Is being gay genetic?

Question

I was chatting to a gay person and when I asked them how they knew they were gay they said they always sort of knew and that they thought it was genetic. If so, i asked, how do you explain bisexuality and is being gay not just a lifestyle choice? What do you think?

Answer 1

I honestly believe that those who are the wrong sex in the wrong body with the wrong thought processes are actually born with a major birth defect. The testicles and ovaries all start out the same. The sexual organs are developed and travel to their embryonic destination rather late in the game. Sometimes, the brain takes the high road and the sexual organs just go the wrong way on the elevator. It really is simple. Most truly gay/not bi people were meant to be how they feel. If the sexual organs do not match what is in the brain, it is a genetic birth defect. Now, I believe that everything else falls under bicurious which I believe is due in large part to lifestyle.

Answer 2

Being gay is not genetic. Many children make a choice spontaneously and they do not remember the choices they may have made when they were small. Yet the choice had an influence on them and effected their choices to come. most children do not understand the concept of God, and they do not make decisions based on what the plan of God is. Some children do not make the choice to be gay, but choose to be heterosexual. I often wonder how lucky these children are. I do not understand why children make the choices they do, it is the heat of the moment. We all can understand that. Yet if the parents live the plan of God s, the child has more influence on them to do so as well. It is not the parents fault, it just is. We all become adults sooner or later, and we can put away our childhood choices if we choose, even if it does not seem to make us happy. God has a plan for each of us and he will understand that as children we do not always put him first, but as adults he wants us to put him first so we can help the children to come. It seems impossible at times, and it even seems it may never ever be possible, but if we ask Jesus Christ for help , he will work with us and help us to live the plan of God s. It is even easier than we think, because once we trust Jesus Christ the powers and principals will help us to be more Christ like. It could take a life time for some, so we each should help and love each other. If you are thinking you can compare bisexual with homosexual it is something that is not genetic. It is a choice made. Some people can not understand it is a choice because they need to believe it is the way they was born. It is a choice, everything is a choice. So choose Jesus Christ and let yourself live as God had planned for you. It is a better way of life and soon will be very fun for you. It is never to late, it was all planned. God knows when we made choices and he even may have allowed for those choices made, so do not despair, just trust in Jesus Christ and live the good life.

Answer 3

I've never understood the pointless science of trying to find out WHY people are gay, or not, as the case may be. Other than those who would judge everything with reference to the pseudo-science of religion, I just cannot understand why it is such a contentious issue.

Why should anyone want to change the way they are, and why should anyone want to change other people into something else?
Isn't that the underlying reason for the question?

I just don't get it!

As for the lifestyle-choice option, this simply has to be nonsense for a majority of gay people; myself included. I cannot ever recall a time when I was ever, in the slightest, attracted to women. My own puberty just naturally.....very naturally.....gravitated towards boys of my own age, and it has never really been a problem for me.

The Kinsey Rport, back in the 1960's, identified a range of sexualities, from absolutely gay to absolutely straight, which means that most people fall somewhere between the two extremes.

I'm quite sure there is a perfectly good anthrolpological reason for that in human beings, which may or may not be connected with the mechanisms of social interaction.

A far more interesting puzzle for me, has always been the affinity between degrees of gayness and the sort of occupations people do. It really isn't a myth that many gay men work in the caring profession, and a number of lesbian women work as law enforcement officers. In fact, I recall a survey of gay occupations, and it was astounfing how high the percentage of gay men was in things like nursing and hairdressing.

Now if we wanted evidence against the "lifestyle-choice" then this is counter-evidence, because occupation is not pre-determined by social conditioning or peer pressure by and large, yet many gay men gravitate towards these occupations.

I suspect that, whatever the reasons, gay people are simply born as gay people, with precious little choice in the matter.

Anyway, as a gay man, I'm perfectly happy, have a fine relationship with a cute young Czechoslovakian guy and I have always held good jobs.

Why should I worry?

Answer 4

your born gay, I always knew even as a small child. although im sure that for some it is a lifestyle choice. some people choose to call themselves bisexual because they find it easier to deal with or that society wont judge them as harsh as if they was gay. at the end of the day however sex is sex and as long as both partys enjoy whats happening whats the harm. of course bigots and rednecks are going to have there rant but its there problem and if truth was to be known its prob more likely because of issues dealing with there own sexuality.
in essence though, nothing has been proven (yet) that homosexuality is genetic although the probability is that it is.

Answer 5

Homosexuality probably has genetic and psychological roots to it. There's no such thing as a gay gene, but probably a gene which may influence one towards same sex attraction (with something else determining opposite sex attraction). The existence of bisexuality, and the infinite amount of variation in people would indicate that there are many factors - and not just one.

Answer 6

i think sexuality is probably genetic too, whichever way you're inclined. my guess also is that bisexuality is the norm.

being gay is not a lifestyle choice, you wouldn't voluntarily want to put up with the discrimination you get from being lgbt.

av been drawn to the same sex for as long as i can remember, and also used to like lads aswell, got put off ten years ago after a vile experience. i always preferred lasses though.

you never get asked how long have you known you were straight, do you?.....

Answer 7

look it up, google it, microfiche it (wow, does anyone even know what that is anymore?)... there are plenty of articles both for and against it being genetic. look closely at where the articles are coming from. most against it are conservatist or religious sites/article. most totally for it are publications for homosexuals. i found on the PBS site an article about the research on fruit flies (yes, that is where this genetic basis lies). if nothing else, even PBS is admitting there is a gay gene. they say it is a huge jump to compare humans to fruit flies, but i think it is just a matter of time before someone actually pin-points the gene in humans.

so yes, i think it is genetic, but there is no unquestionable proof of that.

as for steve, then how do you explain a physical handicap? often both parents are healthy. it is a mutation - not necissarily good or bad, but a mutation - that's how evolution works.

Answer 8

There has been some research to suggest a genetic element, but that would only amount to a predisposition, it is possible to chose to live otherwise, as with many things.
I'm sure that there have been many people who were 'genetically' gay but lived heterosexual lifestyles because of peer pressure. Thank goodness society is finally starting to loosen up, and allow people to chose the sexual orientation that suits them!

Answer 9

we are on a wavelength. i was just about to ask exactly the same question! but i don't think it is. but i don't think it's a 'lifestyle' chocie as some people have said. it's just a way a person feels.but maybe it is genetic or the way a person has been brought up. they should really do some kind of survey so we can get a good answer!

Answer 10

It's all genetic. You don't wake up one morning and decide you want to be with a guy, then wake up the next day and decide to be with a girl. The lifestyle choice is the decision on how out you are. Sme guys are totally out, others are more closeted.