Here's an age old question, but I'm interested to see th FunAdvice community's opinion... Is a human being born gay, or is it a choice?
thehelper is right, there is no 'gay gene' but that is not proof that homosexuality is a choice. The overwhelming evidence points to the fact that the structure of homosexuals' brains have more in common with the brains of their opposite physical gender than with the brains of heterosexuals of the same gender.
It's an age-question only because we've never before had the tools to measure these differences. Nowadays, the debate has been settled except for those whose beliefs reject the idea of same-sex relationships.
Consider -- homosexual individuals have been documented in nearly every member of the animal kingdom. Would you suggest that those giraffes, dogs, swans, and parrots have all made a conscious choice to be gay? Doubtful.
Environment is consistently a factor so most likely either it's a choice or society somehow imposes it on you. For example there are more gay men in environments that have less women.
There are people who are gay in spite of some people around them, especially parents, but that's also true of many choices.
The hormone thing is interesting, which suggests it may be both a choice in some cases and influenced by hormones in others. But that's an unnatural imbalance which can be prevented or corrected. Certain pollutants commonly found in modern society mimic estrogen and can pass from the mother to the fetus, for example.
Actually I did not say that being gay was an addiction. I was trying to compare it to other situations in which the human being is said to have been born a certain way. Yes people are born pre-disposed to certain addictions. However these people do not actually become addicted unless they choose to abuse whatever it is they are pre-disposed to. Apples and oranges, true. I really was just playing devils advocate.
Personally since posting this question I actually do believe it is not a choice. I'm sorry if I was offensive in anyway.
Ok, for those who say it's not a choice, Lets change the subject and talk about people that have a problem with addictions are violent behaviors. These people have been determined to be born this way. In that case should we now say that they aren't choosing to commit crimes or abuse illegal substances because they were born this way and it should be allowed because they can't control it? No. These things are crimes. My point is just because someone is "born" a certain way doesn't mean they aren't choosing to do things.
human beings are born gay. they are wired incorrectly by responding to incorrect phermones. phermones are airborne hormones that you and I cannot see. when a man is in a room with a woman, the woman releases phermones that the man subconciously respond to and a man releases phermones that the woman subconciously responds to. in the case of gayness, the man responds to a man's phermones not a woman because their genetics wired them backwards. that does not make gay people inferior. its genetics.
Being gay isnt an addiction because its not a mental problem "lovedoctor" It's pretty ignorant to compare it to being on drugs and being addicted
Being gay is probably evolutionary, it happens in the animal kingdom and it happens in humans 6-9% of the population is believed to be bi or gay Thats 600 MILLION + people!
And IF it was chosen, why would hundreds of people in Iraq choose to be gay every year just to be exocuted?
New research is starting to show that gay people are born gay due to abnormally high (in female foetuses) or abnormally low (in male foetuses) concentrations of testosterone in placental blood during the stages of pregnancy. So although homosexuality is not genetic (a small genetic predisposition might be possible), it is certainly not a choice.
I believe people are born with their sexual identity and preference. I just don't see how it could be a choice. I'm straight, but I don't think I could suddenly force my self to be gay. I was born straight the same as some people are born gay.
I don't believe it's a choice, simply because I do not see why any human being would want to WILLINGLY go through rejection by their families and in most cases in some ways by society.
That's an interesting point mikeh, never considered homosexuality in other species.
being gay is a choice. their is no gay gene
