever has the fricking knife carves the turkey.

[@51stcenturygirl]

Well done, you've got a pragmatic family :) OT as not an english native speaker I always wondered why expression is 'carve a turkey' instead 'cutting a turkey'. I mean carving implies to me art of carving it in certain shape or carving some shape in it not cutting it. Just a random thought...

[@coraliemorin7095]

In my family nobody carves the turkey because we do not celebrate thanksgiving lol... yeah..

[@CR-sl8bh]

ClubMayview Thank you.

[@21units]

@3:36 in the Philippines, we carve a fuckin pig lol Also, Poppy seed?

[@solarprogeny6736]

@@51stcenturygirl Carving means digging inside of it. Carving the turkey doesn't mean cutting it, it means digging the insides

[@ivantothemax]

Being gay is tough, being feminine and a man people always want to slap a TRANS label on me but I don’t feel like a woman trapped in a mans body. I just feel like me. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏼‍♀️

[@austinslaughter319]

Your hair is awesome by the way.

[@Sybil413]

I'm straight but I feel your pain. Being a masculine woman people tend to assume I'm trans or a lesbian and it's really awkward sometimes.

[@imabadbitchyoucantkillme3334]

PREACH 👏🏽

[@libbyw5942]

@@Sybil413 lmao same, i never was really girly and have pretty "masucline" hobbies and get called a lesbian alot. Its mostly joking and i take it lightheartedly but its annoying sometimes

[@user-to1vd5bb8o]

Omg SaME

[@mrfriendlolo4971]

Literally when she said, “it’s logical to question it, it isn’t a evolutionary advantage” I was like, yes my thoughts exactly, I clicked on this video as a gay man to figure myself out scientifically 😂

[@IDIOTPANDA...]

Well can you tell me what you exactly feel and how are you attracted to males , please. I mean I am really curious about that and also when I see males or females i don't know but I feel very disgusting Even sometimes I felt disgusted about myself too...

[@juaneliasdelacruz7893]

Being gay isn’t something you choose it’s something you become when jk Rowling decides

[@neonpixel27]

that a nice joke haha 😂

[@whiski6436]

@@neonpixel27 what joke?

[@neonpixel27]

@@whiski6436 The one above

[@thefatbob3710]

@@whiski6436 you

[@roseyep3968]

@@neonpixel27 nice to feel haha

[@BastiPROTON]

Interestingly enough, studies show that saying "no homo" reduces odds of being gay by 100%.

[@sliceofbread6929]

and drinking tap water turns people gay m100% of the time

[@adamkimmV]

@@sliceofbread6929 frogs*

[@veritasetaequitas983]

"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." -Abraham Lincoln

[@justicewarrior9187]

That's why Californians only drink tap water

[@justicewarrior9187]

@@veritasetaequitas983 Hahahahahahahaha 😂 😂 🤣

[@Sasha-qf8eu]

Now try and explain bisexual people😂 that's an even bigger mystery

[@astrius4125]

Probably same explanation, but toned down. A bisexual person would be a very versatile asset to the family: they can be the gay uncle, but they can also be the father.

[@kerchewy2571]

Bisexuality is a super power. We’re attracted to more than one gender. Take that monosexuals

[@Satan666Official]

I know right? Beautiful men, beautiful women... 😊 their outside becomes attractive when you understand the inside ❤ that's how it is for me anyways. ❤❤

[@TVC15ohoh]

I've always thought that to some extent nearly everyone is at least SLIGHTLY bisexual at heart.

[@TheKeilanm]

For me, liking guys was just acquired. I just like both sexes, they're both different

[@yogiperogy]

One “advantage” of having a gay child is the improved likelihood of elderly parents’ needs being met because their straight siblings are “too busy” making and caring for children to “have the time” to provide an appropriate level of care for aged parents whose needs increase with time. As a gay man myself I’ve seen that scenario play out with my friends and the dynamics are as mentioned.

[@Jay_Johnson]

Yes but that is not an evolutionary advantage.

[@DJ-yh8hm]

If a parent sees it that way, they must the most selfish person ever. You don't get children to take care of you that's so wrong.

[@Jay_Johnson]

@@DJ-yh8hm that’s how it worked before the widespread adoption of pensions and the welfare state.

[@mylesleggette7520]

@@DJ-yh8hm Why on earth is it "wrong" for the parents to expect some gratitude from those they literally provided life to? And don't trot out the usual nonsense cherry-picking about bad parents - why is it wrong for good parents who provided a good life to their children to expect those children to give some modicum of care toward their parents in old age? Also, it is an evolutionary advantage, because people who care for their parents in old age not only preserve the accumulated knowledge of those old people for longer, but model good caregiving to their own children. It increases the survival rate of the group as a whole.

[@DJ-yh8hm]

@@mylesleggette7520 It is wrong on so many levels. It's peak selfishness to give a birth to a human who never asked to be born and expect them to take care of you. They have their own life and problems (because of your decision). You don't provide for them as something "extra" you must do that as a parent. They don't own you anything at all. Expecting them to ruin their lives and waste their time just because you want to put your life first is so disgusting. They are not your kids at that point they're your minions/slaves.

[@donnie9291]

"What makes someone gay?" My brain: *ricardo milos*

[@cedrickvidal1362]

Lol, 34 likes

[@St4ticScratch]

Not the best headline... good pun though?

[@osse1n]

Spring Fuse Nice one!

[@joxerrrrr]

What do you mean not the best headline?? If that is not a good headline i don't know what is. And the video is actually a good video as well.

[@MasalaMan]

It is a pun!

[@madampawsy1903]

I don't think it sounds like it gay > straight conversion. I just thought it was funny :> if people want to make gay jokes, these are the ones they should make

[@TremblingQualifier]

@@madampawsy1903 Not funny though.

[@ThriftyCHNR]

This video was rational and quite balanced. Very good.

[@neilcognito]

I have some gripes - but evidently, it was very rational, balanced, on the other hand, It left more questions than answers - likewise, it also ignored many factors and simply tried to patterned homosexuality, which then ruined the theory itself. example, the lady said, "Homosexuality in men can be a result of boys sharing more femininity in their interests" to which I say, NOPE! while most gay men may be into feminine interests, it's largely shown that not all gay men are - same goes for females, while most gay females, may have more masculine interests, some are very feminine in their interests and lifestyle. Another gripe I had, was the "Fraternal birth order defect" it's largely based on the mother's immune system, damping male hormones, which makes every successive male possible to be gay, but while I agree with this, I say it doesn't explain it for female, since the immunes system won't dampen hormones it's already familiar with, since we know the immune system is to protect the body and isolate unnatural hormones or variables. If this was the case, all gay females would have to have an older sibling who's male to be proven as a factual guide to why people are born gay. Another one is how the lady mentioned that cultural exposure may be a side-effect, but then disprove it with the Fraternal birth thingy. Also, she mentioned that gay men are more likely to be attached to their mothers, which can be said for some, but definitely not all or the majority, I feel most men are naturally attached to their mothers, and most females are naturally attached to their dads, as some mothers naturally attach to their sons, and fathers their daughters. Another thing that annoyed me, was mentioned that gay is a weird anomaly (albeit a good one) because the evolution of a species is to survive, via reproduction. First off, gay people cans till get children - sure at times it may still have that "Taking care of the another's children" but with the evolution of science itself, men and still have children artificially (still organically) with other men and vice versa women with other women. That being said, is evolution the survival of a race, or the creation of a new one? because, apes are still apes, and humans are still humans, even if they evolved, that doesn't mean humans and apes are of the same species or race. So Homosexuality denies evolution if that's the case (You hear that homophobic churches, you can only have one, evolution or homosexuality, pick your pill). So evolution isn't about survival, that's a natural instinct in a species, while I think evolution is the natural expansion of lifeforms, the circle of life if you call it - the "lions eat the deer, the lions die, turn to grass, and the deer eat the grass" lion king style. All this to say, as the lady said "there are different variants in a species" and I think, that's just this at play, patterns don't work the same for humans, as it does for another instictual organism. Humans are all different variants, as such, gay people exist the same way they exist across all other species - I'm no scientist or smart person, so everything I said, could be bullshit, but this is way labels are nonsense - we can't label all people who like men as men as gay, or like women as women as gay because of the fact that not everyone will fall under an umbrella, that's why in science all humans are a variable, not all medication works out for everyone, and similarly not all labels fix everyone.

[@solarprogeny6736]

@@neilcognito This only focused on males, not females.

[@neilcognito]

@@solarprogeny6736 um, I'm more surprise you read even part of that rambling. That's way more intriguing. But yeah, it was too limited in focus that's partially why i had a problem with some of the points mentioned. Still though, you a MVP.

[@Geniethegraet]

@@neilcognito They have several avenues of research. Statistics show that more males in a family means that each successive child has a chance to be gay. It isn't perfect, of course, it could also be a genetic response. We just don't know yet, you made some good points, its just science is about statistics in science, yeah, a lot of gay men or women exhibit attributes of the opposite sex, but it doesn't mean all of them do. It's about generalization, correlation etc etc. You did make some good points though.

[@wacawaca3]

Free from political ideologies. A true oasis in the middle of bs

[@alina616]

I absolutely loved it. So matter of fact, real and convincing. That is what I needed to understand the issue. Thank you

[@justarandomdude.9285]

I don't pick anyone's side or even religion. I'm where science is found.

[@joshsmit779]

As a masculine cisgender gay man, growing up in samoa and automatically be assumed a transgender would cause me so much confusion and strife.

[@apatameh5155]

I'm a gay man who is half Tongan. in Tongan culture there is also a third gender called fakaleiti, that basically makes gay men become women. And like you said, It would have been rough. , I'm just glad I didn't grow up fully in the culture and made to become fakaleiti. I feel like THAT would have been at least equal to the shittiness of growing up gay in the Mormon culture that I did. And looking at it from that perspective, I guess no matter how you sliced it, I wasn't getting out of it easy. At least now I can just be myself, where as in Tongan I would have been forced into a role that didn't fit me. This was way longer than I intended. I need to stop day drinking. Sorry. :)

[@cnnhean]

cis?

[@enzopotel]

yes. There are many different societies in this world, so to be a homosexual (of any kind) meets a great variety of confusions and strifes in this world...

[@rosiex2757]

i mean, at least they aren't killing them like in other cultures right? at least they are still accepting of them (though not perfect)

[@brian-vm1zt]

Wtf is cis

[@kamiyabritton7098]

She's trying so hard to explain this without stepping on any toes

[@lilmrscutsie4524]

? she explained it pretty normally to me. maybe you're not used to hearing the technical terms

[@oliverwilson11]

Not really. Scientists and social scientists talk this way because they don't want to accidentally say something incorrect, not because they don't want to accidentally say something offensive.

[@ale9507]

@@oliverwilson11 No, definitely appeasement.

[@DisneyMagicDreamer85]

I'm cringing right now. I get that she is trying not to step on any toes, but she is failing miserably. Ugh. Plus, I hate some of these presumtions. Gay men = more feminine. Lesbian women = more masculine. I know plenty of gay and straight people that don't fit these kind of stereotypes! Our culture is changing and self expression is becoming more important. Science is falling behind if it still tries to enforce these kind of 'square peg round hole' explanations. How about this for a scientific explanation: human beings are attracted to other human beings on a varying spectrum instead of a binary. How about we recognize that people are just different and unpredictable and that it is ok to be human? And as for not being a "logical survival strategy" homosexuality has been found in primates, mammals and some species of birds too. Is nature just plain illogical or what? Sorry for the rant, I thought I would like this video, oh well. Thx for reading.

[@ladyboywonder9139]

Kamiya Britton maybe that’s how you see it but actually it’s just fucking objective

[@PLuMUK54]

I look forward to a day, which will probably never happen, when people would be shocked to hear that someone asks why a person is gay. Does it matter?

[@jarynn8156]

It's an interesting scientific question. Common sense would tell you that our biological evolution should make homosexuality impossible.

[@Potatocrime24-7]

​@@jarynn8156 but it happens in nature all the time mostly with mammals so where is evolutions reason there. Sometimes the best answer to give is. "That's just how it is". Not everything needs a full proof reasoning and science needs to learn that.

[@jarynn8156]

@@Potatocrime24-7 Why not investigate? You never know what you'll find. A great deal of important discoveries have happened on the way to other things.

[@Potatocrime24-7]

@@jarynn8156 it is always good to investigate things to learn more. But some things really have no explanation. Homosexuality is one of those things. The only answer is that some people and animals just prefer to have relations with the same sex. Nothing really evolutionary or scientifically appealing about it.

[@jarynn8156]

@@Potatocrime24-7 There absolutely is something scientifically interesting about it. It's a natural behavior that defies evolutionary logic. While that might normally be explained by a one off genetic defect, this one is inheritable and survives through many generations despite the fact the trait actively reduces the change of reproductive success. It's a fascinating question as to how.

[@growinggreenthings]

My husband and I are both first born. So we are still unexplained in this video. I have always been the annoying brother trying to get my brother to have kids so I can spoil them though! He's 30 and finally has a serious girlfriend that I will meet this spring! So excited!

[@StewNWT]

Yeah I’m first born as well. 3 younger sisters and 1 of them gay as well

[@melon_choly]

I'm a lesbian only child, but at least I have a nephew

[@shawnsnider7564]

Almost all my gay friends are the 2nd or 3rd brother.. 2nd brother here. Don't discount mothers who have miscarriages, as sometimes the 1st brother is actually the 2nd or 3rd.

[@michaelkelligan7931]

What makes someone gay? Science is trying to get it "straight" lolx10

[@bigstr9178]

Michael Kelligan ahahaha lol 😂

[@loop5720]

I hope the title's pun intended...

[@epik639]

gay

[@alphalostcontrol]

lmao

[@chanceDdog2009]

Dont have kids. But am straight. Family expects for me to help with their kids. And are upset i don't want to. I like kids. But if you have them its not the responsibility of the childless person to help you with them. ...

[@breek.8678]

yet you will depend on someone else's children to take care of you when you get very old or possibly very sick. In modern times, thats not so much a problem, we have currency and you will be able to hoard the resources youve earned in your life... thus allowing you to pay younger people to take care of you once you are too old. But historically human society works best when we all contribute. The entire village takes care of the young and later the young grows up to take care of the old.

[@chanceDdog2009]

@@breek.8678 i worked in a nursing home and a hospice. Thats not how it works. Im ready for my final days and know there probably won't be any family to look after me. That is far more common than you seem to think. I still have relationships with people and their kids. .. But no one owes you care giving because you took care of them as kids. And you are not obligated to be on call for others because you want payback when you are old...

[@breek.8678]

@@chanceDdog2009 You take care of young because is your responsibility to your community not because you want payback. Our society allocates taxes to children and elderly for this reason... we as a society realize we are responsible for our vulnerable. You are paying for other people's kids every paycheck. And young people will pay for you when you no longer work.

[@chanceDdog2009]

@@breek.8678 i agree. I pay my taxes and vote for generous allocations to schools and healthcare services. Thats a social contract. Loving kids. And wanting kids are two different things.

[@rob20ist]

That is why you are a smart person because only the stupid have children.

[@robertnickol9598]

Thank you for this. This helped me immensely. Although no one knows for certain why some men are gay, this offers profound new insights into this complex question.

[@nostalgia9338]

Found out crush is gay now I'm suddenly interested in the history of homosexuality.

[@indiepunkftw]

This is why I love the scientific method and intellectual discussion. To take such a controversial and polarizing subject, and break it down, objectively, into its specific interlocking parts and hypothesize and parse WITHOUT judgment - just to figure out why things are the way they are. Articulately stated and poignantly direct, I could listen to these journeys into the human psyche all day.

[@manjari8398]

Well said

[@MsNicoleRR]

Absolutely agree 💯

[@saquist]

I'm gay. I was never interested in social role play. I'm competitive I never had many female friends. I absolutely NEVER wanted to dress as a woman. For me. I was raised with a Neglectful Father and a hoard of women. Girls never accepted me as a choice...guys did.

[@Vereid]

Almost entirely the same with me. I've never been attracted to effeminate men either (I like masculine men). Very complicated.

[@CrazyBlueBeast]

@@Vereid It's very common for gay guys to like masculine men because we adopt the 'female' perspective of what makes an attractive man attractive

[@Aimia4]

@Lanla Colan wow you're angry. No one in today's western culture conflates transexuality with homosexuality. You're fighting an imaginary historical figure, that has been pushed by 'liberal' narratives to make LGBTI+ communities feel more oppressed than they already are. There are some legitimate issues and concerns for the community to fight, but this isn't one of them. This sort of tirade only serves to alienate your heterosexual allies, and it's not only false, but counter-productive.

[@Sean-dl8ym]

@deepweeb dive every single woman I've known has found the same guys attractive that I find attractive. The reason most women don't bother to put "masc only" in their dating profiles is because the vast majority of straight men are naturally masculine and thus women have no need to weed out feminine men. Studies have shown time and time again that gay men, on the whole, are innately gender atypical in childhood. The few who aren't usually still desire masculinity in their partners, creating an extreme deficit of masculine men in the gay dating pool. It's actually pretty tragic.

[@lilmeow531]

@@CrazyBlueBeast That's not true. There are plenty of gay men who like twinks and men with more feminine features and these gay men tend to be more masculine generally

[@jaydendavis5047]

Helping my mom makes me gay 😭😭😭

[@4X4_TrailSeeker]

Very interesting and I agree with the part about ‘womb gay’. I myself am the youngest son with several older brothers and sisters and had two long term relationships with men that were the youngest sons as well with several older brothers. It was something I’d thought of long ago and now it makes sense. Thanks

[@PabloEmanuel96]

I'm the first son and also gay And my younger brothers are straight

[@biucff9739]

pablo emanuel exception not the rule?

[@lejlateletovic5225]

@@biucff9739 Yeah, I have several friend who are gay (with feminine voice and gestures) and their older brothers are manly man :D She mentioned that it's one of the possibilities, when the cause is not genetic, but rather epigenetics.

[@PabloEmanuel96]

@@biucff9739 yeah Maybe

[@PabloEmanuel96]

@@lejlateletovic5225 but in my case it is the opposite I'm gay and my younger brothers are manly

[@billymasoner3735]

Same here, firstborn.

[@kylegalloway7699]

‘we have hints about facial symmetry’ thats how theyre gonna prove why all gay men are gorgeous

[@KingkyLeor]

*laughs in ugly gay*

[@whiski6436]

nikado avacado

[@lomeshthorul9647]

oh hell nah☠️

[@randywatts6969]

Many are physically ugly

[@Peeta-wn4hh]

I read a while ago about an AI that had a very high success rate rating people gay or straight just by looking at a picture of the person’s face. It’s both interesting and terrifying at the same time.

[@lifeisagift.cherisheverymoment]

"What makes someone gay? Science is trying to get it straight." Science has gotten all of this figured out a long time ago. It's ignorance and religious superstition that is still struggling with these issues.

[@Switchplayar]

Very interesting and well explained! I consider myself gay and i have 3 older brothers, so that made a lot of sense.

[@jackwattson992]

this video was good and explained everything but I'm the oldest of my brothers and I'm gay😭 so I guess that's rare? idk

[@Switchplayar]

@@jackwattson992 I guess, its at least less likley then my scenario

[@jackwattson992]

@@Switchplayar yeaa all the gay guys ik are the youngest

[@jackwattson992]

@@Switchplayar it obviously doesn't matter lol but it's just interesting

[@tb-nt8gl]

​@@jackwattson992same here lol guess you're not alone

[@diegocastro4594]

I'm the youngest of three brothers and it turned out I'm Gay.. so it fits into this chain of male male-gay... Way to go mom! :-D

[@fumarate1]

I'm in the same boat as well.

[@non-binarygremlin6516]

Lol same same I have two brothers then me A LESBIAN tho I do call myself gay cuz you can call lesbians gay toooooo So yeah Male-male-GAY

[@ericgonzalez3641]

I'm the youngest of 4 brothers and it's also my case (all of them are straight)

[@tb-nt8gl]

I am shocked rn because I'm the older brother and I am the gay one 😅😂

[@helmaschine1885]

Wow, I'm happy to see such a scientifically focused video on the subject for once! I would really love to hear any scientific findings you have on lesbian and bisexual women in the future too :D

[@thisisfine4093]

Soon nessie. Soon.

[@LANLAMPAN]

theres a link between add/adhd and bisexuality that I have observed. no scienist have dares to put their minds to this. But for sure if you take a sample size of bisexuals and a group of straight people you would see a large discrepancy in the first group.

[@aurancrash4654]

Biased but sure "scientific" if you like...

[@RogerValor]

​@@LANLAMPAN is this your personal observation? add/adhd is like 4-10% of the population, which makes it quite common (so basically every social gathering you ever went to had several adhd people in it), so it also makes it probably just as common amongst gay people I would suppose, so I don't know if I could recognize the correlation. Just curious. You should try to find a student who does the study! :D

[@zacharypayne4080]

There are no lesbians..

[@Wickedstickyflowers]

Interesting,,, I have wondered about a lot of the topics you are speculating on

[@kokumpollito7329]

Bro, I'm a firstborn and I'm gay. So where am I in the statistics?

[@SonOfFurzehatt]

You're still in there. Any boy can be gay - older brothers only increase the likelihood.

[@kokumpollito7329]

@@SonOfFurzehatt oh... man, I kinda needed someone telling me I'm not doing something wrong by being gay. Thank you

[@SonOfFurzehatt]

@@kokumpollito7329 You're not doing anything wrong. You're a worthwhile human being and you should ignore anyone who tells you otherwise.

[@danehay5057]

If two men get married who carves the turkey?

[@powerhouse884]

TheExplorer No, they are the head of the place!

[@mysigt_]

The turkey carves them.

[@tsopmocful1958]

I don't know, but they probably both punch the chocolate.

[@Crispman_777]

The Daddy ;)

[@florianwesterdahl4257]

”Carve the turkey” ey ey ey.. know what I mean? Ey ey ey?

[@expired_poppers]

"Straight people have been less interesting to scientists then gay people" Oh honey, it's not just scientists. That fact is valid across the board.

[@ivantothemax]

TELL THEM SISSSS LMAAOOO

[@Tushinho]

Than* And, you're wrong!

[@Bib24]

It's not about how 'interesting' you are, it's just about you being attracted to someone

[@Tushinho]

@Nexo Nerd 101 u don't understand, thats the new wave now changing ur sexuality. and, u have to say youre going through a rough time facing this new 'you' So, by doing that u can finnaly fit in in today's society

[@heartreplacment163]

I personally find all forms of sexuality rather intriguing.

[@rayexception4590]

honestly I'm straight but I feel like it'd be a good idea for there be ways to change someone's attraction in the future I can't even imagine how it'd feel like being ostracized and hated just for something you were born with against your own will

[@popsikern5848]

The solution to racism isn't to make black people white, it's to accept that you should treat black people the same way you should treat white people. I think the same can also be said for sexuality. I don't think we should be changing anyone's sexual attraction, but instead accepting people who deviate from heterosexuality as normal.

[@divxxx]

This was so informative and well presented!

[@HBDiniz10]

So... I'm an only child... and I'm gay... HOL UP

[@zachseason7824]

Same, I'm gay and gothic. I'm a cute guy and I keep getting compliments it is annoying..like (lit) erally.

[@zachseason7824]

🎃

[@HBDiniz10]

@@zachseason7824 yeah of COOOOURSE YOU ARE

[@zachseason7824]

@@HBDiniz10 Literally I am. Don't be jelous. I'm sorry if I did. Here is a cookie for you. 😏...🍪 Munch Munch. It's Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. I don't just make it for anyone you know.. it's my gothic cookies.🎃

[@zachseason7824]

@@MisterMike101 Aww very appreciative of your comment. And you are just perfect, here is a cookie for you to eat 🍪

[@yorib.4014]

"Children who are boys", why don't just call them boys?

[@sistervoid8798]

Yörükcan Erbay. children whom just so have happened to be male boys

[@horreheitedet4320]

Boys can be teenagers?

[@TheWitchofEndor-1]

Because she was talking about children... a boy can be a teenager preteen etc....

[@solarprogeny6736]

Because she is specifically talking about male children, boy can describe any age

[@mexheix]

I know, I guess it is a scientific thing, as a science student, I also often write like that because I want every thing to be very clear and no ambiguous area, which ends up sound weird in normal circumstances.

[@juanchofrancois5369]

Interesting. This explains why many gay people were born after the war during the time of the baby boomers. This is because of the overwhelming pregnancies of many women at that time, including those who were raped by the germans and the japanese. It was a certain type of trauma response to counter balance the toxicity of masculine genes present in the womb during intercourse - this term they call fraternal birth order - is where the male offspring has to acquire a level of receptiveness to its own kind during conception in order to survive, thus developing his attraction to the same sexual characteristics modelled after his Father's own sexual traits.

[@nowiknowishallnotsee30]

I’m a female and when I was a kid I played soccer, played with toy trucks and cars, and built with legos. When I did play family role play games, I asked to be the dad so that I could hold hands with the girl playing the mom. How did no one know I was gay? 😂

[@EvaFariou]

I played with many boys games too some times. With grls too. But I am not gay!!! And I'm really proud!!! 😊

[@alexh6767]

I did all that and I'm a trans man that is straight. I guess we're all different and it doesn't matter 😂

[@_Spider4]

WEIRDOS

[@saraperpetua1093]

Oh

[@willfrank961]

My jaw literally dropped for half a minute at the fraternal birthorder thing. That's really surprising. Great talk! She definitely has scientific rigour in her blood.

[@Leftatalbuquerque]

I was born first of three boys. I'm gay, they are str8. So much for that theory.

[@willfrank961]

Ah yes. The good ol' "there's an exception to the rule so it must not be a rule". You truly are very special. (She said it's more likely, not a certainty)@@Leftatalbuquerque

[@alexh6767]

Yeah she is very smart, I enjoyed this discussion. Gender equality is great

[@shawnsnider7564]

Almost all my gay friends are a 2nd or 3rd brother.. I'm 2nd..

[@tommoncrieff1154]

The fraternal birth order thing has been known for a long time. I remember watching a BBC doc in the 1990s about this topic. I am a third son and gay. But my husband is an only child and other gay friends are first born sons. I have a friend who’s one of 7 children and all but the first are gay or lesbian and the first says she actually is a lesbian too but in her day it was suppressed and she married a man. It doesn’t apply to every person, it applies statistically overall to a group. If every third son were gay previous generations would never have had more than 2 boys, it’s just a general statistic. There are likely multiple causes why people are gay. I like the professor’s theory that gays are useful to the species and if you think about it countries like Iran aren’t terribly successful or functional.

[@baphnie]

I assume the down-votes for this video came from people who.... don't like conversation and/or statistics? She didn't say anything that could be reasonably construed as offensive or divisive.

[@Maddbox11235]

Some people are genuine bigots who freak out at anything that isn't critical of homosexuality. Some social-justice types failed science class, and freak out, going "She made a broad generalization about childhood behavior of gay males!", for example, and don't pay attention to the fact that she is not engaged in bigotry and that she's discussing reasonable scientific studies. Either way, some people are just plain stupid.

[@bryanbroacosta]

baphnie not many downvotes, and its impossible not to have any downvotes

[@oliverwilson11]

There's not an unusually high number of downvotes. Every video that gets thousands of votes has some downvotes, there doesn't have to be a reason for it

[@tehkuwen5222]

This isn’t Reddit : P

[@sadisticsadist1828]

Some people want citations.

[@daisyfish1483]

This is so interesting! Thank you for this.

[@Raw-Truth-Now]

Great analysis, thanks!

[@ImmundaDeus]

I am the youngest of 5, 3rd boy, gay, and I help my parents take care of my sister's kids. Hmm... ~The more you know~

[@orangeziggy599]

Good to know!

[@seguralimondavidabsalon8540]

It actually males sense to me... 😦

[@Mircalla]

It's amazing how many of the comments just ignore the contents of the video in order to make fun of gay people, based on things that aren't true.

[@tsopmocful1958]

Well, two guys mincing around saying 'fabulous' all the time and then pushing things into their out holes can be rather comical, while mannish women who complain about men while dressing like them and trying to steal men's girlfriends has its own humourous quality too. That is, of course, when it isn't just disgusting and repellant for most heterosexuals.

[@Mircalla]

@@tsopmocful1958 You've clearly never met a gay person in real life, if you think that we all fit those stereotypes. The huge majority of gay people are exactly the same as straight people.

[@Lopzta]

@@Mircalla I wouldn't mind most people's comments. A big portion of it seems to be innocent jokes based on stereotypes. Every group of people gets to be the butt of jokes. Generally, people's acceptance of LGBTs has become better and better over the last years. And this trend isn't going to end too soon.

[@ginsuma1402]

Who wouldn't make a pun about people that play in doo doo chutes and rub their (female) genitals together like oddballs? It's banter nobody genuinely hates you guys until you start trying to preach the gay to our kids...like leave kids out of it.

[@mysigt_]

Ginsuma “preach the gay to our kids” what?

[@dhruvkumar282]

thank you i reaally needed thisss

[@anthonycarbonaro7890]

Very excellent.. please continue with updates.

[@pinoyblclub]

As a gay guy it feeled good that science treat us special. It make my gay heart warm. ❤

[@MisterMike101]

Ur not special tho you're natures mistake 😁😁😁

[@geooxton3013]

Lmaoo

[@uttamkumarghosh5267]

@@MisterMike101 you gay?

[@hscar-no8oz]

You should’ve said it makes your gay heart glitter ✨ Lol 😂

[@algonzalez6853]

@*Tea Truffel* he spilled tho

[@desertfox2403]

I appreciate this information. It has made me think more on the overall processes involved. Excellent talk!

[@NealB123]

That was an excellent, thought provoking vid. Well done.

[@gabriellaamaria4986]

The question isn't why some people are gay or why some people are straight but why aren't we all bisexuals?

[@ThatOneScienceGuy]

As a child I gravitated toward women because they were nice. Also my father was angry and men seemed to be somewhat rigid and I found that to be intimidating. Weirdly, my mom always says I was a “man’s” child. She said I got attention from men as opposed to my brother who got lots of attention from women who thought he was adorable. Anyway, I knew fairly early on I was attracted to men, probably as early as age 11. I have a memory which I don’t know is true but I think at very young like age 6-8 or something I remember my parents going to bed and I knew they slept in the same bed and I had a thought that I wanted a man in my bed when I grow up (it wasn’t even sexual, it was like, I just wanted a man in my bed. Lol). My sexuality became more overt for me in 8th grade when I found that I was attracted to the AP, who was in his late 30’s or early 40’s. My attraction was not overtly sexual, because I was still a bit young, but I was attracted to him in a way that was romantic but my feelings weren’t mature enough to fully understand it. The following year, 9th grade, my attractions were much more developed. By that point I knew what I was attracted to sexually or some idea. I was attracted toe several of my male teachers, and my best friend’s dad I thought was pretty hot. Anyway. I didn’t ask for this. It is different. Sometimes I wish I was straight. It is what it is. This video was great.

[@saraperpetua1093]

Oh

[@RobespierreThePoof]

We all have our stories. But it's important to remember that the way we recount them has been very heavily influenced by social expectations that childhood experiences with gender, strong mothers, weak fathers, etc etc etc are important to becoming gay. None of those old hypotheses has ever been proven to be true. Similarly, fantasies of relationships before puberty are usually best understood as mere child's play - literally. If you watch enough families raise children, you'll find that it's usually the parents or an adult relative who encourages the idea of having a "boyfriend" or 'girlfriend" playmate, then the child acts it out. Often, the adults don't even realize that they are doing it.

[@conorstapleton3183]

Makes sense to me. I have a gay uncle and he is the youngest of three brothers.

[@markb.]

thank u for this video, its very informative

[@mandidorrell2310]

This is so interesting! Thank you for posting.

[@mavenesquith6825]

A very well done video. Clear, informative, and refreshing. I really enjoyed it.

[@lolgerman]

Almost cried watching this. Only us gays know what it feels like to be gay and know it since you’re a little kid. 😢

[@pranitp.1622]

Why are u gae

[@MrTrack412]

Not true because some claim to change their choice as they get older.

[@CommanderCodey]

@@MrTrack412 sexuality isn’t a choice though 🤡. It’s due to DNA and the brain.

[@calvinkellams4126]

@@MrTrack412 The way I see it, anyone can choose to or have a desire to date, marry, sleep with, or have kids with anyone. This does not mean that they prefer to do so with that specific person due to sexual attraction. Being gay is not a choice; being in a relationship is.

[@_Spider4]

@@CommanderCodey it is a choice u 🤡🤡🤡

[@VIJAYKAPUR89]

Homosexuality may be nature's way of keeping the population of a species within acceptable levels. If the population becomes too large (more than what the environment can support), then some natural mechanism may increase the percentage of homosexual offspring being born, which would later decrease the birth rate in that species, and bring down its population to an acceptable level. If the population is too small (i.e., the species is at risk of extinction), then an opposite natural mechanism may decrease the percentage of homosexual offspring being born, which would later increase the birth rate in that species, and hence increase its population to an acceptable level.

[@nabeelhussainn]

The genetic advantage actual makes alot of sense, when you think about it when you see in animals or any species that have big packs they're organized, like how in bees you have workers and warriors, so from that perspective heterosexuals in the family might be the workers and the homosexuals maybe something like a gatekeeper, always helping keep things simple and tidy. But I think environmental factors also influence us being homosexual, but then again there are alot of factors that influence it and I'm excited for where these studies take us.

[@JacksHQ]

Underrated title.

[@Jotakumon]

Really the only reason I clicked on the video and I do not regret it. Came for the title, stayed for the science.

[@stevenpictures1]

I appreciate the fact that this video is not biased in any way but simply says that this is what we know by science

[@markanthonymuya6258]

Awesome talk. Thanks!

[@heavenlyfairchild8645]

In the 7th grade i realised i was into a girl and it felt great i am now pansexual and happy and dont care what others think.

[@CarlosArturoVelarde]

I grew up in Mexico. My favorite things were dolls and dressing them. My favorite colors have always been red, pink, and purple. I loved social situations, didn’t really like hanging out with other boys, I’m a very good cook although baking doesn’t really work for me. I have never been a drinker. I like music, art, fashion. I can see both males and females as good-looking (attractive?) but have never found men sexually attractive. I have more in common with my mother than my father. I love women, I am very attracted to females and their anatomy, and I never thought or felt that any of my likes or dislikes made me any less of a man. Growing up, my schoolmates would call me names, my cousins would tell my mom they thought I was gay. My mom just laughed at them and told them that I was just more sensitive and emotional with a strong caretaker instinct and there was nothing wrong with me. I am almost 60 and I can count my male friends in one hand and have fingers left over. I am still normally surrounded by women, and have become confidant to most of them and emotional support to a lot fo them too. So where do I fall in the “spectrum”? As far as I am concerned I am 100% man.

[@aestheticlife134]

Well as you mentioned above about dolls , so there's this thing that at being almost 3 year old, i wanted a doll and my father got me one and i liked to explore makeup , i also don't have any male friends, either cuz they somehow don't like me , even without showing myself gay and trying to be straight.

[@Aleksandrgrc]

Frog water

[@MusicWordMusic]

A lot of this is missing cause and effect. It's all effects. "Womb gay" mechanism may be stress > hormone imbalance > feminizing or masculinizing part of brain developing in fetus at that time. That would also explain later male children, because having a 4th or 5th boy is certainly more stressful.

[@soursugarsalt]

Thanks for the info mam!!

[@danielsong2936]

Maybe like gaga said. "I was born this way"

[@nantezashabirah5261]

Am also born this way

[@ThePeacePlant]

@Sociosocial I kind of agree or at least that's my situation. I was never turned on by men and wanted women my whole life and have been with women but sometime in my life I turned out to be attracted to feminine men

[@someonesomeone25]

It seems to vary. I think most gay men are hardwired gay from a very young age. But some people change in later life for various reasons.

[@vladyslavkorenyak872]

This is a VERY good Big Think video. Please, continue doing this kind of content.

[@susanbobo5098]

My cousin a gay male died in the 90s of aides, his sister is lesbian, on my dads side- no known gayness on my mothers side, but both my children are gay😫 I wanted a son and a daughter, one of each… it’s backwards and I won’t have any grandkids 😢

[@KevinCorbin-gd9kp]

Damn

[@luissantos1801]

Your not obligated to be a grandma.. you don’t get to choose that.. you can choose to me a mother but not a grandmother You should be proud that you could be a mother at all.. some women would kill to be a mother.. your lucky and you should appreciate that

[@susanbobo5098]

@@luissantos1801 I do appreciate being a mother- but I guess you need maternal instinct to want to be a Mamaw. I miss when my kids were little- having grandkids is like being able to experience that over again

[@luissantos1801]

@@susanbobo5098 we’re human… we’re very different from animals.. it’s not like lion moms really wanna be grandmas so bad Our human way of life and thinking makes us want things that animals would never think of wanting… the fact that you wanna be a grandma is because you been taught you’d be a Grandma one day when you were little I understand you tho.. you like kids and wanna feel like a mama all over again I guess lol..

[@husainkun836]

I liked what the doctor said in this video. She made many things clear as well.

[@Lopzta]

I thank you for this video. This is exactly how I want scientists to interact with the public on socially relevant topics. I do have some questions though: As I have heard, there are a number of genes, that correlate with homosexuality, resulting in a gradient. Might human bisexuality be have been an advantage in social interactions? Might our ancestors have had similar social structures to bonobos? If that were the case, having some of the "gay" allels might be increasing an individual's fitness. Having more of those allels might then be a disadvantage, because there is less insentive to reproduce. If this were the case, over generations, a certain proportion of "gay" allels would be stable. This would make a big part of the phenomenon a "simple" matter of population genetics. Indeed, the percentage of gay people in different cultures seems to be somewhat stable. Also, being gay doesn't automatically mean having no offspring. I would really appreciate your thoughts on this. This idea does not explain the phenomenon of birth order having an impact on sexuality. I think it is a strong case for kin selection.

[@deeperdee]

I have been in love with this channel since their beginning, and as a gay man, I’m very very happy this topic was chosen for a video

[@alipoo52]

props to whoever came up with the title

[@megamorpher1]

this was so good. props to her

[@fb150185]

Surprisingly this ended up being interesting. I am gay but am still curious about the why. If there is any. Why = evolutionary speaking. As she says it's curious that the trait doesn't dissappear over time. I mean, I'm glad! Haha otherwise I wouldn't be myself :p

[@sebastianelytron8450]

One day "gay" will no longer be seen as an insult, hopefully soon

[@MrLadyjazsjunk]

Gay=Happy. That's why it was used primarily. Use it that way and it will stop and then the appropriate terms can be used.

[@unlimitedpower8960]

Usama Iqbal Almost toxic.

[@robomop9711]

I mean, I kind of want it to be used as an insult, but have nothing to do with homosexuality.

[@MrLadyjazsjunk]

It wasn't an insult until people made it an insult. Twist the language and these are the results. Argue over the word instead of solving the problem. Seems pointless.

[@dr.ligmahnutts2993]

Usama Iqbal that was pretty gay of you mate

[@corazon3147]

Your explanation is really great 👍

[@lightningmaster8914]

"What makes someone gay? Science is trying to get it straight." very poor choice of words