Fragile X and a GAY History
From PBS -WGBH Boston 1993 and Earlier Fragile X Studies
Long before Autism and Fragile X were Buzz words and Autism Folks jumped on the band wagon of fragile X syndrome and also adopted it as rally call of Autism and evelated it to a high status with in autism It was BIG NEWS in the GLBT community! It was seen as a predictor of If was one was Gay or not. The late 1980s were abuzz with Autism and Fragile X syndrome and they were the talk of the gay press.
Of Course, Fragile X and Gay have never been mentioned in Autism Circles and odds are they will never be admitted to in autism at least BUT IF people were actually put faith in Fragile X and Indeed accepted ALL the studies of Fragile X they would have to naturally look for gay (LBT) autistic people. INDEED we are here on line and our anthropology is the best performing autistic population. Autism will not even admit to any one in the GLBT spectrum even IF their own studies beg to ask or make the point to "LOOK HERE". The following is a general Interest GLBT Fragile X syndrome article from the Web. It is Copyrighted to WGBH Boston a PBS Station. Rich Shull
Search for behavioral genes1993
Study Links Genes to Homosexuality reported the Washington Post. Is There a Gay Gene? USA Today chimed in.
A self-proclaimed "obscure molecular geneticist," Dean Hamer, had conducted a study in the early 1990s that showed a correlation of a DNA marker on the X chromosome with homosexual men that was higher than random distribution would have been. The study had looked at extended family histories and at the DNA of gay men. Researchers found that a tiny portion of the X chromosome appeared the same in a surprisingly high proportion of gay brothers. Hamer's team did not find a so-called gay gene, but found evidence to suggest such a thing existed. The results were printed in the journal Science in June, 1993, sparking headlines that ranged from seriousness to tabloid silliness.
The article appeared just as President Clinton was pushing for a new policy of tolerance of homosexual people in the armed services. What Hamer, and many others, found was the fact that "the genetics of behavior, and sexuality in particular, is an emotionally and politically charged topic."
Equally as controversial are discussions of genes for intelligence. The X chromosome has helped reveal genes linked to intellectual activity, sparked by the discovery of fragile-X syndrome, the most common form of mental retardation. After Down's syndrome it is the most frequently occurring inherited disease among Westerners. The gene sequence causing fragile-X has been identified, though not entirely understood. It is not an intelligence gene, but one that controls fetal development. Down's syndrome, too, is revealing of the role of genes in development of intellect: most Down's syndrome children are born with an extra copy of one chromosome. This difference amounts to less than 2 percent of the chromosome count, but causes gross impairment of intellect as well as physiological problems. About half of the 50-100 thousand genes individuals inherit from their parents are thought to be involved in brain development. But "nature" is only part of the picture, and its countless twists, turns, and variations make human development far from straightforward.
Advances in the understanding of Alzheimer's disease have helped push discoveries in the relationship of genes and behavior. As with heart disease, a person may have a gene that predisposes him or her to develop symptoms. In some cases the symptoms will occur regardless of behavior, but in most cases there are environmental or "lifestyle" influences that spur development of the disease. Eating fatty foods can cause arteriosclerosis, and drinking lots of aluminum-rich water can cause buildup of amyloid in the brain, a physical cause of Alzheimer's dementia.
The genetic link to a homosexuality and the pursuit of knowledge about each and every human gene has raised ethical and practical questions about searching for genes for violence or aggression, shyness, intelligence, and other behaviors.
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Long before Autism and Fragile X were Buzz words and Autism Folks jumped on the band wagon of fragile X syndrome and also adopted it as rally call of Autism and evelated it to a high status with in autism It was BIG NEWS in the GLBT community! It was seen as a predictor of If was one was Gay or not. The late 1980s were abuzz with Autism and Fragile X syndrome and they were the talk of the gay press.
Of Course, Fragile X and Gay have never been mentioned in Autism Circles and odds are they will never be admitted to in autism at least BUT IF people were actually put faith in Fragile X and Indeed accepted ALL the studies of Fragile X they would have to naturally look for gay (LBT) autistic people. INDEED we are here on line and our anthropology is the best performing autistic population. Autism will not even admit to any one in the GLBT spectrum even IF their own studies beg to ask or make the point to "LOOK HERE". The following is a general Interest GLBT Fragile X syndrome article from the Web. It is Copyrighted to WGBH Boston a PBS Station. Rich Shull
Search for behavioral genes1993
Study Links Genes to Homosexuality reported the Washington Post. Is There a Gay Gene? USA Today chimed in.
A self-proclaimed "obscure molecular geneticist," Dean Hamer, had conducted a study in the early 1990s that showed a correlation of a DNA marker on the X chromosome with homosexual men that was higher than random distribution would have been. The study had looked at extended family histories and at the DNA of gay men. Researchers found that a tiny portion of the X chromosome appeared the same in a surprisingly high proportion of gay brothers. Hamer's team did not find a so-called gay gene, but found evidence to suggest such a thing existed. The results were printed in the journal Science in June, 1993, sparking headlines that ranged from seriousness to tabloid silliness.
The article appeared just as President Clinton was pushing for a new policy of tolerance of homosexual people in the armed services. What Hamer, and many others, found was the fact that "the genetics of behavior, and sexuality in particular, is an emotionally and politically charged topic."
Equally as controversial are discussions of genes for intelligence. The X chromosome has helped reveal genes linked to intellectual activity, sparked by the discovery of fragile-X syndrome, the most common form of mental retardation. After Down's syndrome it is the most frequently occurring inherited disease among Westerners. The gene sequence causing fragile-X has been identified, though not entirely understood. It is not an intelligence gene, but one that controls fetal development. Down's syndrome, too, is revealing of the role of genes in development of intellect: most Down's syndrome children are born with an extra copy of one chromosome. This difference amounts to less than 2 percent of the chromosome count, but causes gross impairment of intellect as well as physiological problems. About half of the 50-100 thousand genes individuals inherit from their parents are thought to be involved in brain development. But "nature" is only part of the picture, and its countless twists, turns, and variations make human development far from straightforward.
Advances in the understanding of Alzheimer's disease have helped push discoveries in the relationship of genes and behavior. As with heart disease, a person may have a gene that predisposes him or her to develop symptoms. In some cases the symptoms will occur regardless of behavior, but in most cases there are environmental or "lifestyle" influences that spur development of the disease. Eating fatty foods can cause arteriosclerosis, and drinking lots of aluminum-rich water can cause buildup of amyloid in the brain, a physical cause of Alzheimer's dementia.
The genetic link to a homosexuality and the pursuit of knowledge about each and every human gene has raised ethical and practical questions about searching for genes for violence or aggression, shyness, intelligence, and other behaviors.
Home People and Discoveries Menu Help
WGBH PBS Online Search Feedback Shop © 1998 WGBH
posted by Pre Rain Man Autism | 9:22 PM
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