Is homosexuality a genetic trait or a conscious choice?

Question

I got into a debate with someone the other day on whether homosexuality is an uncontrolled genetic trait or a conscious choice. She argued that it was genetic based on the idea that she had seen homosexual couples interact exactly like heterosexual couples in terms of emotional attachment and love. My counterargument stated that many people often confuse deep emotional attachment with sexual attraction (example: daughters falling in love with fathers). I also argued that if it was genetic, then there would be a "cure" for homosexuality, because they are noting more than a genetic abnormality. I would just like to hear some opinions from either side to make a more educated judgement.

Answer 1

The thing with these "nature vs environment" arguments is that people for some reason feel that is has to be either one or the other. As with almost every other characteristic (including things like IQ and Criminal Behavior) it is a mixture of both.

My Theoretical Perspectives professor was telling us some stats on twin studies. With identical twins, which share 100% genes, if one sibling is gay there's 40% chance the other one is also gay. In fraternal twins, which share 50% of genes like normal siblings, if one sibling is gay there's a 20% chance the other one is also gay. I might be interpreting wrong, but it looks that the genes do have some effect, but it's not quite a big major predictor of homosexuality.

ummm...yeah.

Answer 2

If the word you used genetic trait mean that you born with it then I believe that homosexuality is a genetic trait. Because when you were born even thought the sex has automatic come with you physically but the emotionally you don't know until you about certain age around may be 9 to 10 years old that you start to feel that sexuality that you with it, that it matches how you feel deeply inside of you that you are male or female and how to act base on the society characterize for male or female how you should act. If you think why people that physically born differently from their emotionally go through the extrema to change if just a conscious choice, I don't think so. Or if you are a loud person it is hard to become a quiet person. I really believe homosexuality is a genetic trait that you were born with it and it is no cure because they are not just like the disease it is deeper that we could understand for this moment.

Answer 3

Some people will say it's genetic, but if it's genetic then wouldn't that mean that someone else in there family is also homosexual, say a mother or a father, possible a cousin, or grandparent? I don't believe it's a conscious choice either. We are all human, we grow up with different beliefs, no matter how much are parents try to mold us. If Homosexuality is genetic then what is Bi-Sexuality? How do you explain that? You only got a trace amount of the Homo gene? I think not, to an extent it is a conscious choice, because you will chose to be with that man or woman. I agree that people mistake emotional attachment with sexual attraction, but that's for them to experiment with and find out for themselves. Lifestyles I also attribute to forming opinions about your sexuality. When I was growing up..up until i was about 18 years old I thought lesbians were gross. I didn't mind gay men, but seeing 2 women together disgusted me. Well my lifestyle changed, I wasn't a preppy little highschool girl that drove her BMW anymore, i was an 18 year old girl that got out of her sheltered life and was experimenting with things on my own. Finding out who I was and forming my own opinions based on my experiences, and I have to tell you , having sex with a girl was prolly the most fun I ever had. I wouldn't consider my self, gay, or lesbian, prolly not even BI, i am married I have kids, and Love dick, but having sex with a girl is a nice change of pace from time to time. So basically, I I can agree with a conscious decision, because mine was, i don't buy it's a genetic thing.
Hope that helped

Answer 4

While I believe one consciously decides become gay, scientists claim that a certain part of your body (I think it's the pituitary gland) controls which sex you're more inclined to go for.

"I also argued that if it was genetic, then there would be a "cure" for homosexuality, because they are noting more than a genetic abnormality."

Your argument's kind of faulty. Not all genetic abnormalities can be cured.

I'd read somewhere that almost everyone, if not everybody, goes through a phase when they're unsure of their sexuality. This is especially true in the teenage years.

Answer 5

I think there can be some arguments for both sides but I truly believe it to be a combination of the two factors. Genetics and upbringing determine a person's, well, personality.....shy, assertive, emotions, and even taste and preferences for different things in life including food and drink. It ultimately comes down to choice to a degree because one can choose whether to suppress their feelings or act on them, but the feelings they have can not necessarily be controlled. Whether it is RIGHT or WRONG is a moral judgment.

Answer 6

i think it is neither of those, it was the way you were born and there is nothing more to it...i have asked my mother a similar question, and if you mena choice as if choosing to be true to who you are instead of pretending to be something that doesnt feel right to you, then yes, it is a choice, and if in genetics, there are cases where no one in a family has ever been homosexual

Answer 7

Please for the last time...It's genetic....how come so many heterosexuals have "all the answers" to homosexuality? Walk a mile in my shoes and you'd understand a lot more about what it's like to be gay.....Nobody makes choices like that...chooses to be the bane of society to be ridiculed, to be told that they are hated and abhorred by god, the have their parents disown them....etc,etc,etc...and if you think these things don't go on everyday think again.....there is no choice here...it is who we are.

Answer 8

Everyone who answered choice...under what circumstances would you have sex someone of the same sex?

Bet you answered none ... right? and why is that BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT ATTRACTED TO MEMBERS OF YOUR OWN SEX. Now go check your diaries and find the day that you wrote down that the opposite sex were attractive. Bet it's not there because you've always known, same deal with the gay folks. They just know that they like their own gear and that's that.

Also a study comes out about once a year (google it yourselves, I'm tired) that says that lesbians' brains and straight men's brains are similar in some area or another and same for gay men's brains and straight women's brains or their reactions to certain hormones or whatever.

Answer 9

I don't think its choice, many people who are gay wish they were not, but I don't believe its set either. People who are gay often find out that they have a different orientation after being heterosexual for many years. I'd imagine that it is possible for a gay person to later find out that they are straight.

Answer 10

even if it is genetic, then that doesn't mean there would be a cure. I myself have a genetic disease, and no there isn't a cure. And just like magneto from X-men, I say that there is no disease, so they cant sure them. Who are we to judge what people believe? Do you want to play god? OOO can I play?