Is Sexual Orientation A Choice?

[Coloradomtnman]

Could you choose to be attracted to someone of the gender opposite of the gender to which you currently feel attracted i.e. if you're straight could you choose to get turned on by someone of the same sex, or if you're gay could you choose to get turned on by someone of the opposite sex?

Discuss.

My opinion is: No. Dudes are gross.

It doesn't matter if it's a choice or not.

Some people might choose to be homosexual, some people might not.

There are an awful lot of gay men who got married and had kids before they came out of the closet. If it wasn't a choice they shouldn't have been able to get it up for a woman right?

Do you really belive it is that black and white? That it is really that simple? That its either that one is gay or not? I've been told that sexual orientation is more like a spectrum. Perhaps those men who married and had children were like a 7 on a scale of 10: 10 being totally gay. I knew a man who was a retired air force colonel. After nearly 30 years of service and marriage, he retired and left his wife (his sons were grown) and allowed himself to be himself- a gay man. Maybe he was more gay than straight?

 

[Oddball]

Could you choose to be attracted to someone of the gender opposite of the gender to which you currently feel attracted i.e. if you're straight could you choose to get turned on by someone of the same sex, or if you're gay could you choose to get turned on by someone of the opposite sex?

Discuss.

My opinion is: No. Dudes are gross.

It doesn't matter if it's a choice or not.

Some people might choose to be homosexual, some people might not.

There are an awful lot of gay men who got married and had kids before they came out of the closet. If it wasn't a choice they shouldn't have been able to get it up for a woman right?

Do you really belive it is that black and white? That it is really that simple? That its either that one is gay or not? I've been told that sexual orientation is more like a spectrum. Perhaps those men who married and had children were like a 7 on a scale of 10: 10 being totally gay. I knew a man who was a retired air force colonel. After nearly 30 years of service and marriage, he retired and left his wife (his sons were grown) and allowed himself to be himself- a gay man. Maybe he was more gay than straight?

All of which is completely anecdotal, since nobody -but nobody- can objectively quantify "gayness".

 

[Skull Pilot]

Could you choose to be attracted to someone of the gender opposite of the gender to which you currently feel attracted i.e. if you're straight could you choose to get turned on by someone of the same sex, or if you're gay could you choose to get turned on by someone of the opposite sex?

Discuss.

My opinion is: No. Dudes are gross.

It doesn't matter if it's a choice or not.

Some people might choose to be homosexual, some people might not.

There are an awful lot of gay men who got married and had kids before they came out of the closet. If it wasn't a choice they shouldn't have been able to get it up for a woman right?

Do you really belive it is that black and white? That it is really that simple? That its either that one is gay or not? I've been told that sexual orientation is more like a spectrum. Perhaps those men who married and had children were like a 7 on a scale of 10: 10 being totally gay. I knew a man who was a retired air force colonel. After nearly 30 years of service and marriage, he retired and left his wife (his sons were grown) and allowed himself to be himself- a gay man. Maybe he was more gay than straight?

It's just like the nature nurture argument.

Both sides are wrong and both sides are right.

I'm saying it doesn't matter if it is a choice or not. For some it might be for others it might not be.

I just doesn't matter

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[Coloradomtnman]

Is Sexual Orientation A Choice?

Can't say.

What I can say is that "gayness" is an unquantifiable behavior trait, rather than an objectively verifiable identity trait like gender and ethnicity.

Why can you say that? Seems to me that my feeling attracted to women is an objectively verifiable identity trait whether I act on it or not. Why would that be different if that attraction were to my own gender?

 

[DarkLion]

It is not a choice.

 

[Oddball]

Is Sexual Orientation A Choice?

Can't say.

What I can say is that "gayness" is an unquantifiable behavior trait, rather than an objectively verifiable identity trait like gender and ethnicity.

Why can you say that? Seems to me that my feeling attracted to women is an objectively verifiable identity trait whether I act on it or not. Why would that be different if that attraction were to my own gender?

It's dependent upon your say-so.

I can't put a BP cuff on you and independently determine your level of "gayness"

 

[Coloradomtnman]

I've known to many gay and lesbian people to know that it is not a choice, so there is nothing left for me to discuss.

How do you know it is not a choice?
Are you telling me you actually saw the "I gotta be me" gene?

Also tell me truthfully, which is easier, telling people "I gotta be me" or I like the life style? I like the love making.
Because LOVE in most cases have NOTHING to do with it!
Genetically speaking people never started out gay because you and I wouldn't be here!
So at some point yes the recessive gene that has a proclivity for same sex appeared.
And at some point more gay people were let to be gay BUT NOT because their GENES were becoming dominate but because society allowed more GAY behavior!
That's it. Prove there is a gay gene that really makes a person want a person of the same sex!
Where is it???

First of all, you still haven't answered the OP. Could you choose to feel attraction to the same sex?

Secondly, it doesn't matter if there is a gay gene or not. What matters is if sexual orientation is a choice; whether based on genes or something else like early childhood development or prenatal condition or a combination of factors, or just some horny dude wants to put it in another dude's butt from now on cause its seemingly a better life style and he likes musicals or something.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

I've known to many gay and lesbian people to know that it is not a choice, so there is nothing left for me to discuss.

How do you know it is not a choice?
Are you telling me you actually saw the "I gotta be me" gene?

Also tell me truthfully, which is easier, telling people "I gotta be me" or I like the life style? I like the love making.
Because LOVE in most cases have NOTHING to do with it!
Genetically speaking people never started out gay because you and I wouldn't be here!
So at some point yes the recessive gene that has a proclivity for same sex appeared.
And at some point more gay people were let to be gay BUT NOT because their GENES were becoming dominate but because society allowed more GAY behavior!
That's it. Prove there is a gay gene that really makes a person want a person of the same sex!
Where is it???

If a man is not at all attracted to a woman sexually then tell me how does he perform?

Sorry but there ain't no way I'm getting it up for a dude shouldn't it be the same for a gay guy and a woman?

So, you admit it isn't a choice to whom you are attracted?

In cases like you earlier mentioned: perhaps there's enough of an attraction, because sexuality works like a spectrum. Or, he closes his eyes, visualizes his fantasy, masturbates (essentially) with her body, and performs his social and cultural duty (as he perceives or wishes it) as a husband. Lots of people also "experiment" in college.

Edit: I replied thinking you were healthmyths. Hopefully that clears up this post.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Can't say.

What I can say is that "gayness" is an unquantifiable behavior trait, rather than an objectively verifiable identity trait like gender and ethnicity.

Why can you say that? Seems to me that my feeling attracted to women is an objectively verifiable identity trait whether I act on it or not. Why would that be different if that attraction were to my own gender?

It's dependent upon your say-so.

I can't put a BP cuff on you and independently determine your level of "gayness"

True.

But you could have me stand naked, and have a beautiful, young woman in the nude rub herself against me and then time how long it takes for me to get an erection. Then do that with a lot of other dudes and use that data to come up with a system that determines one's level of "gayness" based on a scale integrating that data. Its a ridiculous proposition, but it would work.

 

[Gagafritz]

Sexual BEHAVIOR is a choice. You can CHOOSE to engage in sex with someone or not. Orientation, maybe or maybe not. But, what does it matter? All of us are "predisposed" in a lot of ways. Someone may be genetically predisposed to be an alcoholic. That doesn't then mean it is a good idea to consume alcohol. Other people might be predisposed to gambling or any number of things. Whether or not to engage in something you are predisposed to is your choice. You can choose to or not choose too based on your own moral code.
But, just because something might be genetic doesn't then mean a person HAS to engage that predisposition.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Sexual BEHAVIOR is a choice. You can CHOOSE to engage in sex with someone or not. Orientation, maybe or maybe not. But, what does it matter? All of us are "predisposed" in a lot of ways. Someone may be genetically predisposed to be an alcoholic. That doesn't then mean it is a good idea to consume alcohol. Other people might be predisposed to gambling or any number of things. Whether or not to engage in something you are predisposed to is your choice. You can choose to or not choose too based on your own moral code.
But, just because something might be genetic doesn't then mean a person HAS to engage that predisposition.

Sounds like you think homosexuality is morally wrong.

 

[Truthmatters]

sex is a primal drive and insisting peopel not engage in sex is stupid and useless practice.

Look what its done to the catholic church.

caused nothing but problems

 

[kwc57]

I've known to many gay and lesbian people to know that it is not a choice, so there is nothing left for me to discuss.

How do you know it is not a choice?
Are you telling me you actually saw the "I gotta be me" gene?

Also tell me truthfully, which is easier, telling people "I gotta be me" or I like the life style? I like the love making.
Because LOVE in most cases have NOTHING to do with it!
Genetically speaking people never started out gay because you and I wouldn't be here!
So at some point yes the recessive gene that has a proclivity for same sex appeared.
And at some point more gay people were let to be gay BUT NOT because their GENES were becoming dominate but because society allowed more GAY behavior!
That's it. Prove there is a gay gene that really makes a person want a person of the same sex!
Where is it???

Because every single gay and lesbian I know has told me that from as far back as they can remember, they were attracted to the same sex. Bob didn't crave girls until one day at 16 he just decided boys would be tastier than the gals and he'd give that a go for a while. Being a sexual being myself, I can tell you that my attraction to the fairer sex has never been a choice. It is the way I'm genetically wired. Men hold absolutely no attraction for me. If for some really odd reason I decided I wanted to have sex with a man to see if it is a change I'd want to make, I can tell you that I would still be attracted to women and not men. But that will never happen because I'm sexually attracted to women and not men. For a gay or lesbian, it is the same principle except that they are attracted to the same sex. Sexualy attraction isn't like eating your vegetables. It isn't like you only eat meat and potatoes and are convinced you won't eat vegetables because they are gross. Then someone finally talks you into trying them and you find out that by golly, vegetables really are pretty tasty and you want some with your meat and potatoes. We are genetically hardwired to be attracted to the opposite sex. Gays and lesbians are wired differently. But you can't crosswire the genetics that already exist.

 

[kwc57]

sex is a primal drive and insisting peopel not engage in sex is stupid and useless practice.

Look what its done to the catholic church.

caused nothing but problems

God Lord TDM, are you always this fucking clueless? That's a rhetorical question, so don't bother answering. Where in this thread is anyone insisting people not engage in sex. If you're going to waste bandwidth, at least understand the topic of the thread you're posting in. Geez!

 

[Spoonman]

no, it isn't a choice. it's just how you are wired. I didn't choose to be how I am, it's just how I am. just like i didn't choose when those attractions would start to kick in. they just did.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

The Lord that I believe in says that homosexuality is wrong and to me that is all that there is to it.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

P.S. If it were right, a woman would not need the help of a man in order to replenish this planet.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

The Lord that I believe in says that homosexuality is wrong and to me that is all that there is to it.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

P.S. If it were right, a woman would not need the help of a man in order to replenish this planet.

So, if a person is gay, even if they don't choose to be, they are wrong?

 

[JOSweetHeart]

^^^ I believe that it is a choice. Why would the Lord have a person go against his own word?

God bless you always!!!

Holly

 

[Coloradomtnman]

^^^ I believe that it is a choice. Why would the Lord have a person go against his own word?

God bless you always!!!

Holly

Do you know any gay people?

 

[007]

Discuss.

Is your topic so unworthy of interest that you feel the need to ORDER people to discuss it?