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jdman13 asked in Politics & GovernmentPolitics · 8 years ago

Has it been determined yet if being gay is a choice or genetic?

If it is opinion based only, what is your opinion?

As far as I know they have not proved that there exists a 'gay gene'. It seems to me that it is a choice.

These scenarios happen all the time,

A straight man or woman leaves their partner for someone of the same sex.

A gay man or woman leaves their partner for someone of the opposite sex.

There are a large number of gays that are bi, which seems in my experience to be more prodominate with women.

Were these people just born confused?

Or were these just choices they made?

14 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    I thought it might be genetic but it hasn't been proven. I have a M.Sc Psych. and come to the conclusion that it is a learned trait, and not genetic. Psychological studies only favour my opinion by 5-10%

    If it is genetic, and homosexuals can't reproduce, than this is a genetic defect. It is then similar to a person being born with any other genetic defect. If we put aside the idea that we are created in the image of a God, than, as animals, our only purpose is reproduction. We are not born to satisfy our desires. This is why alcoholism, is considered a disease. An alcoholics blood sample will show similar deficiencies, as a Hypoglycemic. A genetic disorder. Supplements such as Magnesium, B-complex, and L-glutamine, show results in the suppression of crave. If people are born this way than these desires are the direct cause of a defect.

    A dog doesn't do something to harm itself over, and over, and over.

    EDIT

    As for the Science for all of you google psychologists. Children do not develop into sexual being until about the age of 12.

    Test of separation anxiety in baby shows distinct trait differences in boy, and girls. The study of children under 5 should show that homosexual children are different. This isn't the case.

    @ Chewy Ivan. Animals may do these things in an act of dominance. A dog, may mound another dog, to show he is the alfa male. Another case for animals would be the case of survival. This could be looked at like to old people living together, to help each other. If you have 2 animals that you are calling gay, and take one, and leave it with a female. It will mate with the female.

    Source(s): M.Sc. Psychology, Dublin City College
  • 8 years ago

    As far as I know it is not a genetic trait, and scientists have never found conclusive proof that it is.

    However, the predilection to engage in homosexual activity does seem to be inborn, which could suggest hormones during fetal development, or something else. There are a lot of behaviors that people have that seems to be inborn as well (for example, the predisposition to drink large amounts of alcohol falls into this category. Even pedophilia apparently might have some kind of similar mechanism, though I am NOT suggesting that homosexuality and pedophilia are the same thing)

    At the same time, what we consider to be sexual orientation exists along a spectrum, with few people either in the "all heterosexual" or the "all homosexual" category. As you mentioned, there is a lot of people in between, and people routinely move back and forth as circumstances change.

    My view is that people might be born with homosexual tendencies (or the environment that they grew up in has some influence there), but that they then choose to engage in that behavior for a wide variety of reasons.

    ©2013 SinisterMatt. All Rights Reserved.

  • 8 years ago

    If you believe, as I do, that gender orientation is a matter of maternal hormone influences on the unborn baby, it is not hard to understand that there would be a wide variance between being heterosexual and homosexual... and that in between those two extremes there will be numerous people who will have attraction to both genders to some extent or another. This delicate balance of hormones is not just an "on-off" switch... it will be a sliding scale. So your scenarios can certainly exist in that reality.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    I don't think being gay is a choice. I have had a few gay friends and all of them said they the didn't want to be attracted to the same gender, that they wanted to be straight. One friend even went to a psychiatrist. He is still gay. They all tried living the straight life by dating the opposite gender, but they were not attracted to them sexually. Bisexuals, according to them, has the best of both worlds.. I have no idea why some people are gay, but I don't think it is a choice.

    In my 66 years, I have never chosen to have sex with another woman.. approached , but declined.

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  • 8 years ago

    It's genetic. Homosexuality is an evolutionary survival mechanism. As a species reaches higher density levels, environmental influences cause homosexuality to become expressed more. This curbs the rate of growth for a species' population and reduces the risk of overshooting the environment's carrying capacity, which would lead to starvation and near extinction.

    I'm not a genticist, though. This is my untested opinion. I do not believe homosexuality is a choice because I never chose to be heterosexual myself. It's something I feel I've always been. Therefore, I tried to rationalize how homosexuality could be genetic. Recessive genes that don't become expressed unless certain environmental conditions exist provided a possibility for how gayness could be passed down from generation to generation. (In more modern times, homosexual persecution, which causes gay people to adopt straight lifestyles, has helped pass along the gay genes to future generations.)

    I think my hypothesis is supported by the fact that non-human species have homosexual members, and to suggest homosexuality is chosen would mean non-human species have Free Will.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    It's probably not genetic, though there is a high incidence of identical twins both being gay.

    It's probably multi-factoral, with hormonal influences from the mother during pregnancy for unknown reasons.

    I.e,, not from watching "Glee" or something.

  • Calvin
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    It is likely that it is a combination of a sort.

    While this has nothing to do with homosexuals (not implying they are the same) it may be demonstrated as to pedophiles perhaps....those that have engaged in such behavior and built up through pornography or other means while they were younger develop inclination and desires that others would find very unnatural (desires for small children). It has been demonstrated repeatedly that such desires are with such people their entire lives (various studies as to pedophiles).....unable to turn such desires off. I don't think anyone would argue that people are born with sexual desires for small children....yet there exists those with such desires...and those with such desires cannot stop such desires. At some point, apparently, a switch has been thrown that cannot be turned off.

  • 8 years ago

    Every gay will claim that it is genetic and that they had no choice. They can cite scientific evidence support their claim. Most non gays are somewhat reluctant to commit either way, and will dispute the validity of said evidence.

  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    I tend to agree that it seems to be a continuum that from what I've seen and experienced can slide one way or the other depending on certain social factors...I personally know 2 guys who had been straight there whole life then when they got divorced and had trouble finding girls that they were attracted to, that were also attracted to them so they started having sex with men and turned pretty much gay. I know both of them quite well and if they were able to attract cute girls I think they'd both still be straight.

  • C
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    Did you make the choice to be attracted to breasts and vagina as a straight male?

    No, you didn't.

    Unless you want to share your sexual history of possibly exploring with another mans penis and the decided it wasn't for you? Did you ever sit there and make the choice of, "you know what, I think I am going to be sexually and emotionally attracted to the human that has the vagina over the human with the penis. You hear that body? I am going to be straight. Taaaddaaa." Bullshit, you never did that.

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