The Gay Gene: The Science of Being Gay (with Rowan Ellis) | Sci Guys Podcast #62

[@SciGuys]

Do you think we should be trying to find a gay gene?

[@Hinona.]

Hmmmnn nah I mean if you want to go ahead but I dont think its necessary

[@lexicallyanalytic]

Yeah why not!!!!!!

[@lexicallyanalytic]

But there isn't a single factor or a single gene making gay, so more reasearch is needed.

[@laurathompson8500]

I think it is a multifaceted phenomenon which may differ in male and females . Perhaps a combination of social , biological, genetic and environmental influences . It’s a complex trait.

[@rihari1289]

It doesn’t matter. It’s not hurting anyone. People can like who they like if they experiment all they are doing is finding out what they like and who they like. I don’t think the ‘gay gene’ matters because once if it is found I can only think of negative ways people can use it. So no I guess

[@samkelly4132]

In Celtic society, the gay couples would raise the children left orphaned when parents were killed in battle

[@shanleyphillips1111]

Sam Kelly out of interest because I’ve never heard of this, is there anywhere I can read this??

[@mhenderson7673]

@@shanleyphillips1111 I would also like to know more about this, I'm Scottish and it sounds like an interesting piece of history.

[@summanus4437]

There's also a remark from a Greek rhetorician, Athenaeus, who said "Their men prefer each other over their women."

[@MrGameManIsCool]

Ain’t that what gay penguins do ? Like if a baby penguins parents die then the gay parents will look after them

[@louisa1514]

@PeRFeCT IMPeRFeCTiON It's actually the opposite. In some cultures being non-binary was almost worshipped. It was with the rise of christianity (and other abrahamic religions) that homophobia became common.

[@chickenlittle7139]

my brother: talks about the "gay gene" and a "possible cure" me, a closeted lesbian: trys to subtly convince him that he's wrong without outing myself

[@ahuman9519]

@chicken little is it going well?

[@chickenlittle7139]

@@ahuman9519 uh, i think so? maybe? possibly?

[@ahuman9519]

Tom Homepton what?

[@storytellingsnek5255]

Ah yes the plot of x-men 3

[@dontlookatmychannel1994]

Did it work? Ya good?

[@isaacfawcett4153]

"I can't wait for them to kill coming out". This is what I am trying to do, as soon as I found out I was bi I just decided not to tell anyone, but if they ask me then I'll tell them, and I will just act like it's normal because it is. The way my parents are most likely to find out is if I come home with a boyfriend.

[@Angelo_MS]

Yup, same

[@alias_sam]

i just dated a girl and my friend group just went with it the worse thing for me was telling people about asexuality because it's sort of invisible...

[@itsmolly0074]

Me too! That’s what I do. Coming out doesn’t exist in my world. :)

[@Egoistic_girl]

Yeah I don't tell people either because it's none of their business. I just kind of told my aunt yesterday by being sarcastic towards her expectation of my orientation lol.

[@watchingthebees]

I really respect this option but I can’t stand people assuming things I’m not, idk why

[@jackkahn2532]

"Why are the gays so depressed? Let's just oppress them more." is the actual mindset of my family and town lmao :')

[@thunderusnight]

There's a reason gay doesn't mean happy anymore ;-;

[@ryn2844]

I see it used against trans people a lot. "If being trans isn't a mental illness, then why are they all so suicidal? See? And that's why you shouldn't choose to be trans. You won't be happy." It's really sad that people really think that reasoning makes sense.

[@rossdelarosa792]

I'm more depressed at the fact that being 100% out (orientation and gender-wise) will affect my future prospects. I want to be out and happy, and one could argue that being your authentic self is better than money, but it goes beyond money. Health (and healthcare), social interactions, certain likelihoods negative outcomes... Lots of things can happen when you don't live in a society that supports LGBTQ+ folks. And what's worse is that being closeted usually affects the health of the person who is closeted. Since it takes more mental energy to live day-to-day.

[@ryn2844]

@Jame Moself I'm sorry you went through that and I hope you found better people to be around. Better people are definitely out there. I found my qu33r friend group in D&D. Would recommend checking that out. It tends to be a really wholesome environment. I think I'm younger than you (27) and I didn't have to grow up hearing that stuff about g@y people in my progressive social bubble, so I never really had a lot of internalized homophobia instilled in me. I'm also nonbinary trans though, and I did internalize that same rhetoric about trans people. It's a slow process, but we're getting there. Things are getting better :) Also, I think whether you pass as cishet or not really depends on the person. You can't really generalize about that. Everyone's situation is different.

[@relaxingsounds1386]

What about familes and towns that don't do this?

[@viktoriapahlberg3405]

I would love to hear you guys talk about asexuality! I am asexual myself and rarely hear anyone talk about it, especially the ”science” behind it!

[@hughbort]

I would also love this! (I'm gray-ace.)

[@meanangeI]

yes please !!! in lots of the jokes they made about sex and every species enjoying it i was always like “the aces!! we exist!!!” so i’d love to hear them talk about it more in-depth :)

[@jamierenner2115]

@@hughbort me as well

[@SalemElectro7]

Angela Chen guested on “factually” with Adam conover in like December and it was pretty interesting. I know she’s alsoguested on Sean Carroll and Cameron espisitos podcasts somewhat recently. I know it’s not a lot, but it’s a little bit that is a great listen. 😊

[@rachelsmith1928]

ME TOO IVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT THE WHOLE EPISODE

[@baandersson2737]

I once worked in a small Christian book shop. One day I was assigned to put some books up in the children's section, and when unboxing them i saw that one was the book about the gay penguin couple. Progress.

[@thepriceofsalt9003]

i believe you're talking about tango makes three? i'm from singapore and in 2014 there was a whole fiasco about the book not being appropriate that made news, and i think it was moved to the adult section. give it a read if you want to here: www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/singapore-reverses-gay-penguin-book-ban-after-protests-n159301

[@baandersson2737]

@@thepriceofsalt9003 Yes, that's the one! Ridiculous to ban ut in the first place of course, but I'm still glad to hear that people rose up in support of the book and that they actually reversed the ban because of it. That's the true power of societal acceptance and compassion, and a sign that we truly are moving in the right direction, even if politicians aren't always in sync with the people.

[@sofiaboo6739]

the whole gay penguin thing reminds me of atypical. when the mc's sister comes out to him as a lesbian he's super cool with it and doesn't question it for a second because he knows that there's a couple of gay penguins (called sphen and magic) on an aquarium on sydney (and he REALLY loves penguins, they're his main special interest, as an autistic guy, since he was very young) and he tells her about that and it's just the sweetest thing ever. and sphen and magic are actually real penguins and they hatched and raised two chicks I believe

[@jiliciar.1423]

Aww, that's beautiful.

[@gav2971]

“Was he the king?” I’m still laughing

[@wheremyfreetimego3695]

Wait what was the time stamp I NEED to see that again

[@wheremyfreetimego3695]

Never mind found it 0:43:45 Enjoy my people

[@rach0147]

Loving the pride month themed podcasts ! ❤️🏳️‍🌈

[@emilynidhuinn1614]

i never “came out” people just found out

[@joana8615]

Saaame my friends just absorbed the idea without it being ever discussed😂

[@lucassg2810]

yeah ppl just went like "you don't really identify as female do you?" (im trans)

[@rozinamouz9286]

7:10 I think Sappho was actually bisexual. She was a real person and a poet, she wrote poems about both men and women as far as I’m aware (hi from a greek bi btw!)

[@bwffalo_replaced]

i'm greek and bi as well lol

[@CarqlineCupcake]

Yeah i think so too! That’s why lesbian included all women interested in women back in the day not just homosexual women

[@birthe9439]

There's a lot of discussion about Sappho's sexuality. Part of it is that not all of her poems are personal - they were also her job - and we only have one complete poem, so we don't always know who she's talking about (for instance, there's one poem that could be about a lover or her daughter). A lot of biographical information also comes from biographies written by other people and contrary to popular opinion, homosexuality was not as accepted in Ancient Greece as we'd like to think. Only male homosexuality was accepted in certain places and time periods and there were strict "moral rules" about age and active/passive partner, though there were already famous couples in Antiquity, like Achilles and Patroklos, or Harmodios and Aristogeiton. Female sexuality, in general, was not believed to exist (or detrimental to a man's health because it caused them to lose "life fluids") and women could certainly not have sex with other women because there was no penetration. (This belief was widespread till the 19th/20th century and I think this is the reason there is a separate word for women attracted to women because even in gay rights movements, they were often not accepted, at least not as equals.) I don't actually know if she wrote personal poems about men, but I do know that there was a story in Antiquity that she fell in love with a man (Phaon) and jumped from a cliff because it was unrequited, but this was quite possibly invented by people who didn't want a great poet like her to be lesbian. However, you still might be right that she was bi because they didn't have the same concept of sexuality as we have now (it wasn't an identity). It was more of a phase in someone's life, at least for men, and Sappho did have a sort of school (θίασος) for young girls, which were the ones she had relationships with. Sorry for the long reply, but I study Ancient Greek and I did research about homosexuality in Ancient Greece, so it's a favourite topic of mine.

[@catbrex3869]

yes, she has ever wrote poems for men, but basically it was not as defined as it is now, they didn't have a specific conversation about sexuality, also, Sappho actually didn't just live on an island with ladies, she was their teacher and from when they were at the age of 10 (or around so) to the age of 15 (or so, after that they would get married) she had to teach these girls how to be perfect wives for political men all around Greece, this included also some sexual education, as well as some literature and many other things. That's why she developed a very strong bond with her students.

[@gravy5796]

Bisexuality is the most common sexuality. So many people you know are probably bisexual. Tyler the Creator is bisexual, Marilyn Monroe was bisexual and many more. It’s quite interesting.

[@literal-tree]

my chosen name is rowan and I've never actually met anyone who goes by the same name as me, so it's a really surreal feeling whenever yall refer to rowan in this podcast

[@themorganrileyshow5520]

On the topic of coming out, I've always said that I don't want my son to sit me down and say 'I'm gay' or 'I'm bi' whatever. I'd rather him say 'May I bring my boyfriend/girlfriend/partner etc over for dinner?' And the time that heterosexuality is not the default and that coming out doesn't have to happen, I will celebrate!

[@Cecilia-g3m]

That's a right now concept. Not everyone was allowed to come out in the old days and today there are segments of society which will not even speak of homosexuality. Yes here in the USA

[@lufarias13]

I didin't need to come out to most of my friends. I just said "that girl is so cute, I wanna ask her out" or whatever, and they pretty much reacted the same way as if I was talking about a boy. My mom changed me to a christian school and when I expressed my feelings towards girls in any way people would freak the fuck out. It depends SO much of everything. Also, I'm brazilian and this conversation was super interesting to me, 'cause I never heard of such thing as a "gay gene" discussion lol. Things are pretty weird around here (at least in my experience). I've been called "Maria homem" before, which basically means a girl that's a boy?? It's just a super offensive way to refere to lesbians. As far as I can tell we're kinda late in some LGBTQ+ topics in many ways. I feel like we're stuck in 2010 sometimes.

[@lucassg2810]

tb sou do brasil ajhahha

[@marshaboody9069]

By saying "I'd like to ask her out." You came out to them.

[@Bowkind]

I've watched many videos on the "Gay Gene" and as a molecular biologist they usually frustrate me, thankfully this is not one of those videos. The key points were all mentioned 1) There is no one singular "gay gene", its most likely involves multiple genes. 2) Epigenetics, gene expression is effected by environmental factors like the hormones you are exposed to in the womb or even diet and lifestyle 3) Gene expression isn't a on/off system, a person who has all the "gay genes" isn't guaranteed to be gay, they would just have an increased likelihood to be gay. The knowledge gained from research can and will be used for both good and bad. In terms of sexuality, understanding the genetic component will open us up you eugenics, understanding the environmental factors that effect the epigenetic will open us up to "treating" these factors. Does this mean we shouldn't continue to study sexuality, of course not.

[@catbrex3869]

waait you were trying to analyse the word homosexual but you confused the latin word homo, which is actually man as a species, not just man, because the word for man is vir, and, from Ancient Greek, omos (όμως) which means same, from this word comes homosexuality! (sorry, I've been studying Ancient Greek and latin for four years)

[@marshaboody9069]

As in homogenized milk..

[@IzzJoy64]

I had a great moment recently with my mum where she was talking about when (and if) I get into a new relationship and she said "well if you get a new boyfriend, or girlfriend, or whoever" and she said that even though I never "came out" but because I haven't said that I'm straight I've always purposefully been vague about it I guess out of fear of what her reaction might be in the moment of me coming out. I'm just happy that it's worked out

[@Emily-om6sp]

The gay gene?? Does that mean I can pass the gay to others?? Edit: this was a joke, everyone chill...

[@clourenskidmore9190]

Being homosexual doesn’t mean you can’t reproduce it’s attraction ask any gay person with kids

[@jessicadurette6347]

Thats not what genes are

[@Emily-om6sp]

I might have kids... I’m bi

[@yesthatsserious2263]

@@Emily-om6sp i will have kids and i am gay lol

[@Emily-om6sp]

Yes that's serious I totally agree! I intend on having kids even if I’m in a same sex relationship too.

[@AsronomyMoe]

On the coming out thing: You don't need to come out of the closet if society never puts you in there in the first place.

[@chelled.4622]

I agree with Corry that coming out needs to not be such a big deal. You dont have to announce youre cis so why if youre LBG. There should be no shame, anxiety, stigma or judgement around it. Hopefully we are moving in that direction in the future.

[@keko23]

Forgot the T mate

[@chelled.4622]

@@keko23 T requires some form of coming out because of pronouns

[@johnlondonbimeetup7961]

@@chelled.4622 only if individuals don't guess correctly. The coming out by-default would be a switch in presentation, given that we live in a world where everyone assumes it based on presentation.

[@conlon4332]

54:51 I really relate to this. I don't think I ever just came out and told people, I'd drop hints until they guessed.

[@nathanthetailor]

Achillean is a new term for gay men, or men attracted to men. Based on the myth of Achilles and Patroclus.

[@Starrypaws64]

achillean is more of a mlm term the same way bi men are mlm and the opposite term would be sapphic

[@marshaboody9069]

Nothing about being gay is new..

[@akaissy]

Honestly I stopped coming out to people after so many bad experiences with my female “friends” being really homophobic even if I was in a relationship already. So now I just do whatever, be with whoever, and if people want to assume I’m straight then they can go right ahead but they’re going to get a shock once I start telling stories about my ex girlfriends or how homophobic my ex boyfriends were about my bisexuality lmao Edited to add that I’m now in a relationship with a man and he is very accepting about my attraction to women and other genders🥰 I found myself a good mans

[@darkwood_8224]

Same about the homophobic friends. Left my entire friend group right as quarantine started because they literally chose to never talk to me again over... examining or acknowledging their homophobia

[@relaxingsounds1386]

What do you do, walk around telling eveyone you're gay? lol!!

[@maggiebecky]

just wanted to say i loved how positive and uplifting this was, especially at the end! loving the pride month episodes!

[@amildat]

I didn't need to come out at school. I dont know how but it became general knowledge. I feel like a lot of the current young people will begin to assume that their kids and strangers are all not straight so people won't need to come out

[@lyssvanessen7273]

I really like what Rowan said about coming out. I was a little put off by the phrase "kill coming out" at first. I think it should be seen as a celebration of one's self, and I really feel like we're heading towards that. The first time I came out (as bi) I was terrified. Things were completely different the second time I came out though (as non-binary), all I felt was pride. Thats where I think we're headed.

[@forrestmurray7474]

As a left-handed person I officially feel unwelcome here.

[@claires9682]

As a left-handed trans lesbian.. I.. it's a roller coaster over here :)

[@dropinarte]

As a left handed lesbian I agree 😂

[@helpme130]

As a left handed bi cis man, I felt unwelcome for a moment also. I’m unsure of the tone, it’s these little passive aggression at us that makes us feel anxious in situations that display us. I’m unsure of the tone as the girl said she was bi, but laughed still when he confirmed he wasn’t joking about hating left handed people

[@Spooky_Magooky]

As a fellow Left-Handed Trans Lesbian I indeed also feel unwelcome; I'm sorry I keep bumping elbows with right handed peeps but like, I have to deal with having smudgy hands when using pencils ;_;

[@kathylawrence6190]

Just a left handed straight female here. Or am I an alien? Lol

[@solsystem1342]

In regards to coming out. I think you're right hopefully in the future we wouldn't have to. However, someone else said something that really resonated with me "I'm out and proud so my children won't have to be". Coming out is something we do for ourselves yes but, it's also something we do for all the people who will meet someone we know. Since people who know queer people are way more likely to be accepting. Also, for the queer people in the closet that we know. I know seeing queer faculty really helped me feel free to open up about who I really was.

[@UbeFlavoured]

I have a pair of gay jeans.

[@wesleybarrett9502]

They are rainbow jeans?

[@BenRoberts12]

guess?

[@olivia7212]

Oooo

[@marinkelepolo5530]

i love the "coming out" in a webtoon called the four of them. she just goes "hey guys i like girls" and then was like "im only telling you to introduce you to my girlfriend"

[@sineadkearney1635]

I read a snippet from a book in a bookshop once (can’t remember the name) saying something along the lines of - when a women is pregnant with males she has a certain amount of testosterone in her body that gets transferred through each pregnancy. So a women having 2 boys and then a girl, the 2nd boy born is likely to be gay due to the testosterone in the womans body running out then her next birth will be a girl. Or alternatively, the youngest child, the girl being gay due to there being a lot of testosterone from the previous 2 male births but not enough to produce a male. Personally in my family I have 2 older brothers and I’m gay (female) and my friend has 3 older brothers, then him who is gay, then his sister. Not saying this is 100% accurate and researched but it is interesting to think of it that way. Also not sure I explained it exactly right but it was along those lines. I also read that being trans happens in the womb due to something called “testosterone wash” or something like that were if the testosterone wash happens at the time it is meant to, the male foetus will be A Cis male. But if it happens too early, while the foetus is still technically a female then it has the potential to make the female masculine presenting or just trans. Alternatively if happens too late while the male foetus is almost fully developed, then the lack of testosterone or higher amount of female hormones, causes the male foetus to be transgender. Once again, just what I read in a book but it is very interesting to read it like that and I want more studies and journals like this.

[@thepriceofsalt9003]

thanks for sharing! i personally am the first child & a cis female lesbian so i wouldn't know how that applies to me but it's interesting.

[@Hamitic_Race]

Being gay isn't hereditary, it's a choice.

[@tealrose3248]

Poenus Caeruleus Corvus sweetie. If being gay is a "choice," please explain why there are people "choosing" to be gay in countries where this is illegal and punished by torture and death? Sounds like a messy way to commit suicide!

[@kayreece96]

Hey wow hello 👋 okay so i have 2 older brothers they were close in age and i came over 10 years later. (Same parents) I'm female, always been more masc and as a kid always felt like too much of a boy to be a girl. Got older eventually transitioned was on T for nearly 5 years, had top surgery then decided as masculine as i am internally, theres a still something inside me that doesn't desire to actually be male. I stopped taking T and letting my body w its hormones do it's thing. Im very attracted to women and always have been. I currently identify as androgyne bc i do experience physical and social dysphoria on either end of the binary and internally feel like a very even mixture of my both masc and femme energy and they equate to make more of a neutral place of being. Im very androgynous internally and in appearance and with how i dress. Even as a kid i used to get asked if i was a boy or a girl frequently at school. (Even though my mom always made sure i was in girls clothes) existing this way was never a choice it's what came naturally to me.

[@marshaboody9069]

@@thepriceofsalt9003 You are not cis female if you are lesbian.

[@KittyThaliaX23]

At 54:00 Ro really hits a nail on the head for me. I’m a genderfluid asexual lesbian*. There’s so many caveats to my sexuality and gender and really I’m just queer. I’m just not straight. I love being myself and being happy. I don’t really want to be labeled, not because I’m not proud of myself but because I really don’t fit into any specific sector of pride. I’m just happy

[@LiveForever13]

Cannot believe I just found you guys! Science enthusiasts in Britain like me! I’m a qualified forensic scientist and a nurse. I love science :) I am a lesbian too so I loved seeing this one . Apologies for my bad grammar.

[@crazycatlover1885]

Coming out has basically been killed in my friendship group (we are gen z). Those kind of things just are dropped casually into conversation and we listen and then carry on with our lives, or people mention things when they are relevant. Even with changing name or pronouns, there's no need for an explanation within our group of exactly how you identify (if you even know). It's literally just "Can you use (name) and/or (pronouns) for me please?" And we all do. Coming out should be that easy in all situations, if people don't want an announcement, they shouldn't feel like they have to and they should be able to ask for changes in pronouns etc. without having to know their identity completely.

[@mickeylecompte]

(Don’t mind my late comment, I’m catching up on Sci Guys) I feel like a good example of killing coming out is the difference between ‘coming out’ to my mom’s side of the family versus my dad’s side. Like with my dad, I felt trapped, and I was crying, and I thought I was going to throw up. This was because I knew he wasn’t accepting of LGBTQ+ people. That is the kind of coming out we want to kill, that is the kind of coming out that is terrible. When I came out to my mom’s side, it was literally just by bringing up some relationship issues I was having with a member or the same sex. That’s it. And my family simply gave me advice on how to handle the situation with said person. They weren’t like “you’re bisexual?!?!” or anything, literally nobody gave a damn and I felt comfortable just talking about my sexuality as it’s normal. And I felt like this because I knew my mom’s side of the family is accepting-as my grandma’s brother (my great uncle) is gay, my cousin is a lesbian, my other cousin is bisexual, my aunt is bisexual, my mom is bisexual, and my other aunt just says she needs no label for her sexuality. That side of the family has always just been very open, and nobody is expected to come out or announce their sexuality unless they want to. Sure, sometimes people ask what your sexuality is, but it’s only really to figure out whether or not they can set you up with someone they know, and you’re allowed to just avoid the question if it makes you uncomfortable. Idk, that’s what killing coming out should be, I find. Life should just be how it is on my mother’s side of the family so that people don’t have to feel dread the way it felt coming out to my father’s side of the family.

[@sineadkearney1635]

I never came out, my mum just asked who the pretty girl in my WhatsApp profile pic was and I said my girlfriend. And she was just like oh she’s pretty, and continues watching tv. This was Christmas Eve

[@sineadkearney1635]

Jackson Smith yeah it was quite cute but on the inside I was screaming like DID THAT JUST HAPPEN. Then a few mins later she was like so do you like boys and girls or just girls and I’m like I like both. She was like oh ok bisexual, cool. Then continued again with the tv.

[@cbot2423]

I think the coming out conversation is pretty cool. I think part of the issue is that for some reason when it’s about sexuality or gender people misunderstand that someone coming out to them means they are asking for a perspective or opinion rather than it just being that this person is letting them know something they’ve discovered about themselves. If I let someone know I’m gay/trans they have an opinion but if I tell someone I’ve found my new fave movie or drink or nickname or colour they’d just be like “oh cool!” I hope for the day that people can come out in whatever capacity and people are just like “oh cool!”

[@thunderusnight]

As a gay guy I can indeed confirm we are better at finding very well fitting comfy jeans

[@Elektrabit]

I know that in greece there is an island called "lesbo", witch was the native land of a very important poetess "Saffo". and she was gay, she wrote a lot of beautyful poem speaking of homosexual love towards females.. so i'm not sure, but i guess that the term comes from here. ( sorry for my bad english, i'm not a native specker)

[@em-rh7eu]

lmao my sister and i never came out, we just started hanging pride flags in our bedrooms and acting all gay

[@CassySida]

people just need to understand coming out doesn't need to be overdramatised. Like all of my friends have come out to me through a stumble into a conversation about a gay song, joke, youtuber or simply casually expressing their attraction to a person, Coming Out Casually should just be the new norm, plus imagining turning that into a hashtag acronym hahahaha And yeah I agree with Rowan that there is no 'this is your 1 coming out', you can come out as many times as you want, it's always a step closer to yourself

[@conlon4332]

I remember I grew up thinking that racism and homophobia were basically things of the past. Like I thought that it was quite recent that we'd really gotten past homophobia, but racism hadn't been a thing for ages. Turns out, although the people around me were very accepting, the world at large is rather disappointingly behind where I thought it was. I think I thought well my granddad's not racist and he's old, so surely that hasn't been a thing for ages, meanwhile he's still a bit unsure about LGBT+ people because that acceptance is much newer, but all young people are. I guess I was just extrapolating the people around me to the whole world, which is a normal thing for a child to do, but not necessarily realistic. Unfortunately, there are homophobic and racist young people, and a large number of people my granddad's age are racist.

[@keithwillenson8314]

So, Correy, how do you feel about us ambidexterous people? The worst thing is being trapped between a right handed person and a left handed person. In close quarters, like at a dinner, either hand you use, you bump into someone.

[@SciGuys]

Ambivalent

[@kaykay1570]

I no im late but i just wanted to know about gay giraffes lol. when one male wins a fight, 70% of the time, he will have sex with the other male. I think its a dominance thing.

[@yarahowell5646]

Maybe they just fight to decide who's gonna top

[@Vantorea]

When you said moose I instantly thought of Sam Winchester and then you say having sex with cars... M'kay, sounds believable xD

[@raylightbown4968]

Again, I love the conversational exploration of a topic. It can be silly, sidetracked and Corry tries from time to time to follow his agenda of facts and theories. I don't want to dominate but I feel that I should have input into the extension of the conversation in the comments. Many of my views on sexual orientation were teased out of me in my comments on the trans podcast. My doctoral thesis carried out in the 70s was looking at how men used a self-construct or label to conceptualise their sexual attractions and, further, how they might use this label to describe themselves to others. Tis caused me to have some major dissatisfaction about categorical labels - gay, straight or even bisexual. I came to believe that sexual orientation was more blurred and fluid. Many people still adhere to the binary - straight or gay. There are now many more possible labels to choose from but this, in my opinion doesn't resolve my discomfort with using them. If I say, "I am xxxxx" then it may well be that other people - most other people - do not use that label in the way that I use it, with all its connotations and corollaries that they attribute to the label and which do not match mine or, indeed, other people's concepts about that label. Labels can have positive role in thinking about our own sexual, romantic, loving and affectionate feelings but the labels can also lead to confusion or concern about not quite fitting any particular categorical label. The problem about looking for a gene is that most people understand genetics (if they do at all) in a simple Mendelian way of dominant and recessive genes. As Corry pointed out, genetics is far more complicated than that. I was pleased that you explored the idea of "gayness" as a survival mechanism for a community or species, simply because I believe individuals and pairs that do not procreate have an important and essential role.

[@yarahowell5646]

I'm very late but I completely agree with all of this. Especially where you explained your dislike of categorical labels and how different labels mean different things to everyone because when you try to look through history for people who identify under the different labels we have today, it harder to find them, not only because of the erasure of anything that didn't fit the heteronormative narrative through time with the rise of abrahamic religions, but also because the sexualities aren't new but the way we describe them now and how they were described back then are completely different. You'd need to have a deeper understanding of the nuances of different cultures and civilizations to truly understand the social constructs of sexuality in that place and time.

[@finnmiller-new6383]

Watching this video at a point where I myself 'came out' as gender fluid and someone in my friend group told us they're bi in the span of two weeks

[@conlon4332]

13:10 The birds and the beetles - "The Talk" gay edition.

[@reinamcdermott5482]

i have half of the gay gene

[@emilian7052]

Same lol

[@13gudadod]

Bipride

[@mylifeismylaptop8529]

16:17 my mind instantly went to Roger Taylor

[@saulcontrerasOfficial]

The Queen drummer is objectum-s**ual?

[@purplekitten6637]

My aunt has a lesbian female dog and I love and support her!

[@PerfectProtagonist]

59:54 People think "you are a woman" when they see me too, but they're wrong, and I am angry.

[@cam6963]

Dude I walked away to get a coffee and they were talking about PENGUIN PORN??? WHAT DID I MISS???

[@Areyouafraidofthedarkkuk]

Me everytime I click the next vid," oh man I'm excited for this one"

[@SamA-hz8ev]

I heard about the gay gene before and thought it didn't apply to me until I found out the family secret that my grandpa was a "crossdresser" and my experience furthers the thing that it increases in younger sibling bc I mean my brother pretty straight but definitely a little gay and then me his younger trans brother is hella gay

[@olivia7212]

How can you be a little gay?Bi or..something?

[@SamA-hz8ev]

@@olivia7212 his wife would call him a little gay, he's taken me to pride with him. He's never said he's bi or anything, I believe his wife is bi. He's only dated women to my knowledge and "thought he was gay" in high-school according to my parents. Sometimes you just think, that's the gayest straight person I've ever met.

[@olivia7212]

@@SamA-hz8ev 😂I think I know what you mean now.”Gayest straight person I’ve ever met”😂

[@aadilamoolla4068]

That Kinsey joke sent me lmao

[@blisles7626]

It's like in Brass banding I've never heard anyone use Bandswoman or Bandsperson for anyone else, always Bandsman.

[@mayorofsimpleton5674]

Ah yes, dolphin men. Very distinguished

[@AnimilesYT]

About "killing coming out", I don't really come out. I don't hide who I am and I'll just casually mention it if it's relevant to the conversation. I act like everyone already knows it or assumes that it's a possibility. Even if it's new information to someone, it shouldn't be a surprise for them. I assume for everyone that they can be gay, bi, pan, poly, hetero, trans, or anything else. If someone mentions their sexuality or gender identity then I'll treat it the same as someone mentioning that they like Thai food. There's no need for anyone to explicitly tell someone. I never went to my parents or friends with "I have to talk about something... I'm trans". Usually I mention it when someone makes a wrong assumption about me (in the sense of trying to force gender stereotypes on me) and I have to correct them. Or when someone talks about me possibly finding a girlfriend I'll correct that to "partner" since I'm attracted to feminine people no matter if they're intersex, female, or male or if they identify as non binary, a man, or a woman. Anyway, I'll just mention it when needed, and I don't feel like I should be obligated to explicitly mention it. And I think that's what (I forgot his name) also meant :)

[@socialscientist1895]

This is one of my favorite podcast episodes ever

[@chriscontentyt3360]

There is actually a word for men who date men it's just not well known and there's also a term for NB who date nb

[@QueenOfTheZombieApocalypse]

Don’t recall the source (if anyone knows it please post!) but I read awhile ago that in some duck species, gay mated pairs will build a nest and females from their flock will lay a few eggs in it so that the gay couple will have ducklings to raise together.

[@amiscellaneoushuman3516]

I sort of followed a middle ground between coming out and not coming out in that I came out via a joke in the middle of conversation and generally treated it as a non-issue.

[@sarah_cate_art]

Sven and Magic are the gay penguins in Sydney!

[@justanotherweirdo11]

I came out to old friends, gay friends, and my sister but I didn't come out to a lot of people. A lot of times in conversation I'd be like "oh yeah I'm bi, bi the way." because I just forgot to tell them. Usual responses were I didn't know or I always knew. I've decided not to come out to my fam as bi but definitely as an atheist.

[@atiithe]

MEESE lmao, plural of moose is moose. That was so funny for some reason

[@liranpiade4499]

I do get what you mean. I'm a bit different because I'm also trans so I was always expected to be interested in women, but as I start to pass and meet new people as myself, if the topic of sexual interests come up (or romantic but in my mind that's not really a thing, I just see people as friends with varying closeness levels, including those I have sex with), to me it's obvious that my input is going to be as a woman, about women, and I've been noticing that I don't need to say I'm a lesbian, people just remember that my orientation is women, and that's it

[@epice5452]

Chapter 1 Penguardo had a fierce look in his eyes, his moist feathers glistening in the light. Y/n look down at the white snow. You are a clean slate, ready for penguardo to paint you however he likes. You hope it does hurt. “Be gentle” you say. Penguardo grins, “no promises”…

[@georgiawoods6958]

love this!

[@andrewsandilands8974]

I’m not sure that the messaging is good here. I’ve seen lots of religious people saying “see, there is no gay gene…therefore it IS a choice”. I agree with your suggestion that being gay may not be the result of a single thing. Gay people are not all the same. Maybe there are different subsets of gayness all caused by different things. BUT… surely the important thing is that gay people are gay, whatever the cause might be. I have never met a man who voluntarily chose to adopt a “gay lifestyle “. Every gay person I have ever spoken to has told me that they didn’t have a choice, that their sexuality was revealed to them as their awareness of sexual and emotional attraction grew ….usually at around, or prior to puberty. In the end, it doesn’t matter what “causes” homosexuality, what matters is that it is some peoples’ truth. All the evidence I have seen suggests that it is almost impossible to change someone’s sexuality, therefore we are stuck with it. The only thing we have to decide is whether there is something intrinsically wrong or amoral or undesirable or dangerous or criminal about being gay. In the past, gay people had a pretty shit time from a social acceptance point of view, but that was hardly their fault. Once we fix that as a society, then can we honestly say that there is anything “wrong” with being gay? On another point, it was interesting to see that all 3 guys, (despite either being gay or voicing positive attitudes to homosexuality), all 3 seemed to find the subject awkward, evidenced by so much innuendo and snickering going on. I think it will be a long long time before a “straight” guy can be upfront about having any homosexual desires, or enjoying same-sex activity occasionally. The only way we will ever get to the point where gay people don’t need to come out is when men feel comfortable about being men and no longer need to make a performance out of their heterosexuality. Most men who come out feel huge relief that they no longer need to pretend to be straight, and I would suggest that this is not only because men who don’t appear “straight” get targeted by other men, but also because many men gay or straight find living up to the straight stereotype very difficult.

[@SciGuys]

We’re not uncomfortable at all! We just enjoy a bit of innuendo :)

[@andrewsandilands8974]

@@SciGuys I was not being hypercritical, and I'm a big fan of inuendo myself, but I can only comment on what I witnessed in the video. Obviously, I can only draw conclusions about how you feel from observing your behaviour, and it seemed really clear to me that there was an uncomfortableness from you guys that I didn't get from your female guest. To me that was a clear message from what I observed. If I am drawing an incorrect conclusion, then maybe you need to find a way to be clear about that. I'm not the comedy police, but there is sometimes a fine line between having a jocular discussion about a topic that contains much intrinsic humour, and using humour as a way to difuse discussions on subjects that you feel unable to discuss seriously. I sound like a snowflake, which I'm not. I enjoy your podcasts, but I often feel that they are a wasted opportunity to have an intelligent conversation about the topics. It often descends into a riff of stand up comedy on the topic. I'm left wondering what was the purpose.

[@SciGuys]

We’re a comedy podcast too, I’m afraid! We can have intelligent discussion, but we also enjoy having fun and telling jokes. If that’s not your cup of tea then maybe this isn’t the podcast for you!

[@andrewsandilands8974]

@@SciGuys perhaps not. I'm not sure who your audience is then.

[@SciGuys]

Haha, there are plenty of other people in the world! Don’t worry, we definitely have an audience. :)

[@annamayslowie9316]

I read that (this incorporates themes from today's and last weeks podcast) gay people are more likely to display the traits and neurological reactions to those of the opposite gender than them (e.g. lesbians having male presenting brains etc). I don't know how well this hold up as there are some very femme presenting woman and visa versa but I thought it was interesting non the less.

[@emilian7052]

Very interesting. I read a study that says feminine boys were more likely to be gay (one experiment called the sissy boy experiment with 7 year old femme boy Kurt Murphy being the experiment back in the 70s) and the same with masculine girls in childhood, but you still get femme gay girls and masc gay guys obviously

[@bratatouille]

@@emilian7052 I think most of that could just be up to bias, especially if it was in the 70s. Gay men are generally stereotyped as being flamboyant, and also aren't put under as strict gender roles as straight men, so they might feel more comfortable expressing "non-masculine" traits.

[@emilian7052]

Mika most of them are

[@charleneraymond4036]

The way they just skipped over the left handed thing 😅😂

[@VoodooStyx]

Bestiality and being a furry are verrry different things. Being a furry is cosplay, it's not sexual in nature.

[@kdjets]

I honestly have a very supportive family circle and friend group but it still took me a while to just start calling myself queer. It's exhausting that it's still such a stigma in so much of the world

[@alinekelley7214]

Okay so Sappho was a great lyric poet of Antiquity and she wrote about romantic/sexual adventures with both men and women, so she was more so bi but became popularized as a womanizer of sorts as a servant of Aphrodite who used the rituals to seduce young girls so most people believe she only liked women, but in fact it's not well substantiated.

[@peachydoodles]

i my self never really came out i jus figured myself out transparently, no closet just me sitting on a couch i grew up in a very excepting lil bubble

[@ilsivar]

“Homo” in the word “homosexual” is not the same with the “homo” from “homo sapien”. The first comes from the greek language which means “same” and the second from latin that means “man”. So basically homosexual is the one who has sexual or erotic attraction to the SAME sex or gender.

[@brooksbrocc]

As a kid I hated the word lesbian... and now I am one... sooooo

[@schwarzeasche7538]

funny is in german there is a special term for gay men,"schwul" but I dont know where it comes from. I would guess that it originaly was used as a slur. The term "lesbisch"(lesbian) is used to in german

[@solsystem1342]

I identify as a les-bitch. Thanks for the new term. Lol

[@kuuderepanda4207]

The sad thing is that it literally doesn't matter what arguments we have; Homophobes will always find a way to justify their weird logic. If you say homosexuality is natural because literally almost every animal participates in it, they will say that's because they're animals and don't have any moral sense that what they're doing is wrong. (Something my dad actually said.)

[@samaxion93]

fan fucking tastic you guys youve made me want to write a gay love story about penguins. are you proud of yourself? i have too many WIP's for this

[@ViolentOrchid]

You guys need to discuss phenol type versus genetics. Genes are not all expressed all of the time or at all ever.

[@SciGuys]

We’re planning an entire episode on epigenetics so this will definitely come up

[@ViolentOrchid]

Talking about it in the last 5 minutes, better than never.

[@storytellingsnek5255]

About the "birth trauma" making gay babies.. My mom describes my birth as me basically being slipping out.. And yet I'm not even remotely cishet.

[@hawkister]

The way you describe killing coming out very much sounds like, you do you, I just don't want to hear about it or see it. It comes off homophobic. I think what you mean to say is that you dream of a future where being not straight is so normal and accepted, no one thinks it's out of place or worthy of attention. As a quick example, a male Olympic athlete is seen, after winning their event, kissing his boyfriend. The news story focuses on his victory not his sexuality.

[@notcorry]

I think you’re reading into it. I know what I mean to say, it’s what I said

[@HeyItsEmilyLove]

1:02:50 As a trans girl, that’s not an option lol. I’m terrified of how shocked people will be when I come out soon

[@solsystem1342]

Hope you're doing well Emily! Coming out can be hard but, if you can find a supportive environment it can be one of the most liberating feelings in the world. Hugs and bugs! ❤🐜

[@HeyItsEmilyLove]

@@solsystem1342 Thank you! I really appreciate it 😊 I hope you’re doing well also! Hugs 💙💙

[@Cecilia-g3m]

I used to wonder was it my spikey hair that gave me away? Or my love of sports or my love of my dads container of wrenches, wood sanders, hammers or metal saws. Who knows😂

[@Hinona.]

I dont feel like I have to come out like it's still me and ect like meh but I'm also trans so I technically have to come out so people use the right pronouns and ect

[@clourenskidmore9190]

Come out to people you feel comfortable coming out to

[@Hinona.]

@@clourenskidmore9190 that's what i'm doing ^_^

[@reginaschiwawa9857]

the left handed slander... 😳

[@jackfrostghosts]

I never came out as gay, as I came out as trans so they weren’t really bothered by me being a gay trans guy😂

[@matthewmcpadden2017]

I was born bi-sexual and I wish I wasn't this way. I hate it, just being honest. I think this "gay gene" thing may be on to something. I "personally" think its true. I have two cousins in my extend that are gay men. Of course I have zero problem with that so don't got there ok.. However I was born bi-sexual and I just think its unfair. I have never acted on this because honestly it repulses me on an emotional level but sexually the urge is there. It's a choice you know so no straight hate ok.. The problem is the older I have gotten the stronger the sexual urge has become. I'm now in my 50's and its equally strong for both sex's now to my dismay. I stopped having sex all together back in 2013 and relationships period because of it. Its a real bummer and I am really resentful for having been born this way. I could never, ever live that lifestyle. It just isn't me at all. Not because I self loath or hate it about myself because I am up front with people about why I am no longer in relationships now. Straight people seem to understand but when I talk to alternative lifestyle people about it I get some really unwanted attention and sometimes real hatred furthering my discomfort about it. For this I no longer share this about myself with LGBTQ individuals whatsoever. Its just sad that I can't stop from at times having to masterbate to gay porn when I wish with ever fiber of my being not to have to. I have had a few close calls when I didn't satisfy that hunger with porn so this has always worked and I stick with what works for me. If I ever acted on it I would be devastated. I wish that I didn't have this part of me but it is what it is. You have to live the cards that yiu are dealt. Tsk Tsk! 😕

[@awwastor]

OK, I'm gonna patent the human genome. YOU SHALL ALL PAY ME.

[@daviniarobbins9298]

They used to believe left handedness was based off your genes. I remember teachers teaching that back in the 1980s. Totally wrong today. Whether you are left or not is probably due to the way your nerves were laid down as your grew in the womb not genetics.

[@alicehutchings1755]

Left handed Ed’s isn’t genetic? 1) My maternal grandfathers mother was 2) My maternal grandfather was, 3) My mum is 4) I am 5) My nephew (brothers’ son) is. Yes, their was a slight Segway as my brother isn’t’ too but he obviously has the gene as he passed it to his son. Just like my passed on grandads red-green colour blind gene onto my brother.

[@mppaleocen]

I really liked the video, thank you 🐡

[@eethvamp3558]

1:03:52 "I'm a gay man now!" /ref Huggies commercials

[@kadethegeek519]

Lol it's moose. Moose is the plural form of a singular moose.😂

[@beyedoc]

You mean the answer is both nature AND nurture?!? 😱

[@ayl9261]

the comments on zoophilia made me so uncomfortable, I just wanted to hear about wholesome gay penguins, not a man having a "relationship" with a dolphin '-'))))

[@tomcat2816]

i find the stance on coming out interesting because i fortunately had a very good for most standards coming up with supportive ish parents but at first i told my mom that i think i feel like a woman and it was a internet scavenger hunt to be like, what is this, are we sure, how do we do this but eventually i decided i thought i was pansexual later, aside from being trans and it was just like, "cool!". hard to explain but the fact i came out as trans made coming out as pan later such a normal feeling "hey i think im this"

[@maxofb7745]

In a couple of Zoos, the penguins even stole eggs from heterosexual couples or adopted abandoned eggs. And they raised them....soooo cute!!!