Is it ethical to turn potentionally gay babies straight?

[Dis]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2524408,00.html

sorry, this is the only thing I could come up with for a thread title. i'm too tired to think of something amusing.

So we have this research into gay rams. The scientists want to adjust the hormonal balance to see if they can turn them straight. This has some gay activists up in arms. Including a famous gay tennis player. They want research to be abandoned.

You guys really don't have to guess too hard on my point of view. For the most part, I'm against outlawing research or restricting it (except in obvious cases of cruelty).

But the real interesting question happens if this research pans out and we find a way to treat pregnant mothers to ensure their babies aren't gay. Is it right to ensure a straight baby? I think it is. It's the parents decision after all. They can choose not to.

[snoopy369]

Well, that's about the same to me as wanting a male or female child. So, take aside the more touchy subject. Is it ethical to want a male or female child?

If you'd answer yes, then it would be very difficult to argue no to this. And the contrapositive is as well true; if you'd say no, then it would be very difficult to argue yes for this.

(Assume you can determine the sex of the child without any damage to the fetus ... just by taking a "boy" or "girl" tablet right before intercourse.)

[Aeson]

GM babies! (Engineered for more nutricional value!)

I think research into the causes (of basically everything) is a good idea. If we allow parents to choose to have engineered straight children, we'd also need to allow parents to choose to have engineered gay children as well, to be consistant.

I don't see a problem with either option, as it's not really a quality of life issue. (In contrast, engineering a blind child would be wrong...) But I assume that a large portion of our society would think that engineering gay children would not be acceptable.

[Heresson]

Completely ethical

[aneeshm]

A more important question - is it ethical to turn potentially straight babies gay? Some gay (or rather, lesbian) parents may want that.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Aeson
GM babies! (Engineered for more nutricional value!)

I think research into the causes (of basically everything) is a good idea. If we allow parents to choose to have engineered straight children, we'd also need to allow parents to choose to have engineered gay children as well, to be consistant.

We should engineer out kids to be bi, so as to maximize their potential future happiness.

[Aeson]

Originally posted by Last Conformist
We should engineer out kids to be bi, so as to maximize their potential future happiness.

Yah, to be consistant that option would have to be included too.

But eventually... asexual (reproductively speaking). Then they don't have to bother with the hassle of finding outside sources at all!

Amoeba babies!

[E_T]

but that would be no fun!!

E_T

[General Ludd]

I know a girl who wants all her future sons (she wants to have 12 children) to be gay.

[MrFun]

We once had a period of eugenics in United States during the early twentieth century that targeted people with mental disabilities.

Are we to have another round of eugenics motivated by hatred and ignorance?

[General Ludd]

"Once"?

With prenatal testing it's possible to screen babies for disabilities (such as autism, or being female) and have the baby aborted if any of the undesirable traits are present.

[Drake Tungsten]

I know a girl who wants all her future sons (she wants to have 12 children) to be gay.

Hopefully prenatal screening will be advanced enough by the time she has children that they'll be able to abort the kids who inherit their mother's retardation.

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by General Ludd
I know a girl who wants all her future sons (she wants to have 12 children) to be gay.

I don't think it's ethical to have 12 children

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Victor Galis


I don't think it's ethical to have 12 children

QFT

It seems that there are at least one sane poster at poly OT

[Victor Galis]

It's also unethical to doublepost