Would you change a child's sexual orientation?

Question

This is not a right or wrong question. I am seeking opinions.

Deaf Culture, which is rich and established, faces extinction because of the Cochlear Implant. Children who receive the Cochlear Implant will speak the way that "normal" hearing children do and be integrated into the hearing world the way "normal" children are.

There are treatments for children with genetic Dwarfism that make them taller. The children do not become basketball player tall, but the treatments bring them into the "normal" range (above 5 feet).

There is often resistance the destruction of one's culture and opposition to a subjective and/or imposed "normal".

If you are a gay parent would you choose to change your child's sexual orientation if it were possible?

If so, would you choose to make your child heterosexual or homosexual?

Answer 1

To be honest, I've watched my cousn make the same choice with his two boys, not with the sexual conotation obviously but with the growth hormone. We have a very short ancestor in our recent paternal line and the boys took after him, so their parents opted for growth hormones. The boys will now be nominally 5 footish, give or take a couple of inches.
Personally I wouldn't have given them the treatment but I do know how cruel children in school can be to anyone different than they are.
As for the genetic treratment for homo vs hetero sexual I would allow my child to be what they were going to be naturally.
I still would prefer to not be messing around with genomes.

Answer 2

When I have a child (by surrogate mother or adoption) I would not change anything about them. I have a brother who is 16 years younger than I am, the day he was born and I held him for the first time I could feel my world shift, all I wanted to do was be there for him and help him.

He is almost like my own child, whatever he becomes, gay straight, indifferent, tall, short, fat, thin, smart, athletic, funny, serious, whatever it may be I am there for him. Ideally that's is what a parent should do, support their child to become the person that they will become, not try to force beliefs and lifestyles on them.

I would not change anything about my brother, I wish for his sake that he has an easier go at life than i have had so far, and that he does not have to deal with the same things I have had to deal with. I wish things for him but no matter what I am there for him.

Answer 3

That's a very interesting question. I look at it from the point of view of - what is going to make the child happy? If they are happy being gay then so be it - I just have to adjust to that fact - it is their life - I have taken them as far as I can.

I think also you have valid points with the deaf, dwarfism thing but I see it more of a medical feat than more of a psychological feat. It's been shown that shocking gays don't make them straight whereas the great advancements you have mentioned are working.

Answer 4

If there was a cure for homosexuality and i had a kid, your question i guess is would i cure him or would i gave him the medice to cure him. Without thinking it twice i would say NO WAY. Now my question is, by curing him, would he be a happier person, would it make him a better human being. All i would want from my son is to be himself and proud of who he really is. Remember that being gay is just a sexual thing. According to society someone that sleeps with a person of that same sex is a homosexual. Who ever said that society is alwasy right. Lets all start living our own lifes and stop worring about what society thinks about the way you choose to live your life. For once can we start respecting others and let them do whatever they want as long as they don't hurt anyone else. Its not anymore about color, race or religion, its all about the power of love and respect. The greatest lesson of life is to have love and be loved in return, and applies to anything and everything.

Answer 5

I love the question, truly thought provoking.

I would not choose to change my child's sexual orientation because it is a part of who they are. Same as I would not change a hermaphrodite child into a girl to make their lives easier, I would wait and let them chose.

It is difficult to say so definitely with hearing however, for fact that it is one of the main senses we are dealing with. Being a person who has grown up hard of hearing, but not deaf, and one who has many deaf friends (some with the implant, some without) does not make the decision easier to make.

In the end I think I would have to give my child the opportunity to hear. I think that they would be angrier with me for not giving them that opportunity, then they would be for growing up hearing. I would still make sure, however, that they were involved in the deaf community and kept up with their ASL and lip reading for as long as they saw fit. If necessary, at their request, the implant could be removed, couldn't it? (That is not a rhetorical question, I really am not sure...however I assume that it would be possible.)

Answer 6

I'd let God decide how my child is supposed to be. Personally, I'd hold off on treatments for the other thing to let my child make the decision to have either issue "fixed". Especially with Dwarfism, we're not looking at something that's an actual deficiency; just something other people don't really know how to deal with.

Answer 7

you ask a very interesting question, and one that is currently being discussed among doctors and religious leaders..

there is a big difference between correcting an ear that doesn't work and attempting to modify sexual orientation.

a deaf ear is clearly broken. sexual orientation is not broken.. you assume everyone should be straight.. you also assume non-straights are "broken" but i disagree with this analogy.

furthermore, it is impossible to detect sexual orientation in a baby or child. people don't discover their sexual orientation until they are at least 10 years old.. some take much longer..

pretending that we can detect the sexual orientation of a baby, and taking action to correct this alledged-identified issue would be a very bad risk, in my opinion.

Answer 8

there is NO way you can change a child's sexual orientation. You will eventually find out what they like when they reach late-teen and adulthood.

Answer 9

Nope, the child is free to choose his or her own sexual orientation.

Answer 10

No I would never choose to make my child a different sexuality. I don't consider it a genetic detriment.