Is Being Gay a Choice? Considering whether people choose to be gay is complex. It very much appears that same-sex sexual attraction is not a choice but acting on it is; so if you define gay as the mere presence of same-sex attraction, then from everything we understand, being gay is not a choice. Being gay is not a choice for people. Instead, it appears to be a fundamental part of who someone is.
It is not a learned behavior. Which also means that people cannot “unlearn” their sexual orientation. In the U.S., 1% to % of women and men, respectively, identify as gay. Despite these numbers, many people still consider homosexual behavior to be an anomalous choice. Myth #2: Some people choose to be gay. Reality: Sexuality is not a choice, that is how the person is born.
Like we do not chose to be heterosexual person, people do not chose to be homosexual, bisexual or pansexual. No one chooses to be gay, as much as no one chooses to be straight. Similarly, counseling or therapy can’t change someone’s.
Sexuality is just complex, study confirms. There is no single gene responsible for a person being gay or a lesbian. That’s the first thing you need to know about the largest genetic. So what does the science say about Born This Way? Another landmark paper on the origins of homosexuality was published in by a geneticist named Dean Hamer, who was interested to learn whether homosexuality could be inherited.
She was on top of me. If people do not accept you for who you are, then it is their loss not yours. When did I begin to prefer lilies to roses? The sexual categories were rigid. Show All You can spot the problem with this study a mile away: were the gay brains LeVay studied born that way, or did they become that way? In response to the poll, one of my Facebook friends quipped about how natural selection must be working in overtime, what with making all of us gay!
The first theory is that homosexuality is a choice. Biological factors shape sexual preference. Instead, it seems quite clear to me that there is a combination of genetic and biological factors that cause people to become gay.
But not everyone finds the results convincing, according to Science. But there are still legal protections for them. This is just who I am! Along with the study of genes and chromosomes the environment in the womb of the mother, as well as other prenatal factors, have been studied to understand how it can affect sexual orientation. People who are questioning their sexual orientation are also welcome.
This theory has been backed up by some research, such as studies on identical twins where one twin was gay and the other was not. All editorial decisions for published content are made by the MentalHealth. Sexual Revolutions. If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc. So what are we to do with the Born This Way rhetoric? This is a variation of his controversial Oedipal Conflict which has largely been rejected in the mental health community.
In spite of these studies, those who push against Born This Way narratives have been heavily criticised by gay activists. Instead, she suggests it hinges on the fact that far more people are now personally acquainted with someone who is gay. Despite these numbers, many people still consider homosexual behavior to be an anomalous choice. Even if you accept that sexual desire may exist on a kind of spectrum, the predominant idea is still that these desires are innate and immutable — but this runs counter to what we know about human taste, says Ward.
Drowning out every voice that dares to question dominant cultural narratives is not the same thing as invalidating the arguments those voices are making.
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