No Style No. 13: Predispositions aside…
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Yeah, I know, it’s cutesy-cartoony…but I really doubt that doing a detailed drawing of personified DNA strands would have been any more effective. It works.
So last night, I was cruising the Houston Chronicle website and ran across an article about a study done on a large test pool of gay brothers, trying to isolate common genetic themes overlooked in smaller studies to identify traits that might link to a genetic indicator of homosexuality. I couldn’t help but share some of the concerns raised in the article regarding the possible backlash involved in revealing a genetic cause for homosexuality. It bothers me to think that parents would possibly be able to pick and choose their children’s traits, eliminating things like homosexuality in vitro to create a child custom-tailored right down to the personality. It’s also disturbing to think that adults could be coerced into undergoing genetic therapy to literally cure the physical cause of their sexuality.
Thankfully we’re far away from the technology to do that, and hopefully by the time we reach that level, we’ll live in more tolerant times. But I can’t help but wonder what my parents would have done, if they’d known from the womb that I would be gay and could have isolated and altered some “gay gene”. They accept me for who I am now, but with many reservations - and my father will flip his lid if I even joke about my baby brother following in his big brother’s footsteps. Who would I be today if my parents had been given that choice?
Flippant comics aside, the thought gives me chills.
no style, gay comics, webcomics, humor, gay comic strip, gay gene, homosexuality in genetics, gay brothers
August 27th, 2007 at 1:10 am
[...] No Style No. 13: Predispositions aside… [...]
August 27th, 2007 at 5:06 am
In a way it’s not that different from cosmetic surgery today… You take something about yourself you’re not happy with, and you change it. There will always be people who want that, and at least as many people who don’t.
If we ever get this far, there will be laws to prevent things like that from happening, so that it can only be used to cure (hereditary) diseases.
If there’s no such constraints, it’ll be Gataca all over again, and if that happens I hope it only happens after I’m gone.
August 27th, 2007 at 11:24 am
I take some comfort in the fact that if a direct genetic cause *is* found, people against homosexuality will lose their moral injunction, because being born with different genes is not a moral choice. Although that won’t stop creationist nuts and people who view the Bible over the facts, those people aren’t in charge (yet)
August 27th, 2007 at 11:40 am
…actually, Indikaze, he’ll be in charge until the end of his term in 2008. ~couldn’t resist~
August 28th, 2007 at 1:45 am
[...] mantra has been stuck in my head since yesterday’s comic regarding research into the existence of a gay gene. The topic really captures me, possibly because of my avid interest in science and science fiction, [...]
September 3rd, 2007 at 12:01 am
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