The New Genetic Evidence on Same-Gender Sexuality: Implications for Sexual Fluidity and Multiple Forms of Sexual Diversity. Issue 7 (2nd September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Diamond, Lisa M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of sex research. Volume 58:Issue 7(2021)
• Page Start: 818
• Page End: 837
• Publication Date: 2021-09-02
• Subjects: Sexology -- Research -- Periodicals; Sex -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Sex; Psychiatry; 306.705
• DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2021.1879721
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-4499

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In September of 2019, the largest-ever (N = 477, 522) genome-wide-association study of same-gender sexuality was published in Science . The primary finding was that multiple genes are significantly associated with ever engaging in same-gender sexual behavior, accounting for between 8–25% of variance in this outcome. Yet an additional finding of this study, which received less attention, has more potential to transform our current understanding of same-gender sexuality: Specifically, the genes associated with ever engaging in same-gender sexual behavior differed from the genes associated with one's relative proportion of same-gender to other-gender behavior. I review recent research on sexual orientation and sexual fluidity to illustrate how these findings speak to longstanding questions regarding distinctions among subtypes of same-gender sexuality (such as mostly-heterosexuality, bisexuality, and exclusive same-gender experience). I conclude by outlining directions for future research on the multiple causes and correlates of same-gender expression.