Homosexuality: Nature or Nurture?

[Vault101]

I know I know another sexuality thread, I dont know why But I find this "nature vs nurture" argument very interesting, not just in regard to gayness

So I guess the obvious question is: can your secual orientation be influenced by outside..um things, or are you just born that way?

personally I would lean towards the "nature" side of things, not saying that your upbringing cant have an effect but I mean you get people who come from traditional christain nuclear families who are gay, so how do you explain that?

 

[Jadak]

Both, but usually nature. I would say genetics only, but I also don't think there's much of a limit to how a person's upbringing, good or bad, can shape who they become.

 

[Badong]

One's sexual orientation is always encoded in the genes. External factors just affect how much it is shown in the actions of the individual.

 

[Zac Smith]

Nature, you can't be forced to be gay if the straight, the same way lots of gay people are forced to be straight. You either are, or your not (or bi-sexual but lets not get into all that)

 

[TheEndlessSleep]

I'd say mainly nature, but there must be at least a few cases of nurture.

 

[Zac Smith]

For some reason a late double post...

oh well, still going to say nature, same as previous

 

[Astoria]

Nature holds more sway than nuture. Nuture just effects how open they are about it but nature decides a person sexuality.

 

[Kahunaburger]

There's a lot of evidence pointing towards the influence of prenatal hormones in male homosexuality, but female homosexuality is less well-understood. So environmental factors: probably, but upbringing: probably not.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I'd say nurture. Not something simple like simply flicking a straight/gay switch, though, the human mind is an absurdly complicated thing, and all sorts of things effect the development of children.

[small]Says I, not being a psychologist[/small]

 

[Smooth Operator]

I say it's 99% nature, noone told me what gender to like in what way, and honestly I hated girls with a passion until I hit puberty, then suddenly BOOBIES! Yaay!

I imagine the same goes for people with different sexual orientations, ofcourse things can be confusing when you swing both ways plus everyone trying to shoehorn you into their mold of normality.

 

[carnex]

Homosexuality is deviation from the norm. That isn't necessarily bad, just out of the biological norm. But, when every offspring if partially random recombination of two sets of DNA, some non-ideal products are bound to show up. Hence the Siamese twins, polydactil children, etc.

So there are homosexuals that are born but environment also has strong influence on us, especially while we are forming our identity (especially first few years of life and puberty). So you have people that are not born homosexuals but people, who for one reason or another, turned homosexual. When trauma can make human pathologically fear some color or be obsessed with boxes of matches, for example, I can see it turning human's sexual preference.

While I'm no psychiatrist, this seems like a sound logic to me.

 

[Snowy Rainbow]

Well, are tall people tall because of the way they were raised?

Besides, a straight couple raised the first gay person.

 

[Boris Goodenough]

Considering you're 500% more likely to be homosexual if anyone in your family is homosexual, I'd say mostly nature.

 

[BanicRhys]

Nature but helped along by nurture. I'm sure in the middle ages people were able to force themselves into being straight because they thought it was evil but now it's far less of an issue for someone to be gay.

Hell, it seems like it's cool to be gay or at least bi if you're a hipster type.

 

[Valksy]

Mostly nature in that I consider it innate. Nurture plays a part in that I recognise that I am fortunate to be able to be (reasonably) safely out of the closet and able to live my life rather than trying to force myself to either live in secret or be something that I am not.

As far as I am concerned, nature explains the existence of homosexuality, nurture can be viewed as the freedom to express it.

BUT there are people in countries where being GLBTQ is hazardous to liberty and life who are still GLBTQ. There is no "nurture" in their existence, often quite the opposite, and yet there they are trying to live an authentic life.

 

[The Lunatic]

I think it's a mix of both really.

Don't think genetics governs who you are, but, it can certainly affect you.

 

[Prince Regent]

Homosexuality is likely caused by a small difference in the brain. But you should ask a neuro biologist cause I'm no expert. It's deffinitly nature though.

I'd say nature otherwise I'd presume homosexuality would be far less common in very anti gay places or that the cure/ treatment would be much more developed or not stupid.

Then again I suppose extremely extensive conditioning could maybe alter sexuality, not that I'd support it but I wouldn't be surprised if it was possible.

Well in the previously mentioned "anti gay places" they are in a way being conditioned to be straight. And still a small percentage keeps turning up to be gay. Just like everywhere else.

Homosexuality has been around since before the stone age. Hell since before humans even exisisted, lots of animal species have gay members. From monkeys to ducks to dolphins. Now we don't ask if it was nature or nurture that made a dolphin gay as the answer is obvious.

(natrue for those to whom it isnt)

 

[thtool]

Nature mainly, but nurture plays a part- generally in how the person may 'accept' their sexuality.

 

[Kapol]

From what I learned in my Psych class, Homosexuality is based off genetics mainly. He actually said very clearly that it's not really contested in the psychiatric world. It's more just an accepted fact. Of course, it's up to each person to choose if they go with the feelings their bodies give them, and that does work both ways. Straight people can force themselves to be homosexual just like homosexual people can force themselves to be straight. But, it really boils down to genetics in terms of what gender your body is naturally attracted to.