Does anyone know if any studies have been done that show if any specific environmental or social factors contribute to a child growing up to be gay? Or does anyone know of a website that has these kind of statistics?
2006-07-30 15:03:56 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Being raised by gays.
2006-07-30 15:05:56 · answer #1 · answered by sal_menella 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The whole nature vs nurture argument has been out of acceptance for quite some time. For the most part it is more accepted that one is simply born gay. One does not become gay by choice. Now as far as expression goes, some may live their entire lives in the closet whereas some may go through a divorce or two before they accept that they are gay, and others may realise they are gay and accept it at an early age. Factors that contribute to these outcomes are mostly environmental. Some people with chemical imbalances that contribute to low-self esteem or self-loathing my be more likely to be closeted, but this does not mean that some of the openly gay people are not suffereing from self-esteem issues. Environmental factors are usually found in the tolerance level and diversity of one's family. If your family is strongly anti-gay, then you're likely to have been taught this and would likely hate anything gay about yourself. This can easily result in a repressed individual, a closet case as it were. If your family is accepting, then you're probably more comfortable with yourself knowing you'll have the love and support of family members no matter what society says. I haven't any websites, so I cannot give you anything more than anecdotal evidence.
2006-07-30 15:33:34 · answer #2 · answered by practical thinking 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't know what specific factors those would be. Studies of twins have revealed that if one is gay the chance that the other is gay is about 52%. They should have about as close to the same environmental or social factors with their twin as one could expect. Yet, when one is gay it's almost as likely that the other will be straight as it is that he will be gay. Don't know whether that would prove or disprove anything.
2006-07-30 15:10:35 · answer #3 · answered by Dragon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In response to sal_manella, the only study I DO happen to know about is that gay parents do not raise gay kids any more often than straight parents.
As for the rest of it, I'm not that up on the studies, mostly because I feel it's a red herring. It shouldn't matter where it came from.
2006-08-01 16:25:58 · answer #4 · answered by Atropis 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you find such a site you can be sure it was created by a religious fundamentalist, not a recognized scientist.
What contributes to a gay child being able to grow up at all is a society in which gay people are not demonized and tormented.
2006-07-31 05:57:43 · answer #5 · answered by Drewe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
people who are gay/lesbian are born that way. I was raised by straight parents (like virtually ALL gays/lesbians are), didn't know anyone gay growing up, no one else in my family is gay, and I didn't meet anyone gay until after I realized I was a lesbian... definitely no environmental/social factors contributed to that. and I think you'll find MOST gays/lesbians can say the same. straight people raise gay kids!
2006-07-30 15:22:57 · answer #6 · answered by redcatt63 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am sorry but I am an extremely firm believer that people are born gay just as they are born straight. One is not raised to be gay and one would most likely not choose a lifestyle with added hardship. Life is hard enough already, it is much harder for someone who is gay and much much harder for a gay person growing up in a small town.
Signed Concerned Citizen
2006-07-30 16:20:39 · answer #7 · answered by Aaron A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All I know is that in my own personal experience, I didn't choice to be gay. Quite the opposite, I tried to be straight, but it just wasn't for me. It's been my experience that this is the occurances of fellow gay people. There's no other "factor" to turn out gay other than being born.
2006-07-30 23:06:09 · answer #8 · answered by Danny H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only being born gay can contribute to a person being gay. There are no other factors that can make someone gay.
2006-07-30 15:07:40 · answer #9 · answered by UOPHXstudent 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have never heard of that being done. Sorry Some people have considered being molested as a child being a possible predictor in women/lesbians.
2006-07-30 15:07:00 · answer #10 · answered by ANGEL D. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably being born that way will cause a child to be gay!
2006-07-30 15:06:28 · answer #11 · answered by Me 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋