(Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)

A controversial new paper has argued that gay people are not ‘born this way’ – and claims there is little scientific evidence to show that sexuality is innate.

Paul McHugh and Lawrence S Mayer of John Hopkins University analysed 200 scientific papers and concluded that there’s little evidence that homosexuality is genetic, or caused by differences in the brain.

The researchers write, ‘The belief that sexual orientation is an innate, biologically fixed human property — that people are “born that way” — is not supported by scientific evidence.

Instead, the researchers argue, sexuality is more complex than it is often portrayed in the media – and, while it is not a choice, environmental factors play a large part.




Dr McHugh is a controversial figure who is an opponent of gender reassignment surgery.

MORE: Gay couple become biological fathers to triplets

In an interview this summer, he said, ‘Well, as I have said, there is no gay gene. And there are factors more influential than biology.”

‘If you are a man and you grow up in a rural environment, you are four times less likely to have homosexual relationships than if you grow up in a metropolitan area. That’s not left-handedness.’

Dr Mayer says, ‘This report is about science and medicine, nothing more and nothing less. Cultural and political trends should not influence the reality of the importance of dealing with these difficult and personal issues.

‘As citizens, scholars, and clinicians concerned with the problems facing LGBT people, we should not be dogmatically committed to any particular views about the nature of sexuality or gender identity; rather, we should be guided first and foremost by the needs of struggling patients, and we should seek with open minds for ways to help them lead meaningful, dignified lives.’