Is Being Gay A Choice?

wow, the number 47% or half of all americans statistic that you used here is shocking to me. I have had many experiences similar to yours, and i know first hand also that the sexual orientation of a person absolutely is not a choice. In fact, I believe that it is so huge that it encompasses one's whole 'being', how do people expect someone to change that? It is quite absurd to me that people think different, but i suppose each has the right to their own opinion. Good post.

Well, think of it as the shoe on the other foot, does anyone actually choose to be heterosexual? No. So I don't think that homosexuality is a choice, purely because people see it as being "wrong". Just because others don't agree with you, doesn't mean your point of view is actually wrong. Y'know?

I believe a major reason why there's a debate on whether homosexuality is a choice or if you're born that way is the lack of education on the subject, which the whopping 47% statistic reflects. With the "neutrality" position on learning about homosexuality in schools and the "don't ask, don't tell" in the military that's seeping into other occupations, it's understandable that the ignorance regarding homosexuality is palpable. Otherwise rational, intelligent people are not getting the information they need to make a rational view of homosexuality, and thus if they're part of the majority of Americans, have to rely on traditional Christian values. This, of course, leads to animosity towards anything homosexual. I simply don't understand why someone would choose to be homosexual when society condemns them so much; doesn't it make more sense that homosexuality is something you're born with?
Also, I noticed a lot of information from the video you posted was also in chapter 11 of the text, including the antigens that feminize a male baby after repeated male births from the same mother.

Actually I don't think be a gay is a choice. They just want to be themselves. They have no difference with us. However, many people still believe that be a gay is a choice. That's a little bit absurd.

I think it's wrong to say that being gay is a choice. Nobody has the ability to choose their sexual orientation they are born with, but at least the world is slowly starting to recognize this and make a change.

I thought that this video was interesting. I found your story to be true to my opinion, meaning, I agree that being homosexual isn't necessarily a choice. Feelings are feelings whether one likes them or not. However, some people give up with the sex that they're in favor of because they cannot find love with anyone, so they decide to try experimenting with the same sex (or opposite, considering which sex he/she started with). I don't know personally, but maybe some people come to like the change. Maybe some do not. Great topic, nicely done.

I agree with you, and do not think being gay is a choice. I found the the genetic evidence in the textbook to be very interesting and I think more people should be open to the genetics that are behind homosexuality. That evidence could be really helpful in fighting for gay rights and changing people's opinions.

I agree that homosexuality is not a choice. While the LGBT community has made a lot of progress in fighting for equal rights, they still are not treated completely equal to everybody else. In the past, homosexuals were treated very poorly and were looked down upon, which sadly still happens sometimes. If being gay was a choice, why would people choose to be discriminated against in society?

I also agree that being homosexual is not a choice. There is no way of knowing how other people feel. Therefore, it's unfair of us to judge people for their sexual orientation. I'm sure it is no easier for gay people to choose to be attracted to members of the opposite sex than it would be for straight people to force themselves to be attracted to the same sex. It's good to try to understand other people and why they make their decisions rather than just assume things.

This topic is always so controversial. I am not going to agree or disagree, because I have never really closely known a gay person. But I think it is definitely interesting. The story about your friend makes it sound like it wasn't her choice to be like that, but look at the other options, she chose to wear clothes like a tomboy and she chose to play sports like a guy. The thing is she just didn't choose to do other girly stuff. For me, this kind of sounds like all those things influenced her into the person she became. But I'm not judging on that, I'm just putting out a theory of my own. But I feel like it's very hard to prove, because we are not inside the person's mind.

Like the author of the previous comment said, it's difficult to tell if it a choice or not. A person might be homosexual because they were born that way (ie: their genes), or they might be homosexual because of the factors that they have decided to include in their environment. It's a classic nature versus nurture example.

As the last comments said, I'm not entirely sure what to think because I haven't been in that position. For me, heterosexuality is just something that seemed automatic. So I do understand why people would say it is not a choice. At the same time, for those that are bisexual, is that not a choice as well? As said by leex5606, it's hard to determine without being in the position. At the same time, we're not aware how much people's sexual orientations are influenced by the outside world. It's a touchy topic, but interesting post nonetheless

I'm glad you shared this. This is a real touchy subject. I believe in some cases it is a choice, but in others they cannot help it, it all depends on the severity of the emotions. Also, being bisexual also has to deal with it in some regards too. The fact that the video brought up that 70% of the time a twin is gay if the other is gay is fascinating, especially when I have a homosexual friend who has a twin brother and I have been questioning him for years..

It seems like most people share the same opinion, but i also don;t think being gay is a choice. I have a friend like yours who was confused over this situation during high school. Asking him about the topic he said after the emotional distress he went through he doubted anyone would choose to be gay. Just another viewpoint. good post.

I agree with you that being gay is not a choice. I have had similar experiences with friends as you have. One friend from the deep south came out as being gay and his father killed himself because he could not handle the "humiliation" of having a gay son. This just shows how sensitive this topic is in our culture. Though my views are that being gay is not a choice, the fact that our society is almost evenly split says something. There are valid points to both arguments.

I think the answer is very clearly proven in the animal kingdom. Its not just humans who exhibit homosexual behavior, it happens more often than you think in all species of animals. I don't think that anyone chooses their sexual orientation. Can you really imagine animals thinking about it, and choosing to be homosexual opposed to being straight? It makes absolutely no sense biologically for anyone to call it a choice.

I agree with you that being gay isn't necessarily a choice but I do think that the environment does play a role in it as well. If a child is displaying homosexual tendencies at a young age I think it would be possible to alter the environment they are in and to change their habits. This then falls down to a matter of ethics. Is it right to try to make your child something other than what they seem to be at a young age? I guess that is something for the parents to decide.