Are people really born gay? How do you know?

Question

A lot of people say that one's sexuality is something they are born with. But in my opinion, sexuality is like a preference: you like or dislike certain genders, the way you like or dislike other things. For example, people naturally like certain foods, and dislike other foods, and they can't choose to like a food they don't like. Also, it seems like some people's sexuality changes throughout their life. Other kinds of preferences change too. For example, I identify as a lesbian. I'm only attracted to females, and have no desire to be with a guy. But before I was a teenager, and especially when I was ten and eleven, I did like boys, and I had crushes on some. I remember being attracted to them. But all that completely disappeared at some point.

So I want to know what evidence people have that people are born gay, whether it be scientific or just reasoning and logic.

Answer 1

Your "opinion" doesn't stand up. Sexuality is inborn, but it MANIFESTS during puberty, for most people. So, as a child, you were expressing the imitative mommy-daddy behavior that all young humans observe in heterosexual families. When you hit puberty and your hormones kicked in, your innate orientation manifested itself.



It's not quite the same thing as loving broccoli and despising okra.

Answer 2

I only know from my own experience. I was born this way. I was never attracted to women and probably never will be (sorry, ladies.)



And let's please get our terminology right, shall we? "Sexual orientation" and "sexual preference" are two different things. For example: I am a gay male. My sexual ORIENTATION is "gay." My sexual PREFERENCE (over women, animals and automobiles) is men.



There DOES seem to be some fluidity to some people's genders (which means preferences will change) but I think for the most part the majority of people "settle" somewhere on the spectrum of sexuality (their orientation becomes more or less fixed) and behave within a certain "range."



@ Ewen: TOTALLY agree with you on the sex education thing. THis country would be SOOOO much better off if a nationally mandated sex ed curriculum were established. But, oh no! Lord knows we can't actually TEACH children about sex and give them the tools, knowledge and wherewithal to make SMART and INFORMED decisions about sex. Ugh! Don't even get me started!...

Answer 3

Dear Anna, As a gay man I never made a conscious choice. I knew I was different at a very young age. There was a study of gay twins done in 2001 sponsored by McMaster University in Ontario. The results were chronicled by journalist Sandra Whiltstone and showed a marked similarity in brain chemistry. There was also evidence of natal influence. GLBT orientation has been linked to a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. People do not choose something that society as a whole does not tolerate or even want to discuss, sometimes to the level of violent intolerance.

Answer 4

Carol she asked for an answer aoout her sexuality, NOT a bible verse (and from a book full of contradictions you know nothing from it can be certain) anyhow...I also believe sexuality is fluid and not merely black and white. I do think that sexual behaviors can be copied by little children. For example, a gay man who might have been raised in an ultra-conservative Christian household may be forced to suppress their sexuality, and when given the chance and freedom (say like at 18 or after) their real sexuality will surface. As for people being born that way I believe there is truth to that. I think it is also not set in stone. Like Kinsey suggested it exists on a spectrum and I believe that it is a more accurate way of looking at it.

Answer 5

Fact: I am a middle aged male, no children.



If I wanted to discuss with you child birth, would you accept my view blindly for no better reason than I make the statement: "Because I say it is so." Or after listening to me, would you suggest that as a male should first speak to women about their experience before I go making statements which by my own admission I have no personal experience in?



With the answer to that in mind, I suspect you are not speaking with out experience.



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In my opinion you are a bisexual person who has looked at your own life and judge me based on it. That is to say, in the past you said to your self.



"I will not explore same sex interest. I will only explore opposite sex experiences."



Now you may or may not have had same sex experience, I simply cant know. But the fact some bisexuals choose to not fully explore one aspect of their sexuality does not prove that homosexuals had the same luxury of having a choice.



I as a homosexual, neither us or our fellow heterosexuals have the luxury of choice, as bisexuals do.



Now my money is on you as you read the above screaming.



"I am not bisexual or homosexual, I am heterosexual."



To that I say fine, no need to start a civil uprising, in that case you did not choose to be straight, I can accept that. But I have to ask, why would you therefore think I choose to be gay????



Why must I accept your statement on your sexuality as being truth yet you deny mine?



You see the idea of one having creditability but not the second, that is simply silly.

It also establish that people are born bisexual. They do not choose to be bisexual.



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Yes I really was born gay.



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Yet the answer to that question is really not relevant.

Even if everyone was born bisexual and so some of us exercised a homosexual choice. My sexuality is my business. Where does anyone get off judging me because they don't agree with the choices I make in MY life.



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Yes I really was born gay.

Answer 6

I responding to the "Pray the gay away" concept. If this really does work, why did Exodus International shut down? This was the very large main stream program that tried to change people from gay to straight, in operation for 37 years. It was also a Christian based program. Using prayer and scripture as part of their steps to help people change.



So if God is doing this(changing people from gay to striaght), why did Exodus International say 99% of the gays that came through their program were unable to change? And therefore decided to shut down.



People praying for change is not working. Plus all the other methods are not working. So we have to think there's more to it than just choosing who you are attracted to.



All signs point heavily to biological reasons, and those biological things can change over time, but not for everyone.

Answer 7

See, the thing is, who you prefer to date and/or have sex with isn't what sexual orientation actually is. It's a common mistake, but it's not accurate. The former would be romantic orientation, and the latter just personal taste. Sexual orientation is defined officially as a physiological trait--which sex(es), if any, your body has the capacity to react to with arousal of sex hormones to a significant degree. That's the problem with basically every piece of controversy surrounding sexuality. People literally don't understand the subtleties of the terminology. I have to wonder if a lack of good sex education is perhaps to blame.

Answer 8

You are born that way. My nephew was gay at 5 years old. It has to do with the balancing of "X" and "Y" chromosomes. And if boys are born with more X's and than Y's and not balancing, feminine features excuse the pun, "Come out"

Answer 9

Yes, science and common sense + your question has only been asked 5.6 billion times. Congrats.

Answer 10

people are born with a sin nature from adam and eves sin in the garden of eden,

until you accept JESUS as savior and are reborn spiritually.your sin nature is rampid and satan can make you think many things..

GOD knows each one from the womb and he ordained male and female..romans1:26-28 and leviticus 17:22-24 man with man or woman with woman ...it is an abomination to GOD

Answer 11

i think so.