Genetic Sexual Attraction is Not a Synonym For Incest

[This is being bumped up because it is as relevant as ever.]

"Proclamations of the Red Queen" at gaynz.com had an article with the title "Genetic Sexual Attraction: The New Face of Incest"

When we think of incest, we instinctively recoil from horrific images of frightened children cowering from parental or related sexual predators. But what about “consensual adult incest’? Is it any different?

Of course it is. Consanguinamory is very different than abuse.

In Gay Times, John Marrs discussed the matter with two formerly estranged gay and bisexual brothers. One had been adopted out of his family of origin when his parents divorced as a child and due to adult adoption reforms, was able to track down his family of origin and meet his parents and little brother, now a seventeen year old teenager. Two years later, the older brother came out to his younger sibling…who responded by having sex with him.

Good. There could have been any number of negative responses, including physical violence. Instead, they made love.

Marrs describes this as a psychological condition called ‘genetic sexual attraction’ and it is what sometimes occurs when siblings or parents and children haven’t developed psychological and behavioural distance as a result of adoption, fostering or other estrangement from socialisation and interaction within family relationships. GSA has become an unintentional byproduct of adult adoption reforms and consequent parental or sibling reunions and may be either straight or same-sex. 

Which is why GSA is not "new," it is just that the conditions that foster it are more common now.

So, are GSA and incest different?

Yes! First of all, GSA has to do with feelings. Incest is a physical act. GSA may or may not lead to sex or lovemaking. I've also noted that GSA-initiated consanguinamory is different from sociological incest.

The author is not an ally and lacks solidarity, unfortunately...

Look, I consider myself a sexual liberal. I supported the decriminalisation of sex work and I do not believe that consensual sadomasochism should be treated as a form of ‘aggravated assault’ in heavy-duty instances as occurred in the United Kingdom after “Operation Spanner” in the late nineties. However, I draw the line there. Beyond that lies nonconsensual paraphilias like pedophilia, zoophilia and necrophilia, which shouldn’t be tolerated.

Okay, but we're talking about consenting adult persons. Why shouldn't they be included in relationship rights?

Admittedly, I also have another, more personal reason for opposing any decriminalisation of CAI. It’s all very well for those who experience GSA to counsel the rest of us to get over our feelings of revulsion and abhorrence of their sexual behaviour, but what about gay male incest survivors?

Uh, that's abuse. That isn't consensual sex between adults. He might as well say that because of stranger rape, all casual sex should be illegal.

Most consensual incest is not initiated through GSA. GSA is a powerful set of feelings that MAY lead to "incest" or not. And, like I said, GSA is not new. So GSA is not a "new face of incest."

An adult, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, should be free to share love, sex, residence, and marriage with any consenting adults, without fear of prosecution, bullying, or discrimination. Equality just for some is not equality! Show solidarity!