Re: Model of how a gay gene could be propagated

Damien Broderick (d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au)
Thu, 02 Dec 1999 17:51:06 -0800

Hey Harvey, perhaps everyone has already told you this, but:

At 01:09 AM 2/12/99 -0500, you wrote:

>1. Imagine a simple recessive gene that causes gayness. Each person has
>two of these genes, one from their mother, and one from their father. Each
>strand of DNA from each parent either carries the gay gene (represented as
>"G") or the non-gay gene (represented as "g"). Since the gene is recessive,
>a person must have two gay genes to be gay. If there is one or more
>straight genes the person is straight. The possible combinations of genes
>are:
>
> GG = straight individual

Wrong way around. Using yr key, GG is gay.

And as others have mentioned, yr bee analogy is wrong, since you neglect the extreme consanguinity of those near-clones. But in general I agree with yr argument, although the burden is on you (or yr case) to show that inclusive fitness is better maximised in this way than by total obsession with making babies.

(I also think bisexuality doesn't really need an explanation, since rubbing rude bits together is obviously fun and social and good for power trips, etc, unless you've been socialised out of it [as I was and I gather you weren't]. It's *dedicated* gayness that's the puzzle.)

Damien