Is homosexuality a choice?

Question

Now, whether you think its a born-in trait or a learned psychological behavior, I don't care.

But does anyone think people wake up one morning and say, "Wow, I am soooo fabulous" (forgive the stereotype, just making a point)

Is it true that if you're gay, you're gay and there's no 'going straght' in a healthy heterosexual relationship?

Are there any homo to hetero converts?

Answer 1

no. homosexuals have existed in almost every culture (I think ONE had no homosexuals) at about the same rate.

when did you make your choice? when did you decide you liked the opposite sex (if you're hetero)? or if you're homosexual and wondering, then when did you consciously decide to like the same sex?

I have no recollection of such a conscious decision.

Answer 2

Is heterosexuality a choice? No, neither one is.

There are no converts. If someone does "convert" it is because they realize they weren't only attracted to the same sex, but had to experience a little to see that. They are somewhat or completely bisexual.

The problem with homo vs. hetero is that gender and sexuality are not that simple. It is not a black or white category. XY does not always result in a man. If there is not enough testosterone produced during development, then the gonads will not be triggered to develop into testes. They default to ovaries. If you are XY, but have a vagina and love a man, does that make you hetero or homo? If enough testosterone is produced during development of an XX, then the woman can have masculinized genitalia, i.e. her clitoris is a little like a penis. (It's not as easy for an XX to become mostly male. Female is the default.) Some people can even be XXX or XO, meaning they have an extra chromosome or they only received one sex chromosome.

On top of this, gender roles in society are becoming blurred and even crossed. What makes a man a man and a woman a woman according to society? How do you define which is male and which is female? Then you start adding those chromosome irregularities and it's completely ridiculous to think of gender as black and white.

Then you get into the gray areas of homo vs. hetero. How hetero are you? How homo are you? How much do you have to think about members of the same sex before you become homo or bi? And of course, not all gay women are attracted to all other women. We are attracted to certain people. When you look at it that way, "sexuality" becomes nearly impossible to distinguish. I personally don't even believe in the idea. So that really throws a wrench in the works.

So, how can you even say whether a relationship is homo or hetero, when you can't say for sure whether the participants are male or female, or to what extend someone is attracted to women or men or to what extent those individuals ARE women or men and just how male or female are they? Where do you draw lines?

Answer 3

No, I don't think that someone suddenly wakes up one morning and decides to become a flaming gay person ... I believe that the process is more gradual than that, and I think that it may have its roots in several different things (like, perhaps, emotional abuse, bullying, etc.).

When a boy hits puberty, he is usually attracted to anything that moves. Every boy, straight or otherwise, has had occasional homosexual fantasies (we are all curious -- anyone who says differently is probably lying), but most boys put the thought out of their head almost as soon as it occurs and do not act on it -- because we do not want to become gay. Most heterosexuals assume that homosexual behavior is a habit caused by experimentation in ones youth. Once a behavior has become a habit (like smoking or drinking), then it probably is no longer a conscious choice at that point.

But we assume that it was a choice at some point far back in that person's life when he originally decided to experiment.

It seems odd that some people claim that they were "born" homosexual. What does that actually mean? -- were they trying to have sex with people of the same gender at age two?

As far as I can tell, it makes no sense to say that a child, before he reaches puberty, is "straight" or "gay". Before puberty we are neither -- we are asexual.

I was not attracted to either sex before I hit puberty, and neither was anyone else. Saying that you were "born gay" is a non-starter as an argument.

As for people who say that they changed from gay to straight, the people at Exodus International say that they have.

Answer 4

How absurd it is that some people actually think we select our sexual orientation like we might choose ice cream flavors.

"Hmm. Today I think I'll be straight, but gay sounds good too. Maybe tomorrow"

I can think of no other appropriate word than "stupid". How can people be so deluded as to actually believe crap like that? Did they had a hard time choosing whether to be straight or gay and in the end flipped a coin to decide?

So, it's true that wheether or not you act on your orientation or not is a choice, but so what? How unfair is it that some people desire the same gender but are expected to live a life of celibacy just because some asinine ancient book says so.

...and by the way, I am fabulous. Just not gay.

Answer 5

Sexuality falls on some continuum that extends in many different directions, but most people feel attracted to members of the opposite gender. It's become cliche in response to your question, but is heterosexuality a choice?

There are growing pieces of evidence that homosexuality is a result of in-utero development. It's similar to left-handedness. No one knows you're left-handed until one day you pick up a little shovel in the sandbox with your left hand, and then you do similar things consistently.

Affectional preference becomes most recognizable as people enter puberty. As you find you are consistently drawn toward members of your own gender, you come to believe you're gay.

Those who consistently believe that this is a choice do so from a religious, not scientific reason. Even Freud thought that gay people could be very well adjusted members of the community.

There are no doubt people who have been able to subsume homosexual desires, but the numbers are woefully small. Many who have tried to become straight have later talked about the ways they deceived those trying to convert them to heterosexuality. You can see the reference below from Soulforce.

Answer 6

Recent research seems to indicate that there is really no choice factor involved in homosexuality. Some studies indicate a genetic basis, others point to chemistry in the mother's womb. So it is possible that there may even be several different kinds of homosexuality. As well, homosexuality occurs among animals in nature at about the rate of 10%.

Other studies point out the fact that gender ambiguity is more common that people realize; that is, male and female are not as black and white as previously thought. So gender these days really occurs along a continuum, with many shades in between; thus, sexual orientation is not the simple thing that it was once thought to be,

Answer 7

What do you mean by the word "choice". Do you mean do they have to be a homosexual? Do you mean that they can or can not change or be changed? Do you mean that they must or can refrain from acting upon an idea or a thought and must put it into a manifested act?

I do firmly believe everything in respect to thoughts or actions start with an idea that grows into a thought an then is by choice radiated in an act or action. I also believe one can set aside a thought by nipping an idea in the bud. I also believe that any thought can be contained within without it being revealed.

I am not of the belief that homosexuality is an inherited quality or quantity unless you accept the nature to sin is inherited. I am inclined to see homosexuality as just one of the instinct that results from entertained ideas that are not nipped in the bud and develope into thoughts manifested.

I also do believe that God sees homosexuality as a sin just as lying, stealing, murder, etc., are sins. I do believe all mankind has the potential to be a homosexual for I am convinced all are designed to be sinners so they can see the need for the existance of God and the provisions He did provide.

Homosexuality and murder are set apart because they can and will effect the physical being of another and thus do in the old law require the death penalty along with some other offenses. Thieves effect physical property which can be valued in money.
Thus in my view all are sins period and all sin is in placer to prove exactly what humankind is and will remain unless changed by God in the Provisions of God.

Answer 8

for some it is a fad something taboo to do to make people either mad or to impress. For others its a uncontrolable thing, you just cant help who you love. you can however choose not to be a dick and put people down for who they love. before there was the whole black and white thing now its gay or stright. I think people as a whole feel the need to have someone to pick on and its always the minoritys that get picked on.
there are hundreds of homosexuals out there that refuse to belive they are and go about life as a stright person usually these people are the ones who just cant seem to find the person that makes them happy. I also think that most "wife beaters" are closet homos and they are mad cause they are gay but they dont think they should be.

Answer 9

Is homosexuality a choice? Yes, it is. If Americans wheren't so brain dead they would know it to. The Bibles states the truth about queers.

Ro 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

Ro 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

Ro 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Answer 10

I can understand straight gay being a disease have even seen show showing genes running in families of gays. what I can't understand is bi-sexuality that has got to be a choice. But I try not to judge others I will be judged soon enough and believe me on a good day I'm not perfect but i wish someone could tell me how you wake up some morning and say wow I'm bi
and ain't it great. lol:-)

Answer 11

Feelings are fickle, unstable and highly influenced by external stimulation, so I don't believe one is born gay or not... or can just wake up one morning and decide... it's long way off before one indulge in acting it out finally... there could be pre-desposition in one's mind for it or in spiritual athmosphere in ones life/family (the same as doc's now say if you have a bad gene you don't have to get sick of that deseese if you do preventative things such as eating habbits, attitudes etc), so in my view if you indulge your senses with lust for the body of the same/oposite sex, you'll eventually go there all the way... If you've had feelings for the same sex, but never took it to gay extreme, then you'd perhaps realise that love can be felt for somone without it being sexual... not allowing experimentation and being self disciplined (in control of your thoughts, not letting imagination run wild) in ones thought life would eventually wear off this desire... like with food, depends what you focus on...and what you beleive is right, wrong, allowed, natural, un-natural etc

So perhaps it's a long term decision process...