The Science Of Sexual Orientation
Researchers Focus On Twins
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Play CBS Video Video Gay Or Straight? What makes a person gay or straight? Lesley Stahl talks to researchers trying to answer that question. One clue may be found in twins.
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Video Stahl's Reporter's Notebook Lesley Stahl talks about her upcoming segment exploring the issue of homosexuality and whether or not nature or nurture determines one's sexuality.
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Video Twins Stir Sexuality Debate Researchers are still at odds over what contributes to a person's sexuality. "60 Minutes' " Lesley Stahl reports on 9-year-old twin boys who exemplify the rift among scientists.
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Jared (left) and Adam are nine years old. Their mother says she began to notice a difference in Adam when he was only 18 months old. Adam's behavior is an example of childhood gender nonconformity, say scientists. Research shows that most children with extreme tendencies toward gender nonconformity grow up to be gay. (CBS)
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"One of the things we've only found out lately is that older brothers affect a boy only if the boy is right-handed," Breedlove said. "If the boy is left-handed, if his brain is organized in a left-handed fashion, it doesn't matter how many older brothers he has, his probability of being gay is just like the rest of the population."
You can give yourself a headache trying to apply all the theories to real people. Greg and Steve Lofts both are right-handed, and they do have an older brother, so maybe that's why Greg is gay. But they also have several gay relatives, which suggests it could be in the genes, except where does that leave Steve?
Adam and Jared, fraternal twins, have older brothers, but they're ambidextrous.
Then there's the question of how something in the womb could affect one twin but not the other. There are many more questions at this point than answers, but the scientists 60 Minutes spoke to are increasingly convinced that genes, hormones, or both — that something is happening to determine sexual orientation before birth. Adam has come up with his own theory.
"I was supposed to be a girl in my mom's stomach. But my mom wished for all boys. So, I turned into a boy," Adam explained.
Asked if he wished he was a girl, Adam nodded.
"Do you think there was anything that you could have done that would have changed Adam?" Stahl asked Adam and Jared's mom Danielle.
"I could have changed Adam on the outside to where he would have showed me the macho boy that I would want as a boy. But that would not change who he is inside. And I think that would have damaged him a lot more," she said.
Stahl asked both boys if they are proud of the way they are, and both boys gave her big nods.
"Yup," Adam replied.
By Shari Finkelstein ©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
