Sexuality

[SarCaustic]

When and by what is human sexuality determined? Specifically, are we born straight, gay or bi? It has been suggested that we are in numerous other threads. I personally don't see let alone understand the logic behind that and I was wondering if anyone could help me out.
Awaiting enlightenment...

[andy-hughes]

I don't think anyone really knows, but the importance of sexuality in our society means that the debate goes on. Theories are advanced that sexuality is determined at birth, others say that experiences in childhood inform our adult preferences, but no-one really knows for certain.

My personal opinion is that sexuality is determined at birth, but I am always open to a convincing argument against that perspective.

[littleoldme]

Ah, the old nature vs nurture debate. I think there are elements of both, but nature is the major contributor. It makes me laugh when I hear people refer to homosexuality as "a lifestyle choice" - since when did anyone of any persuasion choose their own sexuality? I guess some heteros like to think we've made a conscious decision in that regard, but I believe it's just the way the dice of fate have rolled for us (oh, hark at me).

[andy-hughes]

I entirely agree with littleoldme. There is a (heterosexual' perspective that gay people choose to be gay as some kind of attention-seeking alternative lifestyle. Given the total bias in favour of a heterosexual lifestyle in virtually every strata of society, coupled with the insidious predjudice that still pervades the 'alternative' way of living and loving, I think anyone 'choosing' to be gay would be crazy.

If you want an attention-seeking alternative lifestyle to make yourself windswept and interesting, don't be 'gay' - try being a terrorist - it's easier, and far less hassle!

[dodamaksoud]

andy hughes we salute you!

[andy-hughes]

Thank you very much!

[bernardo]

I think it is mostly genetic but partly dues to upbringing in the first few years of life. One statistic that I remember is that a survey of siblings found that if one identical twin was gay then the probability of his/her twin being also gay were 55%; for non-identical twins it was 21% and for non-twins it was 11%.

[SarCaustic]

Barnardo - those statistics don't actually prove anything and I don't quite understand how genetics and upbringing can determine the same single charactersistic. If I do accept for a moment that sexuality is determined by genetics - then to what extent am I to accept it? Sexuality at its most basic is sexual attraction to another being. We are often told to accept homosexuality as natural, so should we consider sexual attraction natural in all its forms? Wouldn't that mean accepting paedophilia? After all at it is, put simply an adult being attracted to a child. Let me answer that for you - of course not! And what about necrophilia? Perhaps those people are born with a genetic predisposition for being attracted to the dead. Quite often forms of sexuality (homosexuality especially) are explained as "natural", with the animal kingdom cited as an example. Rape is also widespread in the animal kingdom, yet we never hear anybody defend serial rapists for their "natural" genetic predisposition for this sort of thing. In the absence of any conclusive scientific explanations, I understand that we can only speculate on the what the true nature of sexuality is, but surely we should subject our speculations to rigorous logical scrutiny before propagating them.

[SarCaustic]

littleoldme - I think homosexuality can be a lifestyle choice depending on who you're talking about. A lot of the gay people I know fit the stereotypes people have of gay men and they very much live the "gay life". If this isn't a lifestyle choice then I'm not sure what is. Our sexuality is just one facet of a person's personality - to live by it (as a defining characterisitic) is a lifestyle choice.

[bernardo]

The statistics show that there is a strong genetic element.

[SarCaustic]

The statistics show that there is some correlation between the sexuality of a person and that of there siblings. They do not, however explain this correlation, least of all with genetics. Identical twins have identical DNA, therefore if sexuality was determined by genetics then both would have to be the same sexuality - your statistics do prove that this is not the case.

[SarCaustic]

Not really much of a debate this is it? I guess people might have shyed away from such a difficult topic. Bernardo I was thinking and I realised - if sexuality has a strong genetic element as you claim, then why hasn't homosexuality been bred out? After all gay couples can't reproduce...Or can they??!?! Lol

[angelap]

'bred out'? its not a disease! what kind of narrow minded person are you? have you got any idea how offensive a lot of your coments are?

[SarCaustic]

angelap, Im sorry to have offended you but that doesn't give you the right to judge me. If you disagree with me, I invite you to present an alternative point of view or highlight and challenge any error that I might have made. By 'bred out', I meant that if sexuality was determined by genetics, those alleles would have been eliminating by breeding (in biological terms); at no point did I suggest that homosexuality (or any other sexuality for that matter) is a disease. I do understand which parts of this might be considered offensive, but if that's really the only reaction you've had, then you're missing the point. I only sought to highlight the logical flaws in the arguments of those who try to explain homosexuality with the reasons I've mentioned (and promptly taken apart). This is supposed to be a debate, contribute to it if you will - but silly baseless judgements are entirely pointless and best left for a school playground, they are a waste of time and answerbank space.