Xq-28 It has begun

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I am not going to give you too much information on this. You need to Google "Xq-28". There are enough articles out there to give a range of opinion. It appears that the "Gay" genes are being isolated and that as this occurs, transgender genes are sure to follow.

AND, I have often thought that perhaps I was simply Gay?

It's going to happen for us, I just know it.

Gwen

Comments

If TG person has "gay" genes...

... Does it makes said person gay or straight?.. And if this gene found in XY female? Does it make her straight?
It was found recently that in some cases same DNA portion could code several different proteins... So, as we learn more about universe it gives us more mysteries :-)

Genetic engineering

If they can identify the genes, does this mean that people will be able to make sure that their children are born "normal"?

I'm sorry, but that sounds a lot like the experiments that were being done to make sure that children were all born to fit a certain template, like being tall, blonde, and with blue eyes.

The very possibility is frightening.

Just because they're all out to get you...

...you shouldn't be paranoid about it!

They may know which genes make your hair blonde and eyes blue, but it's a long way, without precedent, to specifying a blue-eyed, blonde-haired child.

What exactly are they referring to?

Well, I've searched Google and all I came up with was a reference to a Nature article from 1996. The article itself I couldn't get so far.
So unless I missed something, there doesn't seem to be anything to be worried about.

--
>> There is not one single truth out there. <<

As it appears

Angharad's picture

sexual orientation is innate it seems quite probable that there is a genetic element involved, whether it will ever be identified is another matter.

Angharad

Proving that it is not just in the mind!

Hypatia Littlewings's picture

Proving that it is not just in the mind may be worth while. If they start doing preemptive fixing that could be unfortunate, even at its most basic level, a reason to abort.

Then again there would it be right to prevent ALL fixing of All genetic variants? It is such a complex question and such a slippery slope. It will be very hard to separate this from other issues. I hope a proper balance will be reached on this and any other genetic issues or we could end up living any number of the less happy SciFi scenarios that have been envisioned.

Personally I think we already have too many problems from indiscriminate tinkering with things, GMOs chemicals in our foods and environment. We just may exterminate our selves if we are not careful.

Let us hope we(humans) do things right.
~Hypatia >i< ..:::

The expressed negativity is deserved.

Many of us are concerned that by identifying or isolating the genes that make you gay/straight or trans/cis that it will encourage people to think not about acceptance, but about correction.

Think about this, Gwen: how would you feel if you grew into a strapping man, only to learn later on in life that you only became such because that was what your parents chose for you?

It's part of the same reason that people were riled up when scientists began trying to figure out how to choose whether an embryo would become a male or female child. It's central to the issue of ethics in what people have a right to choose for others.

If you could choose your child's gender, what's to stop you from wanting to choose their intelligence? The color of their hair? Their height, tendency to obesity, even what skills they'll be naturally inclined toward?

Where would a parents' rights to choose their child's future end?

And, if every generation were tailor made by the last, what would that mean for diversity of the human species as a whole?

It really is a very, VERY scary concept, Gwen, and the first step to realizing the eugenics dream that was so popular in the early 1900s and is seen as such an atrocity now. If it's wrong to kill people for how they feel, think, or believe, then how is it any less wrong to prevent those people from being born in the first place?

Or, look at it this way: it's been argued that, if people in China had the technology to choose what sex their children would be born as, within a handful of generations there would be no female native Chinese left due to the cultural preference for male children. Apply that to the worldwide preference for gender-binary children who fit their body's physical mold, or even the desire of many parents to have grandchildren one day. In such cases, it's doing your children a FAVOR by tweaking them, just a little, to fit your idea of normal, right? It's only right to make sure they fit in with mainstream society in every way they can, right? And if that includes making their skin lighter, or their hair straighter, or their eyes blue instead of green, or even making them like girls instead of boys or boys instead of girls....

This is the kind of knowledge that people can't be trusted to do the right thing -- AKA next to nothing -- with. They'll abuse it, and I'm only glad there's little to no chance I'll be alive to see it when they figure out how to.

Melanie E.

More than just a Gene

It may be discovered that the majority of the population has this gene in their body.
What is more important is its relationship with other genes. Does it become Dominant or Recessive? For most of us the majority of our genes don't play that much of a role in our lives, as it makes us who we are. On the downside, there are people do have genes that cause family traits or even inherited diseases. The words 'Genetically disposed' can spread fear into a lot of people. e.g. The passing on of Huntingdons disease to your children via your genes.

What could become scary is if certain 'fanatics' decide that people who have a particular gene are not worthy of life and decide to do something about it. Then Ethnic Cleansing will become Genetic Cleansing.

Sad, really, really sad

The negative views to this news surprises me, and I suppose that man could eventually sort of "repair" our genetics to produce pure male and female babies. My own view is shorter range in that my first hope is that the haters would be robbed of their "right to hate". I would hope that greater understanding would cause those of us with genetic variations to be treated more equitably, not being hated but loved for our differences.

I believe this "reparative gene therapy" will happen much later than the initial understanding, and do not intend to worry about it. It is my thinking that so much of the pain that we have experienced comes out of conservative religious groups and as time passes they will either be subjected to enough ridicule to stop such nonsense, or they will cease to be taken seriously. I can't think what it would be like to live in a world where they were once again in control.

Haters will hate.

Many of the haters claim to be christian, even thou Bible specifically says that you should love thy neigbour. Haters prefer hate to following their holy scriptures.
So in the best case scenario result will be that instead of "kill the faggot" they will scream "kill the mutant".
Sad, actually...

You don't have to think about what it would be like

All you have to do is look at the world between Saudi Arabia and West Asia for your daily horror story about religious fanaticism. "Honor" killings, gays, lesbians hung by the neck until dead, or burned to death, not to mention "you don't believe the way I believe" I KILL YOU!

I find very little hope that mankind is going to survive it's inbred stupidity.

Sad, really, really sad... people

I don't have any problem in using gene therapy to overcome medical issues, although I know a lot of people believe this is wrong, and if you're one of those, you might as well stop reading now.

But when I read the blogs on this site, it becomes clear that many, many people here are very sad and unhappy. If I was thinking of becoming a parent again and had the chance to switch the genes of my child to prevent them experiencing that unhappiness throughout life, I would be sorely tempted to do so.

The problem is: what qualifies as a medical issue?

It isn't about whether people would use the tech in good faith, Charlotte: the issue is that most people WOULDN'T.

You said it yourself right there: you'd make a choice that affected your child's very core because YOU thought it would make them happy. Is that really your decision to make in regards to the life of someone else?

Honestly, if I were given the choice of being trans now or having my brain "fixed" so I were happy as a guy, I'd rather be trans, because that's WHO I AM, but I know for a fact that bringing the body into line with the mind would be less of a focus for a lot of people on issues like that. It would have been for my sperm donor, who'd have insisted on having a son, for one. Most people are no different: fix the mental aberration because it's obviously the body that's right, rather than the other way around, or if the body's NOT right then where does a parent's right to change things there stop?

People are like that. You can't trust them to make the right decisions, because the right decisions will always be what's in their best interests or what aligns with their views. And personally, I'd rather people be unhappy but be themselves than be mentally "fixed" and still end up being miserable twats.

*shrug*

Melanie E.

A parents responsibilities

You talk about rights, but really it's about parental duty.

You have a duty to do the very best for your child, and you have to continually make decisions about their life. Do you shout at them when they do wrong, or simply laugh at them, or tick them off or whatever? Should you allow doctors to give them inoculations against illnesses, even though there's a strong opinion which says it could give them brain damage?

There's no Right answer to anything; all you can really do is to trust to your instincts and hope they turn out all right. But at every turn, you are moulding their character, hopefully for the best.

So in answer to your question, you not only have the right, it's your absolute duty to make the correct decision for your child.

When it gets to these kinds of questions, it gets even harder to decide. If you know a child will be born terribly deformed or mentally debilitated, do you have an abortion or not? There is no Right answer only a judgemental one. And if you allow the child to be born, how can you tell them when they are older that you considered having them aborted?

And people have to be trusted to make the best decisions for their children for, if they don't, who will? Most parents will choose what's best for their child rather than what's best for them.

Charlotte

There are people who hate

Angharad's picture

those of other races, especially when obvious differences like colour are involved and which we know are genetic. Perhaps the scientists have got it wrong instead of treating the 'mutants' deal with the bigots/haters.

Angharad

Be cautious...

It has been known for a long time that MtF transexuals have a different genom compared to non transexual persons. At least this is demonstrated for MtF. It was when I learned about this I let the process start that led to my final change more than 10 years back. BUT, and this is a real BUT... so far I have not seen anyone that can tell what this difference really does inside us that lead to this effect. With studies on mice it has been possible to follow the very early development of the faetus. But it has been considered inhuman to to test those effects om humans, as the unborn rat featus has been taken out of their mothers at short times after the intercourse. AND IF this can be found out... How would a family accept this as the real change might not be seen before the new person reaches puberty. With the treatment that we see against ourselves, what would that child have to pass through preschool or later, and will we again have the discussion about the possible "curing" of this "genetic error". All knowledge is said to be good, but some hove we must learn to handle this increased knowledge.
Ginnie G

GinnieG

Once we begin artificial manipulation of our genes...

Hope Eternal Reigns's picture

Eugenics have been tried before, numerous times in history. BUT once artificial laboratory methods of human gene manipulation are possible, chimerae of all kinds WILL be tried. History has shown that once something is shown to be possible - someone somewhere WILL try to do it. And, if humanity isn't ready for LGBT, how will a chimera be treated?

with love,

Hope

Once in a while I bare my soul, more often my soles bear me.