New study

[wardell]

I read an article that says a men who have no older brother and is left handed then you have bigger chance of being gay. So how many of you are left handed and have no older brother. Is the article right? For me it is I'm a lefty and I'm an only child

 

[Otage]

Have older brother. Was both handed untill shcool made me choose with everything (sports equipment, scissors etc.) and they said choose the right hand because it's easier to get equipment. I could draw with other hand while I could color with othet and hand writing was same with both hand. Now I'm purely right handed.

I don't think you can verify the study with this poll, since it says it increases the changes of being gay, but that isn't the only case. It would need systematical and large take But these "studies" are always interesting.

 

[ihno]

Not a left hander, doesn't fit. I'm a "equal hander" with preferences.

I have heard that years ago. The problem with those studies: Sometimes the scientists forget to check a second group, to check how many lefthanded oldest sons are straight.

Just take the "no older brother" thing.
So they have found out that most gay men supposedly don't have older brothers?
What a surprise! In "three children at max" societies like you have them in the West, most men don't have older brothers. I have just checked it for Germany: 1,8 children per women.

Today people only have one or two children, so the probabilty to be the oldest son is significally higher than being the second or third oldest son.
Firstborn a boy: 50%
Secondborn a boy: 25%
Thirdborn a boy: 12,5%

So to have three boys in a row is only a chance of 12.5%
You can add a girl to that, though that would not change too much.

If I take 500 women with 1000 babies (2 children per women) that's
250 fristborn boys + 125 secondborn boys with older brother + 125 secondborn boys with older sister; 250 firstborn girls + 125 secondborn girls with older brother + 125 secondborn girls with older sister = 1000

So only 125 boys of 500 have older brothers, while 375 boys have none. Seems like somebody needed a publication.

 

[gb2000ie]

I'm a right-handed eldest son, but like ihno, I'm deeply sceptical about these kinds of studies. The media love them of course - but these kinds of studies tend not to stand up well to being repeated.

B.

 

[dargelos]

The firstborn has long been seen as the gifted one in the family, all the way from the bible to in statistical evidence, and being gay is a gift. You may not feel that way at the moment but in the fullness of time I hope you will.
My husband and I are both number ones, I'm lefthand, he's right, I have no opinion on the handedness question, but on birth order I'm sure we are the lucky ones.