July 6, 2007

Research points to inherit trait for homosexuality; some dispute
By Connie Lee

Summer Reporter

Researchers at various universities have resurrected the idea that homosexuality is dictated by nature after compiling new data on physical human traits and behaviors, but two Purdue students doubt its significance.

"You can't just point to one gene or one environmental influence to say, OK, that's what causes someone to be gay," said Purdue alumna Daria Bakina, who considers herself "queer."

But the studies keep coming in.

David Sylva, a graduate student at Northwestern University, has been studying individual walking styles to see if homosexuals' strides are different from those of their straight counterparts. He hopes the data will give support to the nature side of the sexual orientation argument.

Richard Lippa, a professor of psychology at California State University at Fullerton, said that homosexuals are more likely left-handed; and gay men's hair tends to grow counter-clockwise. Those are qualities affected by genes, not nurture.

These are just two of many such studies conducted over the decades trying to pinpoint the essence of homosexuality, but some say the data is weak and irrelevant.

"It's a little bit of playing both into the stereotypes as much as expressing who you are inside," Bakina said of the studies. "It just seems like they're trying too hard to find a cause (for homosexuality)."

Andrew Stevens, a junior in the College of Technology and president of the Purdue Queer Student Union, has similar sentiments.

"These sorts of things are more stereotypes," he said. "This is definitely not a good basis of determining someone's sexuality."

He doesn't believe that any concrete traits set off "gaydar" and says that the studies are unfounded.

"Moreover, I think it comes down to how a person walks and how they hold themselves," said Stevens. "More gay people are confident in themselves, so they kind of walk with more confidence.

"It's correlation, it's not causation. Being gay doesn't make you walk proud whatsoever, (and) just because someone is fashionable or they do their hair a certain way doesn't decide their sexuality."