a perspective.

[murdertramp_]

so tonight i had a very interesting conversation with david. he pretty much thinks that being gay is a choice, even if it is difficult or causes pain. it helps you figure out who you are, or what you want from life, like choosing a major in college. seriously, would some poor gay kid, 15 years of age and living in buttfuck, alabama CHOOSE to be gay

Comments

[tustin]

I agree with you but at the same time it is really hard. Because you can say that being a man or a woman is genetic. But at the same time, being male or female really isn't. If you ever get the time and want to read some nonfiction I recommend a book called GenderQueer. It really makes you question the concept of what male/female are. It brings up the thought that they aren't even biological. They're social constructs.

And people sort of "choose" to be female in appearance but do they really? Obviously there are a lot of psychological as well as sociological pressures that produce some sort of result. I mean, why do we choose to be feminine? We could easily take on a male persona and if we are able to pass as males we could (sadly) live much easier lives than we do as females.

I don't think being gay is an active choice at all. It's just a type of preference based on biology, I guess I would say. Because like we choose to act feminine because of our genitals, we could choose to be gay or straight based on our hormones and attractions.

[murdertramp_]

true, but if these pressures exist, why would someone in an envirionment that doesn't support the ability to "choose" a gender? pressures psychologically and sociologically can only go so far before genes kick in. genes can cause a person to be masculine or feminine (as there are feminine men and masculine women), and it's probably true for orientation as well. i'd hate to be cliche, but would the gay animals in nature scientists and researchers have found been exposed to these pressures? it just doesn't seem like that can be the only factor in it.

[tustin]

Oh yeah I agree with you, I definitely think that there is something biological, and I think that it is related to what makes us masculine or feminine. There's no way that scientists can say being gay is a choice until they believe that animals besides humans are sentient and actually make choices not according to instinct.

[murdertramp_]

that's exactly it. and i'm definetly checking out that book when i get the chance. :)

[tustin]

I also think that it wouldn't be that great if we finally proved that being gay was definitely be genetic. It would be considered a defect and people would be thinking about how we could "right" the "wrong."

We have a long way to go!

[ladydreamer]

During undergrad our gay club had a discussion about that: If they proved being gay was genetic, would it be considered as a disability? We've already been treated as a psychological problem to be fixed. Imagine how they would fix the genetic disorder.

Squicky topic.