RVCA

There's no argument here. It's not up for decision. Nobody consciously chooses what they're sexually aroused by; to suggest otherwise is ludicrous. However, there is still plenty to argue about WHEN your sexuality is determined (in the womb? just after birth? in the developmental years?) and by what mechanism your sexuality is determined (which part of the brain, if it can even be localized? Is it genetic?).

jeveuxleson

I do believe scientists are able to find out what part of the brain is for arousal and such. But it comes down to this: is homosexuality ran by sexual arousal, or is it a deeper emotion? What I mean to say is, based on the homosexual community, there are the ones who are sexually aroused to the same sex and there are those who are truly seeking for a life-long relationship with the same sex. Can we pinpoint the emotion? I do not think so. Emotions are a more complex idea. Now the sexual drive however, it is hardwired into us. So chemicals are released from a certain point and allow us to become aroused. What causes this arousal, it is uncertain. Well, I haven't seen proof.

I hope that made sense... I typed this rather quickly.

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"Le temps est un grand maître, dit-on, le malheur est qu'il tue ses élèves."

Arya Stark

There is an argument.
People DO think that gays choose to be gay.

I just dgaf either way.
I don't see the point of trying to figure it out. Gay people are gay. End of story.
I'm sure if someone REALLY wanted to, they could convince themselves to be attracted to someone else. I'm sure there's a way.

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RVCA

It made sense, and that's why I was careful to say "sexually aroused by" instead of just "attracted to", which encompasses a huge and complex network of emotions like you said.

Well, yeah, but those people are wrong.

That wouldn't really fly with a judge if you were called to defend Gay Marriage.



There have been cases of brain damage or mental illness where the victim's source of sexual arousal flip-flops (pedophiles no longer attracted to kids, straight people become gay and vice versa), but for someone to think that they can change their source of arousal through sheer will, well... that's called denial.

jeveuxleson

If we find that homosexuality is in fact genetic, is it ethically wrong to force people to become 'straight'? Not necessarily a mentality of arousal/attraction, as you mention above, but it's merely a 'defect' as it would be classified. It's physical proof, not mental, that homosexuality can be isolated, should we as a society eliminate this? Or is that genocide, much like Hitler and his 'Super-race'?

I mean, I'm all for the idea of 'weeding out.' However, I am for the fact of 'Live and let live.' So I'd be torn. But if I truly had a choice, I think I'd vote against it, being a gay man myself. Yet, I just want the best for the society as a whole. And if they truly believe that I am a nuisance, I don't want to become the problem. I don't want my life as hell because I'm a 'genetic mutant.' I think it sort of boils down to having a genetic condition... in a sense. Like down syndrome.

This is all hypothetical of course, there is NO proof yet of homosexuality being genetic. This just comes to show that we know so little about, and therefore we shouldn't react harshly towards it. (i.e. Banning gay marriage, exile, etc.)

__________________
"Le temps est un grand maître, dit-on, le malheur est qu'il tue ses élèves."

RVCA

As has been mentioned in this thread already, homosexuality runs perpendicular to procreation. It seems unnatural, if you view one of our primary goals in life as copulating and spreading our genes. In light of that, I suppose a case could be made that for the survival of humanity, we must eliminate homosexuality, but that seems rather dramatic.

Personally, if we ever developed a method of eliminating homosexuality from the gene pool, I'd consider its use unethical, but I'm having trouble articulating my logic for feeling this way.

I've never researched it myself, but my Psychology professor recently told our class of 800 people that "every day, we find more and more evidence that your sexuality is determined either before birth or shortly after."

jeveuxleson

That's very very interesting. I definitely believe it. Hmph. I don't want to offend anyone with this statement. Uh. Well, there's really two types of homosexuals, I do believe. One is the one that has realized the fact that they are indeed attracted to their own sex. (Whether they accept it or not.) Then there are the others, the attention whores who 'choose' their sexuality. The ones who like girls to get more guys. That's not true homosexuality. It's not true to nature, true to form. So what gets often confused is the biological conclusion of homosexuality, and the fact that people who aren't gay sleep with the same gender. Therefore we come to a divide, people who are in fact gay, and the ones who claim they are based on their actions. There is this grey area. As a result, many statistics are based on a mix of the 'true homosexuals' and the ones who claim they're gay. Statistics are screwed for the time being, therefore evidence is skewed. I definitely believe your professor, it all comes down to whether we can find what causes homosexuality, and then advance from there. Y'know?

__________________
"Le temps est un grand maître, dit-on, le malheur est qu'il tue ses élèves."

Goblin Tears

Being in denial and going to those creepy straight camps (that more often than not cause psychological damage) don't really count as ways.

Arya Stark

I'm just saying there have to be people out there that choose to be gay.

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Azucar y Especia. My blog.