Dr. William Bradshaw is giving a talk at BYU on the above topic.

http://usu-shaft.com/2010/byu-lecture-on-the-biological-origin-of-homosexuality/

Perhaps some of our lurking BYU students can attend and return and report?

How can a BYU biology professor such as Dr. Bradshaw take the position that homosexuality is not a "choice" and still keep his job?

Oh interesting! I'm at BYU, I'll definitely try to get to this.

He keeps his job by already being retired :-)

Bradshaw is emeritus faculty now. I had him in the 80s for biology, and in some ways he helped crack my TBM shell when it comes to acknowledging facts that contradict dogma with his mantra "...what are the data?" At the time it was his teaching of evolution that was getting him in trouble with the Stepford students.

He has a phenomenal memory, too. The class had hundreds of students in it, and although I only met him in his office once, he greeted me by name when we saw each other on campus the whole time I was in Provo.

Given the Mormon involvement in Prop H8 such a short time ago, I have difficulty believing that good scientific evidence will be offered. I can only hope I am wrong. I would also not be a bit surprised to hear the old line of how it makes no difference and an endorsement of continued stigmatization of gays who want to marry or who reject Joseph's Myth.

I will also give a plug for my viewpoint on the matter that homosexuality isn't so much "genetic" as it is physiological. Prenatal development could explain twin studies both from the perspective of higher incidence of gay twins as well as the fact that not all twins possess the same sexual orientation. It becomes as much a matter of an interaction of prenatal environment and neurological development as much as pure genetics. There are some facts from animal studies that are inconsistent with a genetics explanation.

Sorry, Puli, have to disagree with you on your charge of potential bias. I affirm Inverso's experience as a former student of Dr. Bradshaw, and I have heard him on Radio West in addition to attending other public addresses. He is a scientist of integrity and a person whose compassion is boundless. A beautiful man: thoughtful, sensitive, honest.

and he is indeed a man of integrity, sensitivity and kindness. I wish I were still in the area to go and listen to this. I know that he has been doing interesting research into this area for years and he tells it as he finds it.

Bradshaw is one of the best things BYU had going for it when I was there. In Freshman Biology his frank discussion of organic evolution allowed to begin to move beyond the fundamentalist view that I was left with after my mission.

Somebody please provide an update on this topic when more light and knowledge become available. I'd love to know what the Prof has to say and, hopefully, he will be scientifically honest.

Thanks,

Nebularry

He was an excellent professor. I've posted about him before on RfM. I used to go to his class, receive undeniable scientific evidence for Evolution and then go downstairs the next hour to my New Testament class with Dr. Lamar Garrard, where I would be taught that Evolution is a heresy that originated from Satan because Mormon prophet Joseph Fielding Smith had said so.

I already favored the scientific explanation, but in Bradshaw's class I learned how overwhelming the evidence is. Looking back, I think Bradshaw was a fine lecturer too, as those Biology 100 classes at BYU used to be attended by around 900 people.

Bradshaw is no stranger to standing up to a religious falsehood, and I hope he is not selling himself out here.

"On Thursday, September 23rd, BYU biology professor Dr. William Bradshaw will discuss the significant role that genetics plays in homosexuality. He will also argue that homosexuality is not a choice and cannot be changed."

That's good to hear.

For the audio and visuals of this presentation, click here:

http://mormonstories.org/?p=1158