Is homosexuality a cultural or a biological phenomenon?

Question

More specificaly, are you born into homosexuality or is it your surroundings that determine whether you become a homosexual or not?

Answer 1

It can't be a cultural phenomenon because there are gay/lesbian people in almost every culture, and have been throughout history. They exist even in cultures that list it under the death penalty - so even when they could be killed for being gay, gay people still exist. The cultural phenomenon argument doesn't really carry weight since it's so widespread. The gay and lesbian population is not unique to North America, or certain races, or certain eras.

It's at least partly biological - but that's the thing with science, we have to be patient. Very rarely, if ever, will scientists find a condition or a gene or anything DIRECTLY related to an outcome. It takes years, finding correlational data, before they can effectively narrow it down to a cause, or multiple causes. We're finding evidence, though, that it's at least partly biological (twin studies, studies of the number of male children in families, prenatal hormone exposure, etc. It's probably not a gene, but a complex interaction of other processes in the body). Someday they'll find strong biological evidence, but like all things, it takes time. People seem to think it can't be biological because we have no solid proof. But given the findings, it's probably coming eventually.

Answer 2

First understand homosexualality is constructed, just like hetrosexuality is constructed.
The Formula For Constructing A Homosexual
This formula can be illustrated in this way: A Predisposition
Toward Homosexuality Plus That First Homosexual Experience
Multiplied By Pleasurable and Positive Homosexual Thoughts
To Which Is Added More Homosexual Experiences Multiplied By More Pleasurable Thoughts Constructs A Homosexual.

The Formula For constructing A Hetrosexual
This formula can be illustrated in this way: A Predisposition
Toward hetrosexuality Plus That First Hetrosexual Experience
Multiplied By Pleasurable and Positive Hetrosexual Thoughts
To Which Is Added More Hetrosexual Experiences Multiplied By
More Pleasurable Thoughts Constructs A Hetrosexual.

Answer 3

I'd say I was born this way (prenatal hormonal theory!). I was acutely aware of my differences from other boys way before I was old enough to interpret and be dramatically influenced by surroundings outside of my family. Being obviously homosexual in the eyes of the public is liberating and I would not recommend being dishonest about your sexuality to yourself or anyone, but overall it is a nerve-racking lifestyle. Whether good or bad, people treat you differently for sure, and I couldn't really imagine anyone leading the gay lifestyle for anything but uncontrollable biological reasons.
I think when people say they "chose" this lifestyle, or "became" homosexual, what they mean is they made a conscious choice to no longer supress their instincts. Homosexuality exists in a person whether or not the surrounding culture is sufficiently tolerant to encourage manifestation of the trait.

Answer 4

I think you're born a homosexual. I've seen studies where scientists looked a identical twin brothers that were separated early in life and raised in different parts of the world by different parents. Almost 99 percent of the time if one brother was gay, so was his twin. That seems to suggest to me that it's nature over nurture.

Also, I have to say that I'm a gay man but my little brother is one of the roughest, toughest straight guys the world has ever seen. We had the same parents and the same home, but he didn't seem to get the "gay gene."

Gay people are born this way. Environment, however, may determine whether a gay person has the strength/courage to act on it instead of living a lie.

Answer 5

Interesting question, of course, and one that will never be definitively answered.
If we look at ancient Greece (around Plato's time) we see that men of Athens were expected to be married and produce children but that was not where they found romance. Adult men, meaning about middle aged, were expected to fall in love and express romantic affections for young men, teens. They had "sex" with them, but not in the sense we think of it today - there was no penetration, as this would be considered to dishonor the young man. Also, the boy did not fall in love with the man, but rather had feelings of gratitude and admiration for him. Now, what does that say about the origin or cause of homosexuality? Much, because this was the social norm, most if not all men conformed to it. Clearly, then, sexual expression is highly susceptible to social pressure. That, however, is only sexual expression. Homosexuality as a sexual orientation is a different concept. It is most likely inborn by some as yet unknown factor, but the expression of it, or heterosexuality, is subject to the current acceptable and enforced norms one is surrounded by. This of course is with the exception of those willing to challenge and defy those norms, which is itself a result of social climates and is a study of human behavior all its own.

Answer 6

How could it be cultural, or something to do with your surroundings when people who are raised in completely controlling anti-gay environments can also turn out gay?

How could it be cultural when siblings who are raised in the exact same environment could also be anti-gay can turn out gay?

How could it be cultural when people make attempts to suppress their feelings and actions for YEARS so even getting married and having children so that they don't have to face it?

If it were a cultural thing, it would be easily controllable, and changable. But it is not either of those things. Anyone who said it's a choice or cultural want to take a crack at explaining those things?

Answer 7

Biological

Answer 8

Even if it were proven to be an undisputed scientific fact that the preference towards homosexuality was proven to be genetic (such as heterosexuality, alcoholism, etc) Christians would still create a "loophole" to state that God exists. Christians would probably cite that when humans fell out of grace with God that both man and woman were "cursed" with the "imperfections" found in a world without God. You have to be aware that despite overwhelming empirical scientific evidence, there are Christians who believe the world is only 6,000 years old, and that the universe not much older than that. So for them to ignore straightforward evidence is not that difficult.

Answer 9

being a homosexual is ingraind as a biological trait. The anser is supported by the fact that animals also have homosexual behavior.

Answer 10

Biological.