Fruit Fly May Hold Secret To Gay Sexuality

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/06/060305fruitFly.htm

no jokes about the title

A male fly’s sexual courtship of a female fly is a complicated business of tapping, singing, wing vibration, and licking, but a single gene is all that is needed to produce this complex behavior, according to new research published in this week’s issue of the journal Cell.

The gene encodes the Fruitless protein. Male and female flies carry different versions of the fruitless protein, as a result of sex-specific splicing of the mRNA. The male form of Fruitless is critical for the male courtship ritual and males’ preference for mating with females, as previous studies have shown.

Now, Barry J. Dickson and Ebru Demir of the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences show just how intimately fruitless is linked to these stereotypically male behaviors. They discovered that female flies with the male version of fruitless behave like males, directing at other females a sexual display nearly identical to their male counterparts.

[phillysuse]

1. Genetic Basis for Homosexuality - Ask Russert to Ask Ken Mehlman Sunday

Ken Mehlman will be appearing on Meet the Press Sunday.
I have emailed Tim Russert to ask him to mention this study to Ken Mehlman.
If homosexuality is genetically determined in people as it appears to
be in fruit flies, then it is nothing more than any other genetic trait such as blue eyes, red hair or short stature. We don't prohibit two
]red headed people from marrying.
Why should we therefore discriminate against one genetic condition and
not others?
I'd like Tim to ask Ken about Repub policy against gay marriage
in view of the Cell article.
Please consider emailing Tim Russert about this.

[Boomer]

2. Human males could learn a thing or two...

...about courtship from these flies:

>> A male fly’s sexual courtship of a female fly is a complicated business of tapping, singing, wing vibration, and licking <<

That's certainly more romantic than some het male courtship displays I've witnessed. Maybe if guys sang their pickup lines they'd score more often.

[kweerwolf]

3. ROFLMAO!!!!!!

:rofl:

But I gotta admit, the image of some guy singing a line like "Hey baby, let's play photographer and slide on down to a dark room to see what develops" is just a wee bit creepy.

[Ian David]

4. See related threads

Latest Breaking News forum
NYT: For Fruit Flies, Gene Shift Tilts Sex Orientation
Topic started by DeepModem Mom on Jun-02-05 09:39 PM (19 replies)
Last modified by DeepModem Mom on Jun-03-05 01:59 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1519203


The DU Lounge forum
Because 13,601 Genes are enough: Gay Fruit Fly for President in 2008
Topic started by IanDB1 on Jun-03-05 08:33 AM (1 replies)
Last modified by IanDB1 on Jun-03-05 01:39 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3380479



How to tell if your pet fruit fly is gay
Topic started by undeterred on Jun-03-05 12:12 PM (11 replies)
Last modified by undeterred on Jun-03-05 01:16 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3381579


General Discussion: Politics forum
Who would make the best third-party candidate
Topic started by IanDB1 on Jun-03-05 01:51 PM (8 replies)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1826546
Last modified by larissa on Jun-03-05 04:08 PM

Below: Voyeuristic scientist watches hot, lesbian fruit fly action

(Oh yeah, you ladies are HOT!)

[xchrom]

5. who you callin a fruit fly?!?!

:crazy:

[davidinalameda]

6. fruit fly is sorta like fag hag

[xchrom]

7. ooooh! wait til i tell my friend lisa you said that!

she's gonna make you go shopping with her til she finds her new prada bag.