Today In History, 1998: Lawyer Suggests Abortion If a Test Could Prove Fetus Has “Gay Gene”

Jim Burroway

August 26th, 2016

That was the San Francisco Chronicle’s headline when Chicago attorney Aaron Greenberg, proposed this thought experiment on one possible consequence if science were to discover a genetic basis for homosexuality. Greenberg, who was set to present his argument before the 15th annual symposium of the San Francisco-based Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), said he was “pro-gay, but also pro-freedom.” According to the Chronicle:

“All things being equal, I think a kid who is heterosexual would have an easier life, not for any good reason, but because people irrationally discriminate (against homosexuals),” he said, giving what he speculated would be the biggest reason parents would want a straight child.

He said parents who make such a decision also would probably relate better to a heterosexual child and might feel they would have a better chance of eventually becoming grandparents.

…”I don’t want to upset anyone,” Greenberg said. “But I don’t think, with certain conditions, that there’s anything morally objectionable with choosing a child’s sexual orientation.”

Even if hatred is the motive, he said there’s no harm in a homophobe choosing not to have a gay child.

San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano denounced the suggestion. “I find it very frightening,” he said. “I think that in Germany during World War II there were some of the same rationales” for the elimination of Jews. Discrimination against gay people is fast eradicating, and certainly even if it’s still around, it wouldn’t justify that. I think this guy is grabbing for the spotlight, and also capitalizing on the campaign against gays that’s coming from the Republicans.”

San Francisco PFLAG chapter heads, Sam and Julia Thoron, who had a grown lesbian daughter, said the world was a better place with their daughter in it. Sam added, “All of this implies that there’s something wrong with being gay. There’s nothing wrong with being gay, underline and exclamation point.”

But others, while not supporting Greenberg’s suggestion, nevertheless felt that the debate needed to be aired. GLMA Executive Director Ben Schatz said, “Sure it’s going to upset people. But I think it forces us to come to terms with the fact that people hate us and there’s no magic bullet to make it go away. I think this underscores that we can’t look to science or technology as an antidote to bigotry.”

eddie

August 26th, 2016

That was ’98. 18 years later there is still no gay gene. It is my understanding that there is also no straight gene.

Ben in oakland

August 26th, 2016

It would be great if we could find the homobigotry gene, and start abortion left and right.

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