It was in their DNA, genes, whatever, from birth to be that way. It just took a "traumatic" event for, what appears to be a transformation, on the surface, to take place. But, it's really not a transformation at all, because more often times than not you hear these same people recall later in life, "oh, well, i think i've always been this way", etc etc. In conclusion. Scenarios in life don't shape sexuality. Not in my mind. Sorry guy/girl.
Yeah, people used to believe lots of things. That doesn't prove anything. I'm still not completely sure what the point of comparing it to paedophilia in particular was.
I know, but as you were stating it's not considered a disorder, therefore doesn't count. But, since it once was, and these things can change, we can't use that as a basis of reasoning. I'm not aiming to change anyone's views, I was just pointing out it would be hypocritical to say you're born homosexual, and then refute paedophiles who may claim the same thing. It involves the same mechanisms and thought processes.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? I'm sorry but wanting to have sex with someone who has the same gender as you, and being excited with pictures of little kids nudes and raped doesn't involved the same mechanism and thought processus. Have you really thought about what you just wrote here?
They don't involve the same thought processes, but they are both out of the norm. That's why gays get a bad rap. People think because it's not their version of "normal", that something must be wrong with them. It's happened throughout history with all different kinds of labels on people. Slaves, Jews, American Indians, etc. Some people are about as narrow-minded about that stuff as LP's new cd.
That doesn't automatically mean that they always have the same/similar causes though. For want of a better way of putting it, paedophilia is a fetish for children. You aren't born with a fetish, and you don't instinctively form the absolute basis of your sexuality on one. They're two different things, and as has already been posted there is much more evidence to suggest that you can actually be born homosexual, whereas paedophilia generally does seem to be more about your mental state, personal experiences, stuff like that.
It's not an illness. You aren't born with homosexuality because it isn't an illness. Just nitpicking..
!!!! DUDE. Spot on. This is why there's a Division of Scientists and Clinical Psychologists to come to a majority agreement. It can't 100% be something a person is born with. Why? All the Science behind it is correlative. It isn't factual though. For say, a person with a gene but only has half that specific gene, and lets say it contributes 35% more homosexual/ other gender habits, then whats to be made of the rest? We don't know yet. It also can't be 100% be something that can be developed. A Male / Female is essentially hardwired for the opposite sex. It takes a significant, damaging, trauma to completely turn someone's preference. Either way you put it, a person has to be biology predisposed, and Psychologically primed by young age, and Socially influenced.
That doesn't make any sense. You don't have to be born with an illness, so because homosexuality isn't an illness, why can't you be born with it? Your argument does not make any sense at all. I'm not saying that the environment doesn't have anything to do with one's homosexuality but it's not something that just turns up spontaneously in human beings. It's kinda like I said where they did studies on mice and when they removed certain genes they had homosexual tendencies. Pretty sure this shit is genetic.
You haven't lived until you've had a face-to-face conversation with someone who truly believes gay people conspire to convert young Americans via Hollywood-assisted-Brokeback-Mountain propaganda. UN. FUCKING. REAL.
Or have a father who went / tried to recruit you into an ex-gay conference, went himself and brought back propaganda, on how to convert you.
I just had issues with the way it was worded. Maybe you can be born as a homosexual, but you can't be born with homosexuality. That makes it sound like a disease, that's all I'm saying
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I, personally, don't like this whole kind of discussion about being gay/lesbian or not. This opinion of course has nothing to do with science or medicine or whatever, I just think that it shouldn't be about loving genders, but about loving people. And if you happen to like people that have the same sex as you.. well, so who cares? I get that you're not discussing about if its wrong or not, but I just personally think, that it shouldn't matter if you're born with it or not. Until NOW I've been attracted to men and not to women at all, but if I suddenly meet a woman that just blows me away, then I think its because of her personality and not because she's male or female. And I think that would have nothing to do with going through any traumatic experience or something like that. Considering ONLY sexual desire.. I can't answer if you're born with a preference or not. So consider my answer to only cover the question about pure feelings without sexual attraction itself, though this for sure belongs together in some way. At least most of the time.
I think this discussion truly shows how much we do not know about the human brain. My belief (or theory) is that we are hardwired to a certain extent but once we are born it is the environmental factors that shape us from there. Maybe that is nature v nurture as someone else posted but humans are complex animals and without true knowledge and understanding of how the human brain functions then we have few datapoints of information to use as a key in how one's sexuality is determined. We know trauma (PTSD, for example) can affect behavior so that is a factor but I think there is just so much we do not understand about the brain right now to know for sure how/when our sexual identity is formed for each and every one of us.