The reason for queerness has long been debated: Some folks think it’s random. Others think it has to do with how you’re raised. And others think it’s genetic — including comedian Sam Williams, who thinks his especially queer clan proves that bisexuality is in his blood.
“Does anyone else think their family proves the gay gene exists?” Williams asked in a viral TikTok. “Like, I’m the oldest of three boys: I’m bisexual, my middle brother’s bisexual, my youngest brother’s gay. My parents were thrilled to finally get a full one.”
“When you go three for three on fruity children, that has to have been passed down from a parent, right?” he posited. “So every time I go home, I watch my mom and dad very closely to figure out which one’s living the lie.”
That includes baiting them into admitting their queerness, Williams said: “At Christmas, we were choosing a movie to watch, and I said, ‘Oh, how about Brokeback Mountain?’ And my dad said, ‘Great idea, I’ve not watched that in ages.’ Bingo. But then my mom goes, ‘Yes, that’s my favorite movie.’ And I realized, we had no choice in being queer, because it’s from both of them.”
Your internet debrief
Stay ahead of the most scandalous, hilarious, and mind-boggling internet content delivered directly to your inbox.
Folks in Williams’ comments sounded off on their own experiences with gayness running in the family. “Most of my cousins are queer,” offered one commenter. “Both me and my sister are bi so it’s absolutely familial.”
“Me and my elder brother share the same dad, different mums, and we are both gay, so it definitely comes from the dads side!” shared another.
“I’m a lesbian and my sister is bi so we always just look at my brother like ‘What are you👁👄👁,’” wondered a third.
Even gay folks without gay relatives felt they could relate: “I’m the only queer one but everyone else has anger issues except me, so I know they’re all closeted,” one commenter wrote.
One lesbian mom even offered proof from a parent’s perspective: “My son says he’s bi, not sure if he gets that from me or my wife. 🤔”
Related
Malvin and Britton have officially stolen the internet’s hearts.
Update: he just … well, you know the rest. 🤭
Several folks suggested an obvious answer to Williams’ investigation into his parents: “What if your parents are both bi? 👀👀👀,” as one commenter proposed.
After all, plenty of folks with bi parents were self-reporting in his comments section: “Found out at 29 my dad’s bi 😆 I’m pan,” one wrote.
“I found out at 19,” echoed another. “Turns out he wasn’t hiding it that well I’m just an oblivious idiot 😩.”
“Both my parents are bisexual, my sister is lesbian and I’m straight,” shared a third. “We both got half and half I guess.”
Another commenter proposed that you don’t need gay family in order to be gay yourself, just parents with open minds: “Part of me just thinks if you grow in an environment that is welcoming and accepting etc you more likely to experiment and allow yourself to feel whatever,” they wrote. Then again, there are plenty of queer folks with less than accepting family, so who’s to say how big a role nurture plays compared to nature. Any gay geneticists out there, can we conduct a deep-dive?
Sign up for the INTO newsletter and get your twice-weekly dose of stories that shape the queer experience, culture, and lifestyle.
