Study: People Are
Born Gay?

In a new study from Stockholm's Karolinska Institute, researchers reported clear similarities in brain physicality and function among straight men and lesbians, and straight women and gay men, The Toronto Starreported today. The results of the study could indicate that people are born gay, as these similarities are almost certainly present at birth, according to the Star.

With the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers noted that in straight men and lesbians, the right hemisphere of the brain is markedly larger than the left. In both straight women and gay men, however, the right hemisphere is approximately the same size as the left, the Starreported.

In the brains of the 20 straight men, 20 straight women, 25 gay men, and 25 lesbians who participated in the study, similarities in amygdala function were also noted. The amygdala, a segment in the brain, is responsible for emotional behavior, fear responses, and aggression. McMaster University neuroscientist Sandra Witelson told the Star, "These are differences that can't be explained by any environmental or learning factors...so in fact, there's a [genetic] predisposition." These results could help LGBT political causes such as marriage equality and legal protections. The study, authored by Karolinska's Dr. Ivanka Savic, was published online yesterday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (The Advocate)