So.....
Now america has come to the conclusion that being "gay" is a gene. I'm sure we are all aware of the fact that "gays" have been increasing in number every single year, and oddly enough every single year it becomes more and more tolerable. So my question is.....
If being gay is not a choice, then how come back in the "old days" there were very few (if any at all), and nowadays they are everywhere and continue to grow in number. Is the gene becoming strong and mutating?
2007-11-09 06:29:11 · 32 answers · asked by The Space Cowboy 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
America hasn't come to the conclusion that being gay is a gene. There is a consensus among psychologists that one's sexuality is not under one's control. There's a subtle difference.
Also, the claim that there were "very few" gays in the "old days" is misleading. There were less gays in the past than in the present, but that's because there were less people in general. The ratio of homosexuals to heterosexuals in the population has changed very little.
What has changed is the fact that people are willing to openly admit to being gay in the public arena. In the past, many homosexuals were forced by societal standards to hide the fact that they were gay. That is why it seems like there was a smaller percentage of gay people in the past.
You should read some Greek and Roman history. Homosexuality in those cultures was widely accepted and a large portion of the population openly admitted to being gay.
2007-11-09 06:36:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
I wonder where you get your information that there are more gays now than say 50 years ago??? That question is easily answered people because of society condemnation didn't admit
to being gay, so you were less aware of who they were and how many there were.
Just like child molestation and rape it wasn't talked about so there wasn't' the same awareness that it happened, and I know because I'm a 52 year old woman who was raped at age 9 and I had a girl friend who's father raped her for years, but because "it was the girls fault" or because people didn't want to admit that adults did things like that to children it was hidden not that it didn't happen. The same thing with being gay it wasn't safe to let people know so unless it was your partner so someone you were really close to you didn't tell most people that you knew so how would they know??
2007-11-09 06:38:48 · answer #2 · answered by Kathryn R 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
They haven't located a gay gene, but the current theory is that many genes work together to effect one's sexual orientation.
Homosexuality has always existed, it was especially prevalent amongst Greek societies. I'm sure its frequency is due to the fact that when societies are more accepting of it more people are inclined to come out and say that they are homosexual or have such inclinations.
The morality of homosexuality is a whole other question though...
2007-11-09 06:54:14 · answer #3 · answered by Spiffs C.O. 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is no statistic recording how many people are gay, so I don't know how you can conclude the numbers have been increasing. Sure, as tolerance increases, people come out of the closet, but that merely means more people admit to being gay, it doesn't mean more people are gay that otherwise would not have been.
2007-11-09 06:34:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
In Britain until 1957 you went to jail for engaging in what was called 'lewd conduct' with another man. Then there have been regular harrassment, beatings, loony's like the KKK etc. More tolerance is likely to make people come out; more fear keeps people quiet.
The only part of your question that offends is its naivety.
I'll concede one thing though, some people do seem to choose to have gay experiences, but really if you weren't that way inclined in the first place you wouldn't go there. When you get old enough to choose contrary to expectations people just think you've 'turned'.
2007-11-09 06:38:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
i think it's a matter of tolerance, as time goes people are becoming more tolerant. if at any time in history you were openly gay and it would keep you from getting a job, getting harassed on the street incessantly or maybe even cause physical harm or death, becoming disowned by your family would you want to come out of the closet?
not to say these things don't happen now, but as time goes it is becoming increasingly wrong to treat people poorly due to their creed, colour, race or sexual orientation. now that there are resources and support for gay/bi-sexuals to turn to, it makes it easier for people to live out of the closet. im sure there were just as many gay people before...we just didn't know about them!
2007-11-09 06:42:21 · answer #6 · answered by frankfarter! 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
More are openly out. Since you have said yourself that every year it becomes more and more tolerable. So expect each year to see the number of people openly gay increase.
How soon until you come out?
2007-11-09 07:01:14 · answer #7 · answered by acea 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only the people that say being gay is a "choice", are the ones that have made the "choice" to be straight. How else would they know?
2007-11-09 06:46:02 · answer #8 · answered by WillieRoberto 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's not that there weren't gays in the "old days". It's that homosexuals were mostly in the closet because they were afraid to be open about their sexuality.
For the people who think that it's a "choice", can any of them offer ONE single reason why someone would CHOOSE to be homosexual? ONE reason? That is so completely ridiculous. Did you make a "choice" to be straight? (If you did, then I have news for you---you're gay and in denial.)
2007-11-09 06:51:48 · answer #9 · answered by Jess H 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Could be because back in the old days, you'd get run out of town or worse.
Being gay is *not* a choice, but I'm sure coming out of the closet is.
2007-11-09 06:33:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 11⤊ 0⤋