Do, or do not. There is no 'try'. - Yoda

Programming The Gay Out
by Hal_10000

I’m sure by now you’ve heard about the study showing that gay people are wired to be gay, that their brains act more like members of the opposite than the same sex. But Mike Riggs raises an important point:

Blogger Breaktheterror leads his post on the study by calling it something that the “Religious Right never, ever, ever wants you to see,” but the truth is exactly the opposite. Opponents of gay rights have been steadily losing ground in the political fight to maintain a moralistic hetero-hegemony, and they’re adapting their culture war strategies to the scientific frontier.

Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has been pushing the anti-gay rights movement in this direction for over a year. In an essay published in March 2007, Mohler called for a revision of the Baptist Church’s stance on interference in the genetic development of embryos, for one reason only:

“If a biological basis is found, and if a prenatal test is then developed, and if a successful treatment to reverse the sexual orientation to heterosexual is ever developed, we would support its use as we should unapologetically support the use of any appropriate means to avoid sexual temptation and the inevitable effects of sin.”
The Karolinka Institute’s study suggests that sexual orientation might result from too much or too little exposure to androgen in the womb, suggesting to some that it might be changeable using hormone therapy.

So my question to you, RTFLCers is the moral dimension. Suppose you could test a fetus to see whether it was gay or not and that a simple injection of androgens would flip its orientation. Would you do it? Should it be allowed? Should gay people be allowed to switch their fetus’ switch homosexual - like midgets trying to have midget children by IVF? Or the preference for male children seen in many eastern cultures?

Posted by Hal_10000 on 06/18/08 at 10:15 PM (Discuss this in the forums)

Comments

Posted by Sean Galbraith on 06/19/08 at 04:58 AM from

There already is a test. Play Cher’s “Believe” via fetal ipod and if it dances, it prances. :)

And then let it be born just as the FSM intended, however that turns out to be.

Posted by on 06/19/08 at 05:40 AM from

Would I do it: No. I’m not terribly concerned one way or the other about my child’s future orifice of preference.

Allowed? Depends on the details. My initial reaction is: Sure why not.

Gay people switching fetuses: Also depends on the details. My initial reaction is: Sure why not.

Posted by Ed Kline on 06/19/08 at 05:46 AM from

as we should unapologetically support the use of any appropriate means to avoid sexual temptation and the inevitable effects of sin.”

Wonder if they support castration and female circumcision then.

Posted by Ed Kline on 06/19/08 at 05:50 AM from

In the bible, God wasnt to keen on thieves either, but the Fred Phelps and Albrt Mohlers of the world never got to worked up over that. This is hate, pure animus dressed in the clothing of morality. Its despicable and pathetic.

My son is 2 and half, his favorite toy is a big pink soccer ball, he ‘wears’ his sisters baby dolls in a mini baby carrier, and has a crush on Alicia Keys. I have no complaints, and wouldnt if his crush was on Brad Pitt.

Posted by dwex on 06/19/08 at 06:22 AM from

Law & Order did an episode on this general concept earlier this year: Misbegotten (3.5 minute mini-episode)

Posted by on 06/19/08 at 07:17 AM from

I have always thought that if it were predetermined in the womb, than the religious right should, in their Christ-Like sympathy, consider it a birth defect and offer gay people love and sympathy! Or, are they so bigoted that they would prefer some birth defects over others?

Posted by on 06/19/08 at 08:04 AM from

Since it’s so bad to mess with “God’s Plan” (ie abortion), what makes a Fundie think they can claim some sort of God complex by giving a fetus a shot? And if teh homo is found to be biological in nature, wouldn’t that mean that the sin is somehow the fault of the parents?

My brain hurts.

Posted by Thrill on 06/19/08 at 08:27 AM from

This post reminds me of that part in the Venture Brothers where Hank is trying to reassure his super-scientist father, Dr Venture:

“Pop, you once spent weeks in your lab alone without sleep or food, trying desperately to isolate the gay gene. I know you. If it weren’t for all the protestors or the hearings, you would have found it and destroyed it!”

Posted by on 06/20/08 at 03:36 PM from

If they’re willing to turn off the gay gene, then I think it’s only fair to turn off the hetro gene as well. That way, nobody will be sinning and having sex. It’s only fair.

Posted by on 06/20/08 at 03:47 PM from

This post reminds me of that part in the Venture Brothers where Hank is trying to reassure his super-scientist father, Dr Venture:

Venture Brothers is so awesome. I can’t wait for Season 3 to come out.

Posted by on 06/20/08 at 03:53 PM from

My son is 2 and half, his favorite toy is a big pink soccer ball, he ‘wears’ his sisters baby dolls in a mini baby carrier, and has a crush on Alicia Keys.

I have a purple bowling ball and think Alicia Keys is smokin’ hot.