Homosexuality

[Zet]

Idk what causes homosexuality, but I'm not comfortable saying that one is born that way without conclusive, peer-reviewed, scientific evidence that has achieved a general consensus among the scientific community.

I'm guessing you don't know about the gay gene then.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

I'm guessing you don't know about the gay gene then.

I've heard of it, but it's not up to the standard of "a general consensus within the scientific community". i.e. it's disputed that such a gene exists.

 

[Steven]

Idk what causes homosexuality, but I'm not comfortable saying that one is born that way without conclusive, peer-reviewed, scientific evidence that has achieved a general consensus among the scientific community.

There's tons of medical and psychological evidence of homosexuality being caused by genetic factors. They're not inherited, everyone has the genes that causes it. It's just whether or not their expressed and how they're expressed. Here is one article about it, there are many others regarding many different studies.

 

[Marilynasol]

Wow, there are some many obnoxious trolls on the prowl here...

Homosexuality, I believe, is really a combination of both nature (genetics) and nurture (environment), though I think genetics are more prominent.

Being biased towards somebody with a socially-unconventional orientation is like being biased against somebody who's parents divorced. They really have no say in the matter and there really isn't anybody to blame.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

There's tons of medical and psychological evidence of homosexuality being caused by genetic factors. They're not inherited, everyone has the genes that causes it. It's just whether or not their expressed and how they're expressed. Here is one article about it, there are many others regarding many different studies.

I know it's not a choice, but there are those who believe that someone's environment can affect one's sexual orientation.

A plethora of studies have also been done on lie detector tests, yet that doesn't change that fact that it's reliability is shaky at best.

 

[Alley Cat]

It isn't a choice. You are born that way, or something makes you go that way. Honestly, I think that something could in effect cause someone to turn a straight man or woman homosexual, or a gay man or woman straight. Maybe when they're developing, or due to some kind of trauma, but I'm not willing to put it past that. Unless there is actually a gay gene, then I think this is true.

You might not be born gay. That's what I believe. But, it isn't a choice. If it was people like Seth Walsh wouldn't have killed themselves over being bullied and teased. They got some of the worst of it, and after do you think that they'd still choose to be gay? Doubt it. There was this one gay guy who going through school, people would beat the crap out of him, push him in urinals, and molest him because he was gay. Do you still think that he'd choose to live a life like that? I don't.

I'm not saying you're born that way, I'm not saying I know what causes it. But what I can say for 100% ascertainment, being gay is NOT a choice. Have a nice day.

As for what causes it, that's one of those questions that I don't much care about the answer to. We're here, we're queer, get used to it. I hope people don't find out the answer, because this might be the end of the Gay community as we know it if they can stop it. Make it so the child comes out straight. Which I believe would be inhuman and shouldn't be done.

 

[Livewire]

I know it's not a choice, but there are those who believe that someone's environment can affect one's sexual orientation.

A plethora of studies have also been done on lie detector tests, yet that doesn't change that fact that it's reliability is shaky at best.

What does a lie detector test have to do with anything related to this thread?

 

[Zet]

Just so you guys know, a child with two parents of the same sex are more likely to be heterosexual than homosexual. With that said, environment has a minimum effect at all.

I've heard of it, but it's not up to the standard of "a general consensus within the scientific community". i.e. it's disputed that such a gene exists.

Science is a bunch of theories, there's no proven fact. We only accept it as truth because no one has came up with another idea.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Just so you guys know, a child with two parents of the same sex are more likely to be heterosexual than homosexual. With that said, environment has a minimum effect at all.

A child in an opposite-sex household also has a higher chance of being heterosexual than homosexual.

 

[Myles]

I go by the current majority view in the scientific community. As I usually do if that particular branch of science isn't my main branch. That is that sexuality is a spectrum: you can be straight, bisexual with a straight lean, 'true' bisexual, bisexual with a homosexual lean or homosexual. And that it isn't entirely pre-birth determined, but is affected by a large variety of things, including both genetics and culture/upbringing.

That doesn't mean that it can be changed; all attempts to do that have failed. And it most certainly isn't a mental disorder. It's also not a choice, but it can be influeced by choice (e.g. someone who is bisexual could choose to live a straight life for religious reasons or because they are afraid of stigma). If it was entirely genetics without room for bisexuality, it would have been bred out through evolution for obvious reasons.

Science is a bunch of theories, there's no proven fact. We only accept it as truth because no one has came up with another idea.

Scientific theories and theories are not the same thing. Someone 'coming up' with an idea doesn't get rid of scientific theories. That's a hypothesis. That statement is kind of offensive to science. Although the person you were replying to is wrong, there is scientific reason to believe sexuality is at least partiality genetic.

Gay is not a choice.

This is not something where it's appropriate to say "No, I don't think so. That's not true, in my opinion." Unless you yourself are gay, you do not get a vote.

As much as I agree with you that homosexuality is not a choice. Straight people do get a say in the matter just as much as gay people. Such things should be based on scientific evidence, not just personal experience.

 

[Zet]

A child in an opposite-sex household also has a higher chance of being heterosexual than homosexual.

Who ever said that is full of crap.

Scientific theories and theories are not the same thing. Someone 'coming up' with an idea doesn't get rid of scientific theories. That's a hypothesis. That statement is kind of offensive to science. Although the person you were replying to is wrong, there is scientific reason to believe sexuality is at least partiality genetic.

Yes, all scientific theories are an hypothesis.

 

[Shining Raichu]

As much as I agree with you that homosexuality is not a choice. Straight people do get a say in the matter just as much as gay people. Such things should be based on scientific evidence, not just personal experience.

Anybody can have a vote in what causes homosexuality; whether it's genetics or environment, nature or nurture. That's not what I was talking about.

I was addressing specifically the people who say that homosexuality is a choice. This has nothing to do with the scientific aspects of the debate, and the only evidence needed is for gay people to say "I did not choose to be gay". As far as the "whether it is a choice" argument is concerned, nobody's opinions matter except the gay people themselves.

 

[Chibi Robo]

It seriously pointless to post your own opinion in threads like these especially if it is contradictory of what is expected for an answer. You know what you want to hear, so why make or even post in the thread. Just to stay relevant, I believe gay is a choice. Its good to have an open opinion on a subject like this and the confidence to go against the norm. Now isnt it (:

 

[Alex]

You know what grinds my gears? The fact that gays think they're right about the subject simply because they are gay.

If that's true, you'd have to also be straight to be right about being straight. But one defines the other. Problem?

 

[Alley Cat]

You know what grinds my gears? The fact that gays think they're right about the subject simply because they are gay.

If that's true, you'd have to also be straight to be right about being straight. But one defines the other. Problem?

I get what your saying there. But what I do know that I'm right about is that being gay is not a choice. And the only reason that I know that is because I'm gay. It'd be like if birds could talk, they'd be able to explain every detail of why the fly in V formation and etc.

 

[Nameless.]

You know what grinds my gears? The fact that gays think they're right about the subject simply because they are gay.

I have another way to put this after reading through the posts for a while.

The fact that gays demean everyone else's opinion who isn't gay that opposes simply because they aren't gay.

And the only reason that I know that is because I'm gay. It'd be like if birds could talk, they'd be able to explain every detail of why the fly in V formation and etc.

However, humans can explain with ease why birds fly in V formation. They aren't birds. How are they able to explain it? Observation. :]
​

 

[Alley Cat]

However, humans can explain with ease why birds fly in V formation. They aren't birds. How are they able to explain it? Observation. :]
​

We can make observations, formulate hypotheses and test them, but that can only get us so far. Like, whats the point of switching leaders? How does the whole group notice when one bird starts to take the lead in a slightly different direction? Those are things that we can't ever know the answer to.

&& Assume were wrong on the birds flight patterns and etc. All it would take is one bird to tell us otherwise. I'm proud of my life, and given the choice to stay gay, I would choose to stay gay. But I know, that in the beginning, I was afraid to come out and wished that I wasn't gay, and didn't think of my best friend as more than a best friend. I wanted to be normal. But then.. I realized.. I am.

 

[Sydian]

I get what your saying there. But what I do know that I'm right about is that being gay is not a choice. And the only reason that I know that is because I'm gay. It'd be like if birds could talk, they'd be able to explain every detail of why the fly in V formation and etc.

So because I'm not a certain orientation, I can't understand how it works? I can't empathize? I can't observe? I also want to point out that you don't know where everyone's been. The heterosexuals replying to this thread...you know, there are questions in their sexuality too. They go through it. They experiment. Straight people are not all ignorant. Just because you have experience in a certain thing doesn't mean you know more than someone else. You'll definitely have a different view and perception because of your experience, but you can't rule out what other people think because they're not gay or they haven't had that experience. And then I go back to my point before. You don't know where everyone's been. I don't know where you've been, you don't know where I've been. Maybe I do understand what it's like to be homosexual. Maybe anyone else here does. You just don't know.

I agree with Penatrait and Nameless in their other posts I'm too lazy to quote.

 

[Alley Cat]

If it came off as me calling straights ignorant/not being able to have insight on the subject, that isn't what I intended. Because they can, they do, and they will. I know straight people who have questioned their sexuality.. so I know that's possible too. There just a slight difference between being gay, and being curious. If being gay is a choice, then it is certainly not one that I would have made when I discovered that I was gay. Maybe now I would make it, but certainly not back then.

for me, at least, being gay has not been a choice. for others, it might be different. but for me, and everyone that i know personally, being gay has not been choice. i have not met single person who has chosen to be gay.

and now i need to get some sleep so i can be careful as not to offend people. && again, sorry for offense dealt.

 

[Myles]

If you believe that gay and straight people are equals than how can one intrinsically know that it's a matter of choice more than the other?

"Did the X person choose to be X or was it due to their genetics and upbringing?"

X could be gay or straight. Birds may not know why they fly in a V formation, we don't know why we yawn.