Are people born gay or is it learnt from watching gays on TV?

Question

If I took Julian Clary when he was born and brought him up in Iraq I'm sure he wouldn't be wearing lipstick and pretty frocks. What do you think?

I'm going to ellaborate, if people are born gay, they must learn to be camp from tv etc?

Learnt is a word in the UK. Check it.

Answer 1

I really never thought anyone was born to be gay. But there is something within their makeup that screams out and says, "you are gay." I always thought about the handsome prince when I was twelve or thirteen. But it was not meant to be for me, and I am happy about that. My handsome prince is my female partner who I will be with until death we do part.

Answer 2

Being born gay is something that happens. Watching TV shows does not make someone gay, however, it could help provide a gay person with ideas on what is considered "gay behavior" by the general society of the world. I will also elaborate for you: if you took Julian Clary when he was born and brought him up in Iraq, and they found out he was gay, he wouldn't be wearing lipstick and pretty frocks, he'd be shot in his front lawn multiple times, like they have done over the past several years. Even if he hadn't been caught, he wouldn't have access to lipstick and pretty frocks in Iraq as easily as elsewhere.

I hope this provides clarity to you.
Aloha,
David

Answer 3

Haha. I thought you had a really ignorant question there but I can see where you're coming from, however I disagree.

I think television can have an impact on everyone growing up. Children seeing people on the television as role models are likely to idolise that person and pick up certain traits etc that that person has and copy things that they do. That's natural. But think about it, why do children choose to follow these things? Why would one child choose to follow one person over another? Part of that personality must have to already be there in order for them to show an interest.

But being gay comes from within. A straight male could wear lipstick and still be a heterosexual. If Julian Clary was brought up in Iraq he might not have the same personality as he does now, he might not wear makeup or be feminine but he'd still have the same sexual orientation. Being camp or 'butch' does not make you gay, the way you act does not make you gay. It's who you are that makes you gay.

Answer 4

Hi Stuart,
I'm sorry that I do not know who Julian Clary is.... But I do appreciate your question. You are getting a lot of slack from everyone, but at least you have the courage to ask. I hope that everyone out there in computerland realizes that not everyone has someone to ask without being ostracized.
Now, as for the meat of your question... how many gay people do you know? No one can really say for sure, because a lot of gay people do not share the exploits of their bedrooms with the general public. And most gay people were brought up by straight parents, and watched Sesame Street and Romper Room, and Saturday morning cartoons. I would assume that is how most straight people were brought us as well. So if you really give it some thought, there is not a whole lot of difference in nurture, so it must be nature. I hope that helps, and Good Luck...

Answer 5

I was born gay. At the age of nine (when puberty kicked in) I finally learnt that everyone else wasn't. There have been several points that I have agreed with, but a majority that I haven't.

For starters - Julian Clary. My ex-boyfriend's mother grew up with Julian. She is ten years older than him, and remembers him being very effeminate even at 5,6,7 years of age. I also know someone who is effeminate, yet happily married with children. He isn't gay, just effeminate. Therefore, being soft-spoken and for want of a better phrase "limp-wristed" isn't necessarily something that is learnt - it can be part of the genetic make-up and isn't always related to sexual orientation.

As to whether campness is learnt, I have to say that for many people it is. I have been out on the gay scene for over 10 years now, and have lost count of the times you'll see a new face who is quiet and reserved, or straight acting, but then gets in with a crowd of screamers and within a few weeks he is mincing around in a crop top and hot pants. This is about fitting in and being accepted. If you want to be a part of a group of people, be it a larger culture or a small private group, you tend to take on the characteristics of that group of people. Therefore campness (not effeminacy) is learnt.

I myself am not your typical gay. I have a beard (not a moustache!) and am not camp. In fact if most of you met me you wouldn't even know I was gay, unless I chose to tell you. I grew up in a stable home with both parents and two younger sisters. I had no gay friends as a kid, and no family members were gay OR raped me as some stupid b*****d stated.

Thankfully I live in a reasonably tolerant society (the UK) where people can be openly gay, wear make up and dresses and be as camp as they like without being hanged in public, or subjected to a president set on destroying their human rights. We are close to equality in the UK, still have a long way to go, but we are much more forward thinking than a large portion of our American "cousins" (shoulder to shoulder and all that).

One last point - if it was possible to "turn" someone's sexuality, don't you think everyone would be straight? After all, there are vastly more straight people in the world than gay.

And for those of you ignoramouses out there that thought "learnt" wasn't a proper word, it is. And so is learned. They can be used interchangeably.

And there endeth the lesson!!!

Adam

Answer 6

Actually there was is a study shown that Gay people are actually born gay. Depending on where they are brought can determine how long they keep their feelings inside. Obviously it's not learned on T.V. Gay people have been around MUCH longer than the TV.
A lot of people are working on getting being gay, as a disability. In a test a gay male instinctively has the same chemical response and body response as a female when confronted with male pheromones. Because the gay people cannot help what they feel, it shows that "gayness" is in their chemical make up- or before birth. If America acknowledges this as a disability, because the body cant help it, no one can discriminate against gay people, as we cant discriminate against people with disability's.
Does that make sense?

Answer 7

Boy..you need to do a lot more reading and actually LEARN something. Churches so prey on the ignorant.

There has been homosexuality since the beginning of man, and it exists in the entire animal kingdom among all species.

Since television has only been around for a little more than 50 years and there is still a fair percentage of the population that never watches TV, and that gays have only been mentioned on TV in recent years, there is NO possible way TV can be blamed for anyone's homosexuality.

Despite what the churches say, there is now actual FACT that the brain chemistry and sometimes hormonal chemistry of homosexual humans is DIFFERENT. Thus it has a biological cause.

If you believe that God created humanity, then GOD CREATED HOMOSEXUALITY.

Though I recognize that both fact and logic escape many devout believers.

Oh..another increasingly documented fact - those who most profess to hate homosexuality are indeed harboring thoughts of such behaviors. Since the CHURCH says it is wrong, they hate themselves for having such thoughts and choose to direct their self-hatred at those who are openly gay.

Accept yourself. I realize that isn't the Christian way, but the ONLY way you will be happy to to live as God intended you to, be it straight, gay or bi-sexual.

Oh..and for those that will assume I'm gay, I'm not. What I am is a believer that it is not my business who anyone chooses to love.

Answer 8

Some people think that people are born gay and others believe that its a choice...There is actually a study going on headed by a gay man who thinks that it is genetic. Although most believe it is, i believe that it can be both genetic or a choice.
And no being gay has nothing to do with what the child watches as a kid... If he did turn out to be str8 then he would probably just be more open to the fact that gay people exist.

Answer 9

No they are not! Gay life is part of being whole as a person and feel better about themselves. They are high spirited and attack life with a good attitude and work hard to achieve their goals unlike some people I know. Gay people are here to stay and they are not born that way, it is a decision that people make when they decide to be part of something that is rewarding to them and greater part of life than most who stay home and bash everything in the world or what is wrong in their lives that have got them there...meanwhile , a Gay person has a good lifestyle for most and they manage their funds very well and drive nice Cars when some American Homosapians have had theirs repossesed. You have to weigh it out and you will see that Gay people do live better than most.

Answer 10

well no he wouldn't he would have to hide it away cause he would be swinging from the rafters with a rope noose around his neck.

Its not the TV that you learn camp from its whats inside you already its just in this country is more accepted than Iraq, but if you first cast your mind back to when Julian Clary did come out on TV with Mike Smith There was a quite a carry on about it, yes we had men who dressed in women's clothes like Barry Humpries, Danny Le Rue and Dick Emery, but these were classed as non threatening, something to laugh at, or with,where as Julian's act was a lot more different almost crude.

Answer 11

There were gay, lesbian, bisexual, and straight people long before there even was such a thing as TV. There is proof though out history of gay (and so on) people. Haven't you ever heard of Alexander the Great and Queen Christina of Sweden? Alexander was bisexual and Christina was a lesbian.

Also the sterotypes are not true most of the time, ie why they are called sterotypes. So if you see one butch lesbian wearing a biker's outfit then there are at least five others that you can't tell are lesbians because they don't fit the sterotype.