The Science of Gaydar

[xoxoxoBruce]

An interesting article on the physical differences, that appear to be often indicative, between queers and straights.

Gay men are more likely than straight men to have a counterclockwise whorl.

Gay men and straight women have an increased density of fingerprint ridges on the thumb and pinkie of the left hand.

The index fingers of most straight men are shorter than their ring fingers, and for most women they are the same length or longer. Gay men and lesbians tend to have reversed ratios.

Gay men and lesbians have a 50 percent greater chance of being left-handed or ambidextrous than their straight counterparts.

It’s bizarre to think some value systems might lump gayness in with—say—sickle-cell anemia or Down syndrome. As Matt Foreman from the Task Force put it, “It’s not playing with the number of toes you have; it’s really manipulating your very essence. So many people see gay people only in terms of sexual behavior, as opposed to what sexual orientation is really about, which is how you fit into the world. I don’t want to get mushy, but it’s about your soul.”

[Aliantha]

OK, I'm left handed, and my index finger is definitely shorter than my ring finger. ON BOTH HANDS!!!

OMG, I must be gay!

[piercehawkeye45]

Interesting, a tiny bit more evidence that homosexuality has genetic influences.

[Elspode]

Nonsense. Everyone knows that homosexuality is a choice. Granted, its a choice made at the genetic level, but still a choice.

[piercehawkeye45]

A choice by god?

[Shawnee123]

Let me ask you this: if I decided to be gay (because i am SO sick of men and their little games) do you think I would even get hit on since I'm not really gay? Would my little act show through? Would they notice my right-handedness, or would they bother to measure and see that my index finger is indeed shorter than my ring finger?

Ahh, never mind. It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that "schwing!"

[Cicero]

Uh oh. Well now that we found out about me........

It doesn't seem fair that lesbians index fingers are smaller though.

That sucks.

[lumberjim]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

Interesting, a tiny bit more evidence that homosexuality has genetic influences.

i think you have that backwards...unless you meant that being gay has influence on genetics....which i would think is obvious since 100% gay people can't procreate....

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

A choice by god?

there is no god

Originally Posted by Cicero

Uh oh. Well now that we found out about me........

did you just out yourself?

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

i think you have that backwards...unless you meant that being gay has influence on genetics....which i would think is obvious since 100% gay people can't procreate....

A gene can get passed down even when initiated, will not produce offspring. Pure altruism is an example of this, some birds will not produce children and only help raise their family's offspring and that trait is still there. A genetic "gay" gene will not be a simple Mendel dominant-recessive equation but could include a very complex dominant-recessive equation, a trait that is determined by the environment of the fetus, a mutation (kind of like down syndrome, unlikely), a combination of the above, or something I haven't thought of.

[lumberjim]

what?

[piercehawkeye45]

Genetics don't just work with the stereotypical Mendel dominant-recessive gene combination (AA, Aa, aa).

Pure altruism is probably a very complex dominant-recessive combination that is so ingrained in that bird's population that it will not go away even when the altruistic gene is initiated, that individual will not produce offspring.

There are lizards that when the fetus is still growing in the egg, the sex is determined by the temperature of the egg. If the egg temperature is above a certain threshold, it will become female, below, a male. That means that a trait can pop up at any time no matter if that trait will cause the individual to produce children or not.

Down Syndrome is when the 23rd allele (I think that is what it is) is copied twice so they have one extra allele than normal. Most people with Down Syndrome do not procreate and the gene still shows up.

If homosexuality is genetic or influenced by genetics, then it would most likely be under one of those three categories or something that I haven't thought of, not a simple Mendel equation.

[BrianR]

Guess I'm out too then...I meet all but one of those criteria.

This is junk science at it's worst. Nearly ALL men have index fingers shorter than their ring fingers. Women are the opposite. But sexual preference has NOTHING to do with finger size. Whorls in one direction or another mean nothing. Just for the record, only my thumbs and left middle finger even HAVE whorls, the rest are arches.

I file this in the same category as online relationship tests, purity tests and marriage quizzes (a POX on whoever invented those)

Brian

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

An interesting article on the physical differences, that appear to be often indicative, between queers and straights.

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Just fucking great. Now I'm going to have to join the pink pistols and register as a Republican.

[Sheldonrs]

I always though the most outstanding trait of me being gay was that I liked to suck dick.
Now I know I can just show people my fingers to prove it.

[DanaC]