( CNN ) -- While most of the country moves forward on legal protections for lesbians , gays , bisexuals and transgender persons ( LGBT ) , Republicans in Texas have retrenched their opposition in a shocking manner . The Texas Republican Party adopted a plank in its platform endorsing reparative therapy for gays and lesbians , even though such treatments have been rejected as harmful by all leading medical and psychological associations and even outlawed in some states . Texas Gov . Rick Perry added fuel to the fire by comparing gays and lesbians to alcoholics and refusing to step back from such insulting comments . Perry 's views , however , bear further exploration . In his remarks , he used genetic predispositions to make his comparison : `` I may have the genetic coding that I 'm inclined to be an alcoholic , but I have the desire not to do that -- and I look at the homosexual issue the same way . '' At a very superficial level , there is a kernel of truth here . Scientific studies have demonstrated that biology plays a role in one 's sexual orientation . Studies of identical twins , who share the same genes , have shown that , if one twin is gay , the other is more likely to be gay , suggesting sexual orientation is influenced by genetics . Scientists also discovered a `` fraternal birth order effect '' : the more male children a woman has , the greater chance that the next one will be gay . The reason for this effect is unknown , but it suggests there may be some change in the mother 's body that influences the development of the male fetus . Perhaps the greatest furor over the biological origins of sexual orientation occurred in 1993 . Scientist Dean Hamer and others published a study in Science that showed a connection between a particular part of the X chromosome and male homosexuality . Although the study did not find a particular gene , it suggested that such a gene exists on the X chromosome . More recent studies have identified other potential links between homosexuality and genetics , and scientists have offered explanations on how same-sex attraction could advance procreation . Reviewing all the various studies in his 2012 book , `` Gay , Straight , and the Reason Why : The Science of Sexual Orientation , '' neuroscientist Simon LeVay concludes that , `` taken together , the multitude of research studies published since 1991 have greatly strengthened the idea that biological factors play a significant rule in the development of sexual orientationâ€ ” in both men and in women . '' Many gay rights activists laud these studies because they support the argument that LGBT persons should be afforded legal protections because sexual orientation is an immutable trait , akin to race or gender . If it 's in our genes , you ca n't discriminate against us . But finding the biological origins of same-sex attraction has the potential to undermine the rights of gays and lesbians . For example , could someone try to get a patent on a gene related to sexual orientation ? While it is possible to patent certain genetic material , the gene must be `` useful '' to qualify for patent protection . Why would a gene related to sexual orientation be useful ? Most patents on genes relate to diseases , such as breast cancer , diabetes , or , as Perry noted , alcoholism . The utility of these inventions is readily apparent â€ ” developing treatments for these pathological conditions . But what use is a gay gene -- to `` treat '' gays and lesbians ? I believe such genetic discoveries should not be patent eligible because they are not useful . Gays and lesbians are not sick , and the medical community agrees . The exploration of why a gay gene should not be viewed as `` useful '' highlights the broader concern with these scientific studies : It becomes easier for LGBT opponents to argue that gays and lesbians are biologically flawed , akin to a disease that should be and could be cured . The 1996 movie `` Twilight of the Golds '' explores this dynamic in the context of a prenatal test that could predict the likelihood that the child would be gay , and the consequent decision of whether to end the pregnancy . In a more commercial and thinly veiled context , the 2006 movie `` X-Men : The Last Stand '' explored the potential implications of inventing and administering a `` cure '' for a stigmatized physiological condition . Even though we tend to view science as objective , it is often laden with moral considerations . The concept of a `` gay gene '' reveals this normative slant . Why is it the `` gay '' gene and not just the `` sexual orientation '' gene , or even the `` straight '' gene ? Calling it the `` gay gene '' reveals the bias in favor of heterosexuality , which risks viewing gays and lesbians as biologically flawed and thus inferior . LGBT legal rights should not be contingent on biology or immutability . And , contrary to Perry 's insinuation , sexual orientation is not like a disease . It is like eye color or left-handedness -- a natural and healthy variation within the population . We must take care that our rights do not hinge on biology . While it is strange to find wisdom from comic book characters , Halle Berry 's character Storm in the X-Men had it right : There is nothing to cure . There is nothing wrong with us . And our rights should n't depend on it .
In Texas , the GOP endorses reparative therapy for gays and lesbians . Tim Holbrook : Sexual orientation is a trait like race or gender , it should n't be fixed . He says if there 's a gay gene , there 's no need for treatment since gays are not sick . Holbrook : The Republican Party has been hijacked by religious extremists who want to impose their beliefs on everyone else.