New study reinforces previous research that there is no ‘gay gene’

Echoing past research, a new study finds that there is is no single or specific “gay gene,” but rather multiple gene variants that seem to influence same-sex sexual behavior. In the largest study of its kind, researchers looked at the genomes of nearly half a million people in the U.S. and U.K. and found five genetic variants that had previously not been linked to same-sex behavior. These variants were more common among people who had reported ever having a same-sex sexual partner. Still, researchers say that there are likely to be thousands more such variants and that many of them interact with factors that aren’t inherited. They also emphasize that none of the factors cause someone to be gay, nor is there a way to predict whether someone will be gay.