Scientists discover genetic underpinnings of bisexuality

Issam Ahmed, Agence France-Presse 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Members of the LGBT community cary rainbow flags and shout slogans during the UP Pride March in UP Diliman on Oc. 30, 2020. March participants pushed for anti-discrimination and SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics) -affirmative policies in offices, schools, and local communities. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/11/08/20201030-lgbt-pride-march-up-diliman-jc-8.jpg"/><figcaption>Members of the LGBT community cary rainbow flags and shout slogans during the UP Pride March in UP Diliman on Oc. 30, 2020. March participants pushed for anti-discrimination and SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics) -affirmative policies in offices, schools, and local communities. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p><br/>WASHINGTON — For the first time, scientists have identified genetic variations associated with human bisexual behavior -- and found these markers are linked to risk-taking and having more offspring when they are carried by heterosexual men.</p><p>Jianzhi &quot;George&quot; Zhang, a professor at the University of Michigan and senior author of the new research, told AFP it helped answer the long-standing evolutionary puzzle of why natural selection has not eliminated the genetics underpinning attraction within the same sex.</p><p>The study, published Wednesday in Science Advances, was based on data from more than 450,000 people of European descent who signed up for the UK Biobank, a long-term genomics project that has proven a major boon for health research.</p><p>It builds on growing research including a seminal 2019 paper in Science that found genetic variants influenced to some extent whether a person engaged in same-sex behavior, though environmental factors were more important.</p><p>&quot;We realized that in the past, people lumped together all homosexual behavior...but actually there&#x27;s a spectrum,&quot; Zhang said, explaining part of the motivation for the new work.</p><p>By studying participants&#x27; complete sets of DNA, or genomes, and combining that information with survey responses, Zhang and his co-author Siliang Song were able to confirm the signatures associated with same-sex behavior and bisexual behavior were in fact distinct.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/08/31/19/no-gay-gene-but-study-finds-genetic-links-to-sexual-behavior">No &#x27;gay gene&#x27;, but study finds genetic links to sexual behavior</a></li></ul><div><strong>&#x27;NATURE IS COMPLICATED&#x27; </strong></div><p>This meant they could be analyzed separately -- which in turn revealed that male heterosexuals carrying the markers, which they called bisexual behavior (BSB)-associated alleles, father more children than average and thus carry those genes forward.</p><p>What&#x27;s more, men who describe themselves as risk-takers tended to have more children and were more likely to carry BSB-associated alleles.</p><p>&quot;Our results suggest that male BSB–associated alleles are likely reproductively advantageous, which may explain their past persistence and predict their future maintenance,&quot; the authors wrote.</p><p>Although the UK Biobank&#x27;s survey simply asked respondents whether they considered themselves risk-takers or not, it is likely risk-taking behavior involves more unprotected sex and more partners.</p><p>&quot;Nature is complicated,&quot; said Zhang, reflecting on the fact that a single gene can influence multiple traits -- a phenomenon known as &quot;pleiotropy.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Here we&#x27;re talking about three traits: number of children, risk taking, and bisexual behavior: they all share some genetic underpinnings.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/23/23/marcos-orders-creation-of-lgbtqia-welfare-committee">Marcos orders creation of LGBTQIA+ welfare committee</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/26/23/lgbt-committee-welcome-but-lacks-inclusivity-groups">LGBT committee welcome but &#x27;lacks inclusivity&#x27;: groups</a></li></ul><div> </div><p>On the other hand, exclusive same-sex behavior (eSSB) associated alleles were correlated with having fewer children when carried by heterosexual men -- suggesting that over time these traits will fade away.</p><p>However, the UK Biobank data also revealed the proportion of people reporting both bisexual and homosexual behavior has been rising for decades, which is probably due to growing societal openness.</p><p>The authors estimated, for instance, that whether a person is bisexual or not in their behavior is 40 percent influenced by genetics, and 60 percent by the environment.</p><p>&quot;We want to make it clear that our results predominantly contribute to the diversity, richness, and better understanding of human sexuality,&quot; they stressed. &quot;They are not, in any way, intended to suggest or endorse discrimination on the basis of sexual behavior.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/12/29/23/i-took-back-my-narrative-michelle-dee-on-coming-out">‘I took back my narrative’: Michelle Dee on coming out</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/06/02/23/ph-more-accepting-of-lgbtq-what-study-vs-experience-say">PH more accepting of LGBTQ? What study vs experience say</a></li></ul><div> </div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2911309" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

For the first time, scientists have identified genetic variations associated with human bisexual behavior. 

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Scientists discover genetic underpinnings of bisexuality

Scientists discover genetic underpinnings of bisexuality

Issam Ahmed,

Agence France-Presse

Published Jan 04, 2024 09:45 AM PHT

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Updated Jan 04, 2024 10:08 AM PHT

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