NationStates Jolt Archive

Just wondering what makes some people gay and others not. Is it genetics, wired into you before your born or is your own personal choice, you choose to be gay?

What do you think??

It's not an either/or type thing. Not all things are either genetically coded or freely chosen

Those who choose to be gay (ie: all gays) were tempted by Satan.

They chose to sin, is all.

More room for me in Heaven, I guess.

I believe it has a lot to do with psychological experiences as a child, like sexual fetishes, but I think genetics has a part to play also.

Those who choose to be gay (ie: all gays) were tempted by Satan.

They chose to sin, is all.

More room for me in Heaven, I guess.

*waits to see how many people miss the sarcasm*

Well, it's the gay bugs. Everyone knows that.

That's why parents tell kids 'don't let the gay bugs bite!'. Right?





What are you looking at?

what makes someone gay?

wanting to have sex only with people of your same gender.

Yeah but why do they want do that? Want makes them fell that way?

what makes someone gay?

wanting to have sex only with people of your same gender.

Yeah but why do they want do that? Want makes them fell that way?

Incubi.


If sex ed continues to plummet at this rate, I wanna be a health teacher when I grow up, just for the comedic value of informing children if they have sex devils will feast on their souls for eternity.

Hey, may as well make the best of a bad situation, right?

Does it matter?

Since being gasy strikes me as a mostly irrelevant characteristic, I don't really care.

But I suspect I'd change my mind on that if I ever fell in love with a lesbian.

who voted choice?? i mean come on you just can't get more wrong then that!

Does it matter?

Since being gasy strikes me as a mostly irrelevant characteristic, I don't really care.

But I suspect I'd change my mind on that if I ever fell in love with a lesbian.

I'm assuming you didn't mean to say gasy. Being gassy is completely relevant.

Having bum-bum sex with another guy/gal.

Having bum-bum sex with another guy/gal.

not sure lesbians tend to be into bum bum sex......

but i like your thinking;)

Genetics would suggest it runs in the family or something, right? My guess is that there is something switched or crossed around in the brain. Either way, it is completely natural and is not a choice.

Does it matter?

Since being gasy strikes me as a mostly irrelevant characteristic, I don't really care.

But I suspect I'd change my mind on that if I ever fell in love with a lesbian.

sexuality is irrelevant as long as we, you know, deny anything fundamentally human about our nature.

sexuality seems to be a construct only recently introduced. before that, people just banged for the banging bit. just look at the romans.

all to do with attraction its psychological and a tad to do with hormones

they do it for the same reason I'm attracted to women cause it feels good and you just do it

But I suspect I'd change my mind on that if I ever fell in love with a lesbian.

I know a hot lesbian sex fiend :( (bloody women :p )

People choose to be gay.

Which is behavioral, and I believe it to be a problem. (much like ADD, diagnosed by one's behaviors and nothing else) It's a problem because it just isn't natural, but this is besides the point.

The reason it is not genetics is very simple, and anyone who has even a slight understanding of genetics should understand this.

Obviously, being gay is a very weak reproductive trait. Anyone who is gay will never have kids.

Traits are caused by parts of your genetic code.

Traits (genetics) are passed on through generations by normal male/female reproduction. Genes not present will not occur again.

Being gay is undoubtedly a trait, Which means it would be caused by genes.

However, gay people should not exist because being a very weak trait (no offspring) and being as they don't have kids anyway, it should have been eliminated from the gene pool long ago.

But, there are gay people, which proves that it is a choice. (or maybe partially environment as well)

People choose to be gay.

Which is behavioral, and I believe it to be a problem. (much like ADD, diagnosed by one's behaviors and nothing else) It's a problem because it just isn't natural, but this is besides the point.

The reason it is not genetics is very simple, and anyone who has even a slight understanding of genetics should understand this.

Obviously, being gay is a very weak reproductive trait. Anyone who is gay will never have kids.

Traits are caused by parts of your genetic code.

Traits (genetics) are passed on through generations by normal male/female reproduction. Genes not present will not occur again.

Being gay is undoubtedly a trait, Which means it would be caused by genes.

However, gay people should not exist because being a very weak trait (no offspring) and being as they don't have kids anyway, it should have been eliminated from the gene pool long ago.

But, there are gay people, which proves that it is a choice. (or maybe partially environment as well)

......

Wow, there's so much wrong in this post it would be difficult to explain without charts.

People choose to be gay.

Which is behavioral, and I believe it to be a problem. (much like ADD, diagnosed by one's behaviors and nothing else) It's a problem because it just isn't natural, but this is besides the point.

The reason it is not genetics is very simple, and anyone who has even a slight understanding of genetics should understand this.

Obviously, being gay is a very weak reproductive trait. Anyone who is gay will never have kids.

Traits are caused by parts of your genetic code.

Traits (genetics) are passed on through generations by normal male/female reproduction. Genes not present will not occur again.

Being gay is undoubtedly a trait, Which means it would be caused by genes.

However, gay people should not exist because being a very weak trait (no offspring) and being as they don't have kids anyway, it should have been eliminated from the gene pool long ago.

But, there are gay people, which proves that it is a choice.

Secretly Gay men get married to and have children with women due to sociological pressure all the time, and then reveal thier gay nature often in their 40's or 50's.

They saw a picture of Hilary Clinton and Ann Coulter making out.

People choose to be gay.

Which is behavioral, and I believe it to be a problem. (much like ADD, diagnosed by one's behaviors and nothing else) It's a problem because it just isn't natural, but this is besides the point.

The reason it is not genetics is very simple, and anyone who has even a slight understanding of genetics should understand this.

Obviously, being gay is a very weak reproductive trait. Anyone who is gay will never have kids.

Traits are caused by parts of your genetic code.

Traits (genetics) are passed on through generations by normal male/female reproduction. Genes not present will not occur again.

Being gay is undoubtedly a trait, Which means it would be caused by genes.

However, gay people should not exist because being a very weak trait (no offspring) and being as they don't have kids anyway, it should have been eliminated from the gene pool long ago.

But, there are gay people, which proves that it is a choice. (or maybe partially environment as well)

So, so wrong. Even assuming you were partially right, homosexual people can still carry on 'legit' heterosexual relationships and produce offspring. Plenty of people have denied what they actually felt due to societal pressure, not only to others, but to themselves as well.

People choose to be gay.

Which is behavioral, and I believe it to be a problem. (much like ADD, diagnosed by one's behaviors and nothing else) It's a problem because it just isn't natural, but this is besides the point.

The reason it is not genetics is very simple, and anyone who has even a slight understanding of genetics should understand this.

Obviously, being gay is a very weak reproductive trait. Anyone who is gay will never have kids.

Traits are caused by parts of your genetic code.

Traits (genetics) are passed on through generations by normal male/female reproduction. Genes not present will not occur again.

Being gay is undoubtedly a trait, Which means it would be caused by genes.

However, gay people should not exist because being a very weak trait (no offspring) and being as they don't have kids anyway, it should have been eliminated from the gene pool long ago.

But, there are gay people, which proves that it is a choice. (or maybe partially environment as well)Admitting to being gay was lethal for the last couple thousand years, at least. Pretending to be straight, and banging a chick that you may not be attracted to is probably worth it when the other option is being executed.

People choose to be gay.

Which is behavioral, and I believe it to be a problem. (much like ADD, diagnosed by one's behaviors and nothing else) It's a problem because it just isn't natural, but this is besides the point.

The reason it is not genetics is very simple, and anyone who has even a slight understanding of genetics should understand this.

Obviously, being gay is a very weak reproductive trait. Anyone who is gay will never have kids.

Traits are caused by parts of your genetic code.

Traits (genetics) are passed on through generations by normal male/female reproduction. Genes not present will not occur again.

Being gay is undoubtedly a trait, Which means it would be caused by genes.

However, gay people should not exist because being a very weak trait (no offspring) and being as they don't have kids anyway, it should have been eliminated from the gene pool long ago.

But, there are gay people, which proves that it is a choice. (or maybe partially environment as well)

Are you being ironic, a troll, or just ignoring all facts? There's tons of evidence to indicate that being gay is natural (It occurs among many animals. I don't care how goddamn smart your dog is, it wouldn't have the mental capacity to consider whether or not it wishes to be gay.) and is genetic. For the genetics bit, look at the study which indicates having biological older brothers heightens the chance of being gay. Not any brother, a BIOLOGICAL OLDER BROTHER. This is because the woman's body treats male fetuses slightly more like intruders than female fetuses (Difference in hormones, from what I understand.) which can sometimes do things to the fetus, causing it to be gay.

People choose to be gay.

Which is behavioral, and I believe it to be a problem. (much like ADD, diagnosed by one's behaviors and nothing else) It's a problem because it just isn't natural, but this is besides the point.

The reason it is not genetics is very simple, and anyone who has even a slight understanding of genetics should understand this.

Obviously, being gay is a very weak reproductive trait. Anyone who is gay will never have kids.

Traits are caused by parts of your genetic code.

Traits (genetics) are passed on through generations by normal male/female reproduction. Genes not present will not occur again.

Being gay is undoubtedly a trait, Which means it would be caused by genes.

However, gay people should not exist because being a very weak trait (no offspring) and being as they don't have kids anyway, it should have been eliminated from the gene pool long ago.

But, there are gay people, which proves that it is a choice. (or maybe partially environment as well)

One point out of several thousand.

1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recessive_gene
Genes can be passed on, but charicteristics of said gene are not exhibited.

Current research suggests that it is a result of differing hormone levels in the womb.

"It's a problem because it just isn't natural, but this is besides the point."---Risi


Just to pick one absurd statement among so many.

Not being natural is the same as being a problem?

Oh dear! I didn't realize that medicine, democracy, care for the elderly, etc. were such drastic world problems!!!!

Obviously, being gay is a very weak reproductive trait. Anyone who is gay will never have kids.
False. There is nothing preventing homosexuals from reproducing. If they want kids, then they have sex with someone of the opposite sex. There isn't some barrier preventing them from doing so. Plus, siblings share 50% of their genetic code on average, so for every child of a sibling a homosexual helps raise, 25% of that entities DNA will be passed on. This is observed in the wild. Homosexual animals will often help raise their siblings' young, thus increasing survival chances.

Traits are caused by parts of your genetic code.
False. Traits can be caused by genes, but they can also be caused by other factors. Handedness, for example, is not genetic.

Traits (genetics) are passed on through generations by normal male/female reproduction. Genes not present will not occur again.
Correct.

Being gay is undoubtedly a trait, Which means it would be caused by genes.
False.

However, gay people should not exist because being a very weak trait (no offspring) and being as they don't have kids anyway, it should have been eliminated from the gene pool long ago.
False. Your two premises are both flawed, and thus your conclusion is as well.

I have a strong case for genetics

I have a paternal great aunt who was most likely gay...she was a "spinster" and lived with a "female companion" (she died 5 years ago at the age of 98)

My father is gay. He married and had children, because in the 50's and 60's, you just didn't admit you liked men, if you were a man.

My sister is gay.

I have 2 children...there is a great possibility one of them will be gay.

that's just too strong a coincidence to make me think that genetics aren't the reason


Handedness, for example, is not genetic.
that is false...handedness IS genetic...lefthandedness is a recessive trait. Sometimes, people don't know "where" a lefthanded child "came from" until people recall that up until about 40 years ago, left handed children were forced to write righthanded

I posted this last time and I still have it so here it is.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f97/projects97/Newman.html

And BTW just for those of you who haven't figured it out, I think it is genetic.

Also adding this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animals_displaying_homosexual_behavior

I have a strong case for genetics

I have a paternal great aunt who was most likely gay...she was a "spinster" and lived with a "female companion" (she died 5 years ago at the age of 98)

My father is gay. He married and had children, because in the 50's and 60's, you just didn't admit you liked men, if you were a man.

My sister is gay.

I have 2 children...there is a great possibility one of them will be gay.

that's just too strong a coincidence to make me think that genetics aren't the reason


gay isn't exceptionally rare, as many as 1 in 10 american might be gay. Whenever you have those odds, streaks will result.

Which is behavioral, and I believe it to be a problem. (much like ADD, diagnosed by one's behaviors and nothing else) It's a problem because it just isn't natural, but this is besides the point.


i dont think its "diagnosed" by behavior. seems to me that one can be celibate and still only have sexual desire for those of your same gender. thus you would be gay.

whereas one can have only had sex with someone of the same gender and yet be bi-sexual because you are attracted to the other gender also but have not had an opportunity to act on it.

besides, it IS natural. if it occurs in nature, its natural eh?

What makes someone gay?

Fabulousness.

what about bisexuals?

Incubi.


If sex ed continues to plummet at this rate, I wanna be a health teacher when I grow up, just for the comedic value of informing children if they have sex devils will feast on their souls for eternity.

Hey, may as well make the best of a bad situation, right?

You are evil. Eeevil. I need a smiley with a halo balancing on horns.

They saw a picture of Hilary Clinton and Ann Coulter making out.

See, gay bugs! It's teh gay bugs! And my sister's best friend is lesbian, and she gave me the bug, but I'm halfway immune... Makes sense. :rolleyes:

that is false...handedness IS genetic...lefthandedness is a recessive trait. Sometimes, people don't know "where" a lefthanded child "came from" until people recall that up until about 40 years ago, left handed children were forced to write righthanded

I was wrong there. It has some genetic basis. However, it cannot be entirely genetic, since not all people with two copies of the recessive allele that is related to handedness are left-handed. Only about one half are.

what about bisexuals?

We don't exist.

We don't exist.

:(

We don't exist.
Then who am I replying too?

We don't exist.

Hey! I resemble that remark! I'd notice if I didn't exist. I'm sure...

Just wondering what makes some people gay and others not. Is it genetics, wired into you before your born or is your own personal choice, you choose to be gay?

What do you think??

What makes someone gay? The incredible love of cock.

Next question?

What makes someone gay? The incredible love of cock.

Next question?

But if they are female and love the cock then they wouldn't be gay.

But if they are female and love the cock then they wouldn't be gay.

Yes but then they're called Lesbians.

it all started when Xenu brought the aliens to earth and killed them. and their souls started to wreak chaos and havoc.

gay people have just been more affected than straight people is all

God was bored and felt like persecuting some heathens so he made a certain portion of the population gay so that in all his loving kindness he could damn them to hell for eternity to burn...to show his loving kindness.

God was bored and felt like persecuting some heathens so he made a certain portion of the population gay so that in all his loving kindness he could damn them to hell for eternity to burn...to show his loving kindness.
Thats God for ya. That tricky bastard turned human nature into sin. :D

Yes but then they're called Lesbians.

Lesbians "love the cock?" Wow...I never woulda thought! :p

Well, I'm not exactly gay, but I'm something in the LGBT spectrum, and there's no way I would have ever chosen to be. I imagine it's more or less the same for homosexuals.

I picked other. The leading theory, from what I can tell, seems to be that hormones in utero affect the sexual orientation of a fetus.
Either way, it isn't a choice.

I haven't decided what I think other than it's probably a combo of things and I can't single out one absolutely.

Or......like I told my mom when she went on and on about "why do you think that guy is gay?"

"because he likes boys?"

I thought it was a good answer.

it's caused by being male and honestly liking the movie "A Walk To Remember".

I don't know for sure, and I don't think anyone knows for sure, whether it is genetic, a choice, upbringing, or a product of the environment. I don't really care to know, or care to find out, because I honestly, HONESTLY don't care.

Asking "what makes people gay" is an analogous question to "what makes people straight." Sure, sure it's the norm to be straight, but does that really matter? If the norm was something to aspire to and adhere to, and if deviation from the norm was something to get angry at people about, we'd be stoning to death anyone who used their left hand.

Homosexuality isn't a sin in my eyes, it's just a difference in sexual preference that happens to be a sexual preference for the same sex. As long as you're consenting adults, a requirement for "Normal" sexual preferences too, I honestly, HONESTLY don't give a flying fuck who you like to have sex with, or why.

Yes but then they're called Lesbians.

You win that page of the thread.

Hey! I resemble that remark! I'd notice if I didn't exist. I'm sure...

Resemble? I think you mean resent. ;)

who voted choice?? i mean come on you just can't get more wrong then that!

Well. You could say that it's the result of genetic manipulation as part of a plot by soviet super-scientists to sap and impurify our bodily fluids. Or that aliens are trying to manipulate us into an easily bred livestock in which only one male in a hundred breeds and the rest are easily tamed with tasteless varieties of red wine and belt-shoe pairings. Those would be a bit more wrong than "choice," if only because they are factually falsifiable.

I think that "choice" is actually an insane option, not a wrong one, much like the schizophrenic who has carefully modified his belief that he is Napoleon in such a way that it is impossible to prove that he isn't, but we all know damn well that he isn't.

It's (I think) a combination of factors - genetics, place in the family, nurture, prenatal hormone exposure.

I don't think choice really has anything to do with it. I don't know too many people who would choose to be reviled and persecuted by ignorant boobs.

I find it somewhat hilarious, when someone, who doesn't tolerate gays, claims that it's a choice.

When they say that the gays have made a conscious choice to abandon normal heterosexual lifestyle, whether for temptation by Satan or otherwise, they're implying that all men have an equal desire to bang other men, but only the gays are following these impulses. And "all men" usually includes the person saying that...

I find it somewhat hilarious, when someone, who doesn't tolerate gays, claims that it's a choice.

(Well, laugh it up?)

I think that it is a choice, as is any sexual...orientation. Everyone chooses to have some sort of sexual relation with...whatever they choose. For the massive majority of people, it's the opposite sex, for the rest, it isn't. I don't give a flying fuck what people like, normally, it's entirely their choice and should remain that way (just keep it out of my life... the scene from Borat where the guys are wrestling on the bed comes to mind).

On the same line of thought, one could however say the same for pedophilia, or any other perverted sexual fantasies that people out in the world have.

(Well, laugh it up?)

I think that it is a choice, as is any sexual...orientation. Everyone chooses to have some sort of sexual relation with...whatever they choose.

*sigh* sexuality isn't about who you choose to have sex with. It's about who you WANT to have sex with.

I could choose to have sex with a dude, it doesn't make me gay, as long as there is no sexual desire to have sex with dudes.

On the same line of thought, one could however say the same for pedophilia, or any other perverted sexual fantasies that people out in the world have.

Except for that little thing called "consenting adults."

I think sexual orientation is determined primarily by genetics, though other factors can affect the expression of the sexuality. Nature plays a larger role than nurture by far. It is not uncommon for the percentage of a species to be "gay" when population pressures demand less progeny. Nature finds a way to balance population that way. Humans are the only species I can think of that can defy nature and reproduce despite attraction to the same sex.

Plus.

Like I would choose to be persecuted by ignorant fools who can't even handle their own lives, yet feel this odd need to control MY life.

What makes someone gay??

Not what... Who.

The Poof Fairy.

I think that attraction to the opposite sex is coded in a persons DNA and that ones choice to be LGBT is one that comes from many factors, including their own environment, upbringing, and also their personal choice.

Except for that little thing called "consenting adults."

I just couldn't think of any other perverted sexul fantasies off hand--I'm sure there's someone in the world who enjoys sex with sheep, dogs, little kids, car parts...well, you get what I'm getting at here, right?

Homosexuality can be caused (and I use the word very lightly) by several different factors. The truth is that some people can actively choose to be sexually exclusive with the same sex. When this happens, it is often because of what they seek in a relationship. As we all know, men and women value different things and communicate in different ways. Additionally, who knows what a woman likes better than another woman? The same thing applies with men.
I think that a person's upbringing has very little to do with their sexual preference. If that were the case, then you would find most, if not all, of children raised by gay or lesbian couples would be gay themselves. This is not the case as they are just as likely as anyone else to be gay (appx. 1 in 10 chance).
Genetics seems to have the most to do with it. This is not to say that one's parents will pass it on and that they are to "blame". No, this is a person's natural state. It is just another dimension to their personality or their biology...just a part of who they are...but not the whole picture.

I am apt to take a more evolutionary standpoint on the issue. There seems to be an inherent personal maturity and awareness in the concept (and practice) of homosexuality. I say self-aware because a person must be truly aware of their psyche and their bodies to be able to determine which kind of "connection" they require to be psychologically complete. Men tend to be drawn to more physical and superficial types of stimulation whereas women lean more towards cerebral stimulation. Men don't have the same appreciation for subtly as women do. On the other hand, women don't like having to tell you right out what they want/need/desire the way that men prefer.
Studies have proven that gay couples, on average, tend to have more stability, understanding and depth (happier, in general) than heterosexual couples do. Men, when around one another for extended periods of time, will begin to function on similar cycles of moods and emotions...much like women will do, but without the hassle of a period. However, this doesn't work in the same way with a man and woman in the same space for a long period of time. They don't effect one another as such, most likely due to the variances in sexual hormones (estrogen, testosterone, etc). The difference in hormone levels is too much to have an effect on those of the other person in a heterosexual pairing.

Also, I have seen it noted that humans are the "only species" that practices homosexuality. This is most certainly not true. When I see "species", I will assume that "animal" is what was meant. Humans are the only species in its phylum as well, so saying that homo sapiens are the only species in its phylum that can be gay is misleading as it is the only species in the phylum...period. But I digress.
Animals across many different species and phylums and families, et cetera can be homosexual, either exclusively (though rare) or not (i.e. bisexual). Dolphins are an example of such a creature. Dogs, birds...anything really is capable. Well, at least with the exception of asexual organisms, hermaphroditic organisms and "hellfire and brimstone" Christians ;)

Homosexuality is also not a recent phenomena either. This goes without saying as it is common knowledge that Alexander the Great was, at the very least, bisexual (I guess that is what made him so "great"). Andy Warhol, obviously...Friedrich Nietzche, which many find hard to believe. It was a common practice in several Native American tribes before the conversion to Christianity. Also, homosexuality was common in Rome and Greece.
Actually, in Sparta, the belief was that a soldier was more likely to help protect and defend his fellow soldiers if they were engaged in a physical and intimate relationship as well. Soldiers were often partnered on the battlefield with another soldier who was also their male lover. I'm certain that that was not shown in "300".

I suppose that I can sum it all up in saying that it is natural, normal and historically prevalent. Every time period, every nation and every society has had (and will continue to have) homosexuality. Currently, the guess is that 10% of the worldwide population is gay. However, it may be appear to be on the increase as the awareness and acceptability of it increases as well.

Okay, I'm done now.

Well, it's the gay bugs. Everyone knows that.
Not what... Who.

The Poof Fairy.

You're both wrong, but close.

I'll add my two cents to the Ginat Choice-Theory Rebuttal Donation Box, and I'd like to thank all those who bury their noses in past research and suggest various alterations of the "genetics" theory, but... well, get with the program, science now found out that it's much simpler than that - forget your worries about harmful radiation exposure from cellphones, radios on your bedstand, and the like - Phear Teh Gaydiation!

.. I'm sorry, so terribly sorry. It's early in the morning and I just got up.