Does it even matter if homosexuality is a choice?

Question

I mean, let's think about this. Even if being gay *was* a choice (as a lesbian who did not choose to like women, I can safely say that it is not, at least not in all the gays I've met), why would that matter?

Even if someone did choose to live their life as a gay person, the "homosexual lifestyle" or whatever, why does that matter? I think the thing that really matters is what gives people the right to tell others that their way of life is wrong?

Even if I had made a choice to love women (a choice that harms no one, not me, not the women I am involved with), why does that give someone the right to deny me societal rights and privileges? Because I had made a choice that they don't like? What if they disagree with what shade I dyed my hair, didn't I just make a choice that they didn't like?

Is anyone following me here?

Answer 1

Absolutely. If someone chooses to run marathons or obsess over Paris Hilton, on eat nothing but Lean Cuisine for 425 straight meals, it should have no impact on where they can live, if they can get a job promotion, or be treated decently.
The whole *its not a choice" argument was concocted to create relevance with the clueless types who are uncomfortable and downright hateful toward gay people. The argument- "if you never made a conscious *choice* to be hetero maybe you can see how gay people didn't *choose * it either. This has actually worked for me a couple of times. But the more libertarian argument you espouse might work better these days.

Answer 2

I do agree with your point - not everyone has to agree with the choice in order for us to be allowed to live our lives, much like interracial marriage may not be accepted by everyone, that doesn't make it illegal.

On the other hand though, whether or not it's a choice makes a big difference when you're considering the religious side of the "argument". If homosexuality is a choice, then us gay people are willingly being "immoral" and especially with the current administration, that level of immorality is not tolerated. I'm going to make the comparison to interracial marriage since it's the closest viable example: if people thought race was a choice you made and interracial marriage was denounced in the Bible, do you think it would be allowed? Probably not...at least, it would be much more controversial than it is even now.

With race, though, the truth of the matter is more clear - obviously you don't choose which race you're born into, and nowhere in the Bible does it say everyone should be white, or Latino, or whatever. With the gay issue though, there is no clear answer. You can't SEE that someone's gay, it has to do with the emotional realm which is ambiguous as far as nature vs. nurture. Also, it is true for some people that their "gayness" was a conscious decision (think of the lesbian-feminists of the 60s and 70s). For most of us though, it wasn't.

As long as we allow them to think we're choosing our lives as they are, we are allowing them to relegate us to the position of "s/he who makes immoral choices", and what reason do they have to honor those choices? It's a far easier road (not easy at all, but slightly less impossible) to get mass society to accept innate difference than it is to get them to honor chosen deviance. Just like they can't not give you a job because you were born with red hair - it's an innate difference and they can't fault you for that. However, a law firm may not hire you because you dyed your hair purple or chose to tattoo your face.

I hope that all made sense! :-)

Answer 3

By any moral standard I understand mutually enjoyable activities between consenting adults in the privacy of their own home are not, and should not be, anyone Else's business. The Bible has been used to justify bigotry, discrimination, oppression, and some of the worst crimes against humanity in history. The Confederacy (with their constitutional right to own slaves) and Nazi Germany were both founded as Christian Nations. If it were a choice, it would still be your right to make that choice, and, since I don't believe it is a choice, I can only quote a French philosopher. "I did not choose to be who and what I am, but, since it is me, I will neither deny nor apologize for it."

Answer 4

First off, check out www.narth.com
This is a non-religious organization showing that scientific evidence proves that homosexuality is not genetic.

Second, why is it that nobody wants to be responsible for choosing to be homosexual? Could it be because deep down they know it's wrong? Hmmm.

Third, it matters because there are certain priviledges that some in the homosexual community think the government should pay for with tax dollars. These same people want the homosexual lifestyle being promoted as "normal" in schools and other public arenas. Because the Bible clearly says homosexuality is a sin, I have a responsibility to protect my kids from it. Some in the homosexual community want others to tolerate their lifestyle, but aren't willing to tolerate the lifestyles who believe homosexuality is morally wrong.

Answer 5

I am sorry, but I am somewhat disagree with what you said (I know a lot of people don't like it).
As a gay person myself, this question has troubled me a lot lately, and I have done a lot of thinking on it.
First of all, if homosexuality were a choice, then it means that humans are made to be heterosexual. If we are born to be heterosexual, then why do we choose to be gay? Why do we twisted the standard (heterosexuality) into what doesn't seem to be a standard (homosexuality). Also, men and women are prefect together in a sense that they can reproduce. But a homosexual couple do that? No. If homosexuality continue to grow, I am afraid that the human population would extinct. I dont know, and I know a lot of people are offend by it, but I have to say what I have to say.

Answer 6

I follow you entirely and funnily enough was pondering the same thing myself.
I have not encountered the levels of homophobia in my life that I see on this site and the backbone of the bible-thumping argument seems to be that it is a choice.
Well, so what?
If it's a choice or something I'm born with, if the Bible accepts it or says it's a sin, if I'm going north or south in the next life, if there is evidence out there to prove I'm immoral and depraved and deserve to have my eyes gouged out by the righteous (or whatever) - the fact is, I'm not going to change.
After all, they have made the choice to base their lives on a book full of contradictions and inconsistencies, even in the face of actual, tangible proof which negates their beliefs.....they choose to hate me and judge me and condemn me to the worst possible fate. That's not really a Christian thing to do now, is it?
(I exclude the many, many, accepting Christians I have also encountered on this site)
So let's just accept each other and stop trying to change each other!!!!!

Answer 7

You offer an intelligent hypothesis, what if it was a choice. Your argument has merit but you must remember, the people who most oppose gays, not so long ago opposed freedoms for blacks, ironically using the same book, the Bible. For those in doubt, just check the reasoning for apartheid, you may be surprised. The crux of your statement is that adults, harming no one, should be allowed to express their sexuality without attack or persecution. On this point you're dead on, unfortunately Religious institutions have never been big on treating adults like adults and continue in fact to treat us as children.

Answer 8

I follow what you mean. no, it shouldn't matter even if it was a "choice." which, those of us who are, know that it most definitely, is not.
people raised in ignorance by bigots usually grow up the same way....afraid of anyone/anything that is different. and some of them think that anyone different, shouldn't have rights.
making ourselves more visible and vocal may help open the minds of a few (probably very few), but we have to stay out there and fight for our rights like any other minority group has had to do.
the constitution says "We the People"...not "We the Heterosexuals"

Answer 9

following, and i agree. if you're gay or lesbian or anything in between, it has no bearing on my life or that of my children.

maybe people make a big deal about it being a biological issue because they can't accept that a loved one (esp. parents and kids) would make a choice to go in a direction that is not socially acceptable. it looks better for them, like, "well, my child-rearing techniques had nothing to do with their lifestyle."

but what is important is that people are happy with who they are, whether it is a choice or not.

so be happy with your gay self and your blue hair!

Answer 10

Welcome to a freer world where you are allowed to rant and rave about what other people do. They (the people saying it is wrong) believe the louder they yell about it and the more noise they make about it, the more correct they must be. Too bad more don’t speak out on the opposing side. Maybe this imbalance could be corrected.