what makes a person gay?

This won't be popular as I don't strive to be popular, but true to myself. I believe all lifestyles and sexual practices are choices. You make a choice each time you have sex. Something causes some to think gayness is good, they try it, they like it, and they choose to continue. Then the community says it is inborn, and they become reinforced in these beliefs as they continue doing it. But please continue reading since I got the parts some find disagreeable out of the way (maybe skip the next paragraph too).

That is not to say there aren't predisposing factors. However, they are not destiny and don't override free will and morals. The whole "repression" thing is a myth. They are no more repressed than an addict who stops using drugs, since nobody is born an addict (unless they become addicted in the womb by the mother's choices).

For instance, a gene was found, but it turned out to be a "rebellion" gene. Most with the gene had body piercings or tattoos. It didn't make them gay, but apparently made it easier to be gay. To wear certain things and face public ridicule takes someone who is rather strong. So maybe the gene makes it possible for less gays with it to commit suicide. But that would be a side-benefit of a gene that evolved for other reasons, since most gays won't pass their genes.

Then there is the immune hypothesis. It only explains some gay men. Maybe being the 3rd or 4th male in the family causes the mother's immune system to attack parts of the brain involving male dominance or sex drive. But being born effeminate doesn't mean you have to have gay sex. There are heterosexuals that seem effeminate.

Then there are interests. Some guys may be born more "nerdy" or with more "feminine" interests. Then others tell them they are gay, and they believe it after enough times. Some of those may suffer boundary violations done to them by men early on in life, and that reduces their natural defenses against such contacts in the future.

Some people are ex-gays because either they were never gay to begin with, they were bisexuals who simply began to explore and discover their straight side more, or because of adventitious changes. Adventitious is when you go to treat one thing and they fix/change something else unintentionally in the process. There was one gay guy into dangerous BDSM practices and self-mutilation, and he suffered severe depression. So he was put on anti-depressants and most of the BDSM urges diminished. In the process this person discovered they had an underlying gender identity conflict and went on to get full sex-reassignment and marry a straight guy, and lived as a happily married woman. The estrogen further eliminated BDSM impulses.

In another case history, a man who suspected he was gay tried to get a therapist to "fix" that. The therapist instead insisted on tackling his excessive religiosity, poor self-esteem, and lack of assertiveness. After treatment, he lived as a gay guy for about a year. But suddenly, that life seemed boring. He tried guy after guy and there was nothing there. So finally, he dated a woman just to see. He felt energy and vitality he never felt before. They broke up in a few dates, but he married the next woman he dated, and they stayed together for at least 5 years and might even still be married, but there is no evidence either way as the therapist lost contact with them.

Then there are people who actually admit to choosing gayness such as at the Queer By Choice site linked below. That is more common among lesbians than gay men. Some say it is the lack of men they cannot trust that drives them to that, while a rare few claim to actually sit down and decide that.

Its a chemical called "Gayeon" And when it is mixed with the other chemicals in your brain it makes you gay.

Well what makes a person straight? You're just born that way, that's all there is to it. Some people are gay, some are straight, some are bisexual, some are hispanic, some are white, some are black, some are really nice, some are assholes, it just happens.

it is a series of experiences. someone saying that is how they are born is just using that as an excuse to justify behavior. but people are born with autism so they get treatment. the gays need treatment

Not at all the heart knows what the heart wants.Its just human nature.

Good question, understanding is the door to acceptance.

No idea, I've just never been attracted to girls at all

DNA