Going Against Conventional Wisdom
To the Editor: Re “People Say Queer People Are Born That Way. It’s More Complicated,” by Charles M. Blow (“Don’t Tell My Friends, But …” series, Aug.
4): As one of those who “fit a certain cultural stereotype,” a gay man who has experienced same-gender attraction long before puberty, I must object to Mr.
Blow’s dismissal of biology as a major contributor to sexual orientation. Studies of identical twins have shown a 50 percent or more concordance of both twins being same-gender-attracted if one is — strikingly high compared with the incidence in the general population, and evidence of the strong role of genetics in this particular human condition.
When he concludes that the identification and expression of our attractions (though not the attractions themselves) are merely choices, I’m afraid that Mr.
