Gay hands
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Many scientists believe relative finger length—or digit ratio—is a marker for brain differences molded by hormones. The picture is further muddied by geography. Girls with masculine-type finger ratios tend to have higher hyperactivity scores and more problems relating to their peers than do other girls. Race and ethnic differences seem to affect digit ratio, although scientists don't yet understand how.
Still, even if prenatal testosterone is a factor in homosexuality, it's unlikely to be the only element.
Animal models using rats, mice and sheep show that testosterone boosts growth in a part of the hypothalamus involved in sexual behavior and fertility. And in the complex realm of human sexuality, the truth is rarely as simple as measuring someone's fingers.
–Ken
PS: This was a segment from a video I made looking at the “Gay Voice” which answers the question … “Why do some gay men talk like that?”
Length of ring and index fingers 'linked to sexuality'
Both men and women were exposed to the "male" hormone, testosterone, in the womb - but some may be exposed more than others, the scientists said.
Study author Dr Tuesday Watts, from the psychology department at Essex University, said: "Because identical twins, who share 100% of their genes, can differ in their sexual orientations, factors other than genetics must account for the differences.
"Research suggests that our sexuality is determined in the womb and is dependent on the amount of male hormone we are exposed to or the way our individual bodies react to that hormone, with those exposed to higher levels of testosterone being more likely to be bisexual or homosexual.
"Because of the link between hormone levels and difference in finger lengths, looking at someone's hands could provide a clue to their sexuality."
The findings are published in Archives of Sexual Behaviour.
Sexuality: Your Telltale Fingertips
Look down at your right hand.
Like a bit of prenatal graffiti, a longer ring finger says, "Testosterone was here."
John Manning, a biologist at the University of Liverpool, first identified digit length as a sign of prenatal hormones eight years ago. After all that research and millions of dollars spent, what's the scientific consensus on the biological basis of being gay?
Intriguingly, research shows that a prenatal testosterone level is most strongly linked to homosexuality in women, according to an article in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. Because of the influx of sex hormones at this prenatal stage, men tend to have ring fingers that are slightly longer than their index fingers.
More telling are the variations within each sex. It was politics.
The gay rights movement was gaining significant momentum in the '80s. When the answers seem too clean or too convenient, that's when our alarm bells should start ringing.
Share this with a friend of all finger sizes.
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So the next time you hear about a study that perfectly proves, or disproves, your point on a contentious issue, take a step back.
It had a tiny sample size and used questionable methods. Many are poorly designed, rushed to publication, or cherry-picked to support a predetermined conclusion.
This doesn't mean we should distrust all science. That finger study? Likewise, males with a typically female ratio exhibit more typically feminine behaviors.
A study of digit ratio in Scottish preschool children between the ages of 2 and 4 found strong relationships between digit ratio and gender-normative behavior.
(Studies indicate they are most common in men with longer than average ring fingers.) A "masculine" finger pattern seems to similarly mark girls predisposed to hyperactivity and autism.
Some scientists believe prenatal sex hormones are also part of the puzzle of homosexuality and that a high level of testosterone may wire the brain for attraction to the same sex.
It turns out, like most human traits, sexuality isn't controlled by a simple on/off switch in our DNA. It's a complex interplay of genetics, hormones, and environmental factors that we're only beginning to understand.
This whole saga teaches us an important lesson about the intersection of science and politics.