VEGANGELICA

Very true. A person's sexual orientation appears to result from the interaction of genetics and environment, which affect brain development in early childhood (such as in utero), and eventually seem to lead to that person having a greater chance of feeling a romantic and sexual connection with one potential partner rather than another.

I liked those overview articles, Consolator. I especially liked the information that neuroendocrine studies suggest a person's future sexual orientation (which is reflected in some brain attributes) appears to result partly from the uterine environment that child experienced.

One more comment about your post. You said you felt that homosexuality makes little sense biologically. However, homosexual people can and DO have their own biological children, so the argument that natural selection would work against homosexuality isn't entirely valid, I feel. It is entirely possible for people to engage in sexual activity that is not "in line" with their core sexual feelings; so, people who are homosexual *can* have sex with someone of the opposite sex. Evidence: "There were an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 gay and lesbian biological parents in 1976" in the U.S. (Gay Parents - How Many Children Have Gay Parents in the US?).

Similarly, people who feel heterosexual can be sexual with someone of the same sex. People who are heterosexual can also have sex and children with an opposite-sexed partner for whom they do not feel a strong sexual or psychological pull.

I in no way wish to imply that anyone *should* have children, just that homosexuality doesn't necessarily prevent people from having children, if they want children. My point is that sexual orientation does not always equate with sexual behavior, and natural selection has selected humans with the ability to develop a wide range of sexual feelings and behaviors. Perhaps the reproductive advantages of this plasticity results in the ability of species such as ours to have members who are homosexual, bi, and heterosexual.

I agree, adidasss.

I find it interesting that people often debate so strongly that homosexuality may be a choice, like a choice between ice cream flavors, when people/scientists don't and can't answer why *heterosexual* people are *heterosexual.* Is heterosexuality a choice? I think most people would say no; it is just something that they *feel* and can't explain.

Sexual orientation is described in one of Consolator's articles above as "an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual or affectionate attraction to individuals of a particular gender"...or both (or none!), I would add.

When I patrol and consider my own feelings over my life, I realize easily that the few times I've ever "fallen in love" with someone it was not something I *chose* to do but was something that *happened* biologically to me. I can feel the effects as oxytocin and other hormones radically shift my desires, thoughts, and overall feelings, but I did not choose for a particular person to cause this rush of hormones and interest.

I can choose whether or not to act on my feelings (which can affect whether those feelings blossom or not), but that doesn't mean I could stop my romantic feelings from arising in the first place. I therefore assume that for you, too, this feeling of desiring to bond closely with a particular someone in a romantic way is also not a choice.

Sometimes I've wished I *could* control my feelings and make a choice about the person for whom I feel romantic love, just like Emostreetguitar says above, but I can't.

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