Poll: The 'why' in Sexuality

[BiscuitTrouser]

Im straight. I dont think you can change your sexuality. Im pretty confident that for most its something you have at birth that is either repressed or under the surface that some discover later. Maybe its shaped for others by experiences.

Im certain it isnt a choice. And im certain that even if it was a choice it wouldnt matter anyway and the entire point of that, and this, is moot because it doesnt at all affect the rights of those who are gay. They deserve all of it no matter what it is.

 

[verdant monkai]

You are not born gay. Simple

The gay gene is a myth
Consider this if there was a gay gene, it would be passed on by the parents, like blue eyes black hair etc. However homosexuals cannot have kids and therefore cannot pass on any of their genes, to their offspring.

Let us assume there was a gay gene, it would have died out ages ago, because the homosexual would have only had same sex partners. Which would have resulted in no children.
So it is perfectly acceptable to say your sexuality is all in your head.

And for all of you religious people out there because I love you and you love me (at least the Christians should) I present this statement.
If God makes everyone and he hates homosexuality, (in the bible it is called an "abomination" punishable by death) why would he make you gay? Oh wait he wouldn't.

No I do not hate Gay people, I just think all sexuality is to do with the mind.

I'm not sure there is a "gay gene" as such or at least not something so blunt, it's most likely something to do with the brain, which we still don't know too much about, however, that doesn't explain this

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

I mean, animals are bestial in nature, they don't have personalities like we do, they rely solely on instinct, so there must be something that predetermines your sexuality, because you certainly don't choose to be gay, I'm sure we'll figure it out in the future which could lead to all sorts of problems, but we'll cross that bridge in the future

agreed. but there are scientists who have studied this in depth and they all say it is to do with environmental factors.

 

[Nickolai77]

I'm a straight hetrosexual male, but i'm comfortable enough to admit that on a couple of occasions in my life i've felt homosexual attraction, but not enough to identify myself as bisexual.

But all this categorisation and sub-categorisation of sexuality is starting to annoy me. Sexual orientation's a spectrum with the majority of mainly males and females falling on either extreme end of the sexuality spectrum and with a minority of others scattered in between or on opposite ends of the spectrum to which their sex would usually dictate.

It seems whenever humans want to make something scientific, we categorise and sub-categorise it the extreme.

In the past people didn't write about "being" straight or "being" gay- they only differentiated between homosexual and heterosexual acts, one could do either, if you were inclined.

 

[Something Amyss]

[its where idea's happen]

Just an aside, but please spell consistently. It's not so much good or bad that's the issue, but you manage to use like three different versions of the same word in the same context at point.

'your just born that way' [also i don't listen to most modern music so i was unaware of the Lady Gaga song'] i wasn't sold on this either, because if you have certain experiences with a gender you might end up hating that gender. As far as i know people aren't born with hate, so i was really against the wall trying to figure it out.

Aside 2: I hate that song. "Hey guys, I have gay fans so I'll make the most perfunctory LGBT song I possibly can!"

Okay, now down to the beef. The logic here is specious. one can hate a sex and still be attracted to them. Hell, if every misogynist was gay, the species would have died out a long time ago.

but i was Straight only 4 years ago, i found gay stuff and by that i mean like 'Erotica' kind of 'unappealing' if you get me. I did and still do believe in Gay rights and stuff i just didn't really wanna see Erotica in action.

Sounds more like denial or repression, and I'm a firm believer in Occam's Razor. In this case, the fewest extraneous steps is that nothing's changed but your perception or self-awareness.

Whats your sexuality?

bisexual, pansexual, whatever. I don't really care about the gender of the people I like any more than I like labels in general.

Do you think there is a Why too your Sexuality?

I spent years trying to not be "that way," to no avail. I can't help but believe it to be inborn.

Are we born this way? or does it just happen? or do are experiences Define our sexuality?

I don't doubt some experiences influence us somewhat, but to say they define them? Science says no. To some extent, logic says no.

 

[RustlessPotato]

Straight, because boobs basically. Also, i'm allergic to alliteration *A CHOUM !!*

I don't really know the why. Sometimes there is no "why". Why is that mountain here is as nonsensical is Why are you straight. The only "why" we could answer could be in terms of genetic research or something like that. That's more of a "cause" and not really a "why".

But mostly boobs.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

You are not born gay. Simple

The gay gene is a myth
Consider this if there was a gay gene, it would be passed on by the parents, like blue eyes black hair etc. However homosexuals cannot have kids and therefore cannot pass on any of their genes, to their offspring.

Let us assume there was a gay gene, it would have died out ages ago, because the homosexual would have only had same sex partners. Which would have resulted in no children.
So it is perfectly acceptable to say your sexuality is all in your head.

And for all of you religious people out there because I love you and you love me (at least the Christians should) I present this statement.
If God makes everyone and he hates homosexuality, (in the bible it is called an "abomination" punishable by death) why would he make you gay? Oh wait he wouldn't.

No I do not hate Gay people, I just think all sexuality is to do with the mind.

Your understanding of genetics is crude and incorrect.

Cystic fribrosis is a myth.
Consider this if there was a gene for cystic fibrosis, it would be passed on by the parents, like blue eyes black hair ect. However those that get this disease and die young cannot have kids and therefore cannot pass on any of their genes to their offspring.

This is wrong. Its called CARRIERS. Youve used a childish model for genetics that makes zero sense in the real world. People can carry a single allele from parents because parents dont ALWAYS pass on 100% of their genes. They pass on half.

So a gay person can be born from someone with the gay gene who will have straight children and be straight because they CARRY SOME of the information to be gay but not ALL in a FEW of their sperm/eggs. When gametes randomly mix the OTHER parent may have the rest of the information to be gay in a FEW of their sperm/eggs. Thus a gay child has a very slim chance of being created IF these few eggs/sperm meet.

Not all of your sperm/eggs are the same.

I dont know if the gay gene is real or if it is genetic, im just saying for certain your reasoning is 100% wrong. Please dont use "simple" to describe a topic you understand very little about. Presnting these arguements to a geneticist would see you laughed out of the room, these are the very fundamentals of genetics. So dont try and draw conclusions when you lack them.

 

[juyunseen]

I considers myself to be bisexual.
I considered myself straight for the longest time before realizing that I had indeed been attracted to Agee guys. Nothing more too it really. I'm in a straight relationship, and any gay tendencies are slight (albeit there) so to be specific, You could say bi with straight tendencies.

As for why we are what we are... Does it matter? We just are. Do we need an answer?


Capcha: easy as cake
What is it trying to say?

 

[Eamar]

I'm bisexual, though I do see sexuality as a sliding scale. As in, you can be totally straight, totally gay and then various shades of bi in between the two (asexuals are obviously different). For example, I'd say 80% of the time if I'm attracted to someone physically, they'll be female. However, that's purely physical, and as soon as I start getting to know someone I couldn't care less about their gender. So, despite my overwhelming instinctive bias towards women, I happen to have had more actual relationships (not just sexual encounters) with men. That's just the way it's turned out so far though, it's all about the individuals I've encountered in my life (and probably the fact that there are a lot more straight men out there than gay or bi women, so statistically I'm more likely to encounter men who'd be interested in me than women).

With that in mind, I have no idea what calling yourself pansexual is all about. People say it means they don't care about gender... so what the hell do they think bisexuality is? I have a horrible feeling it might involve the old myth that we want to have relationships with a man and a woman at the same time :S

Unless it's just meant to encompass people who don't identify as male or female for whatever reason. In which case I still don't see the point in adding a whole new label , since I reckon some people of all orientations might be attracted to someone who fitted that description, depending on the individuals involved.

Oh, and for all intents and purposes I'm happy to say I was born this way. I have no idea about the genetics of it or anything, but I've been like this for as long as I can remember and don't have any burning desire for any further explanation.

 

[ShindoL Shill]

I'm bisexual because I can derive romantic and sexual stimulation from both sexes. Not much else to it.

Yeah, that sounds about right.
Unless someone scientifically proves the Concession Effect.
Also, what is that image from?

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

You are not born gay. Simple

The gay gene is a myth
Consider this if there was a gay gene, it would be passed on by the parents, like blue eyes black hair etc. However homosexuals cannot have kids and therefore cannot pass on any of their genes, to their offspring.

Wrong and wrong.

Gay people reproduce all the time. It is easier for humans, but gay animals manage too. It's because a "preference" isn't an "only ever".

Also, as an essay I read recently pointed out, it's probably a "bisexual" gene that has multiple layers of expression. IE: only one 'gay' gene, just a bit bi. Lots of gay genes, fully gay. The exact number, of course, is still unknown.

The gene exists because certain animals (mostly mammals) tend to live in groups that provide necessary assistance (ie, they hunt together, or the group defends individuals from predators). Sometimes there are more of one gender than the other. The gay (or more likely bisexual) gene exists so that those members aren't left out of important group bonding behavior (ie, coupling off). However, since many of those same animals also changes partners frequently (either due to promiscuity or herd culling by predators), it allows for the homo or bisexual members to reproduce.

 

[DRTJR]

Strait, never found a man attractive, Born that way, and most probably die that way.

 

[elvor0]

You are not born gay. Simple

The gay gene is a myth
Consider this if there was a gay gene, it would be passed on by the parents, like blue eyes black hair etc. However homosexuals cannot have kids and therefore cannot pass on any of their genes, to their offspring.

Let us assume there was a gay gene, it would have died out ages ago, because the homosexual would have only had same sex partners. Which would have resulted in no children.
So it is perfectly acceptable to say your sexuality is all in your head.

And for all of you religious people out there because I love you and you love me (at least the Christians should) I present this statement.
If God makes everyone and he hates homosexuality, (in the bible it is called an "abomination" punishable by death) why would he make you gay? Oh wait he wouldn't.

No I do not hate Gay people, I just think all sexuality is to do with the mind.

I'm not sure there is a "gay gene" as such or at least not something so blunt, it's most likely something to do with the brain, which we still don't know too much about, however, that doesn't explain this

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

I mean, animals are bestial in nature, they don't have personalities like we do, they rely solely on instinct, so there must be something that predetermines your sexuality, because you certainly don't choose to be gay, I'm sure we'll figure it out in the future which could lead to all sorts of problems, but we'll cross that bridge in the future

agreed. but there are scientists who have studied this in depth and they all say it is to do with environmental factors.

I'm sure there is a certain element of environmental factors, more so in humans than in animals for obvious reasons, but we have to take recessive/carrier genes into account as well, I mean it's entirely possible for two white people to have a black baby and vice versa.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/shock-of-the-black-couple-who-had-a-white-128720

(Yeah I know it's the mirror, but it's possible)You can have dormant genes allowing for all sorts of things to happen, they're a billion to one of happening, but the possibility is there.

Anyone who's actually a biologist can explain it better than I can, as in scientific terms, my usage of the words dormant/recessive is probably laughably wrong.

I mean for a personal example, one of my friends is a Lesbian, and one of her three brothers is gay, yet the other two are straight, and the parents are straight too, who have now divorced and are in relation ships with their opposite sex, so it's not even like one of them was closeted, humans are funny things, I doubt we'll ever fully understand how the mind/brain works.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

I'm bisexual because I can derive romantic and sexual stimulation from both sexes. Not much else to it.

Quoted because... well yeah. Female bisexual who loves Evangelion. ^^

As noted above, genetics. Being gay/bi was important to individual survival when we were monkeys. Of course, how we express that gene is modified by society. Nature and Nurture are both important aspects.

Also because the Shinji/Kaji picture is fricken awesome. And yes, that is actually the line from that scene in that episode. Gotta love Kaji.

Also, what is that image from?

Neon Genesis Evangelion.

 

[krazykidd]

Also i view being Asexual as a ailment , because humans are suppose to have the urge to reproduce .

You could use that argument to claim any sexuality other than straight is an ailment.

Anyhow I'm apparently the first asexual here. Not really sure what made me turn out this way but I just don't find the idea of sex attractive at all. Not that there's anything wrong with it it's just not something I can ever see myself doing; despite the social stigma surrounding being a virgin I really don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

Well first i'd like to say i hope i didn't offend . And what i meant by "urge to reproduce" was that as a species we would naturall want to spred our seed and thus have an urge for sex . Meaning straight/bi/homosexual people have the urge of sex due to their urge to reproduce ( without necessarily wanting to empregnate or be empregnated ).

 

[mParadox]

I'm straight. Not all that attracted to men, come to think of it.
That's... as far as it goes really.

 

[krazykidd]

I'm bisexual because I can derive romantic and sexual stimulation from both sexes. Not much else to it.

Quoted because... well yeah. Female bisexual who loves Evangelion. ^^

As noted above, genetics. Being gay/bi was important to individual survival when we were monkeys. Of course, how we express that gene is modified by society. Nature and Nurture are both important aspects.

Also because the Shinji/Kaji picture is fricken awesome. And yes, that is actually the line from that scene in that episode. Gotta love Kaji.

Implying that everyone accepts that humans came from monkeys as fact . And there is no reason why that perticular aspect wouldn't be lost in evolution .

 

[verdant monkai]

You are not born gay. Simple

The gay gene is a myth
Consider this if there was a gay gene, it would be passed on by the parents, like blue eyes black hair etc. However homosexuals cannot have kids and therefore cannot pass on any of their genes, to their offspring.

Let us assume there was a gay gene, it would have died out ages ago, because the homosexual would have only had same sex partners. Which would have resulted in no children.
So it is perfectly acceptable to say your sexuality is all in your head.

And for all of you religious people out there because I love you and you love me (at least the Christians should) I present this statement.
If God makes everyone and he hates homosexuality, (in the bible it is called an "abomination" punishable by death) why would he make you gay? Oh wait he wouldn't.

No I do not hate Gay people, I just think all sexuality is to do with the mind.

Your understanding of genetics is crude and incorrect.

Cystic fribrosis is a myth.
Consider this if there was a gene for cystic fibrosis, it would be passed on by the parents, like blue eyes black hair ect. However those that get this disease and die young cannot have kids and therefore cannot pass on any of their genes to their offspring.

This is wrong. Its called CARRIERS. Youve used a childish model for genetics that makes zero sense in the real world. People can carry a single allele from parents because parents dont ALWAYS pass on 100% of their genes. They pass on half.

So a gay person can be born from someone with the gay gene who will have straight children and be straight because they CARRY SOME of the information to be gay but not ALL in a FEW of their sperm/eggs. When gametes randomly mix the OTHER parent may have the rest of the information to be gay in a FEW of their sperm/eggs. Thus a gay child has a very slim chance of being created IF these few eggs/sperm meet.

Not all of your sperm/eggs are the same.

I dont know if the gay gene is real or if it is genetic, im just saying for certain your reasoning is 100% wrong. Please dont use "simple" to describe a topic you understand very little about. Presnting these arguements to a geneticist would see you laughed out of the room, these are the very fundamentals of genetics. So dont try and draw conclusions when you lack them.

sufferers of cystic fibrosis would be angered to hear you say "Cystic fribrosis is a myth." BiscuitTrouser.

You are of course talking about carriers who pass on genes that lie dormant and then come out, maybe one or two generations later.

ha ha yeah ok, you realise a gay person would have to have had kids (WHICH THEY CANT DO) in the first place for there to even have been carriers of the gene in the first place.

Say a gay person does have straight sex (which goes against being gay), and they did pas on the gene. It would not last long, the gay offspring would not be interested in spreading the gene they would want gay sex. So it would die out or if it did survive there would be a lot less gays than there are.

Take ancient Greece for example they THOUGHT being gay was fine.
Up until recently we THOUGHT being gay was bad.
(It's all about thought you see)
But sorry I cant be asked arguing genetics with you I have passed GCSE Biology and that's it, I have no real knowledge. The argument I just gave is one whom my friend who is a biologist, explained to me. (I may have explained it poorly)

So no your carrier argument is invalid.
(I cant be asked taking this conversation any further than this sorry)

 

[Yopaz]

What is Demi-sexual? And how does Pan-sexuality differ from bisexuality?

Pansexuals are a group of people who are bisexual, but feel they are above those who call themselves bisexual. It's essentially the same and everyone who tells you the logic behind pansexuals base their reasoning on the simple fact that they're not bisexual, but can fall in love with a person regardless of gender. Like ANYONE ever really understand the full extent of falling in love. Really, they just piss me off with their snobbish attitude towards bisexuality.

I'm straight. Probably because I have an instinct to reproduce and I can only do that with a woman. I've always been that way so I guess I was born that way. Never felt attraction to a guy.

 

[R3dF41c0n]

I'm straight. I never found the same sex attractive. I guess my brain isn't wired that way.

 

[butternut]

I've still yet to wrap my head around what exactly a pan-sexual is. I've also never heard of demi-sexual. My limited knowledge of them makes me wonder if its just bi-sexuals who want to be different.

Anyway, To the questions!

1) Gay

2) I honestly could say why really. But I do know for a fact that it was not my choice. To me, Guys are hot and Girls are not.

3) I'm inclined to believe that I was born this way. It has been prevalent throughout my entire life. When I told my mum about it she said she had guessed as much ever since I was a child.

4) Not once, back in the days of my sexually confused teenage years I did try to find girls attractive. It just doesnt work for me.

I don't understand gay guys. Lesbians, yes, but not gay men. The thing is, penises are ugly, all wrinkly and veiny. A straight woman makes sense, since they are genetically hardwired to find men attractive, but men aren't. Unless homosexuality is genetic in origin, in which case, it's in homophobes' best interests to support same-sex marriage and let natural selection do its thing.

As a precaution, I'd like to take the time that I am not anti-gay and am in favor of same-sex marriage. This post was primarily humorous in intent. Thank you and have a nice day.

You are right. Penises are pretty ugly. But I'm more into the well defined masculine chest and body structure as a whole rather than the penis.