1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Origins/Causes of Homosexuality

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Untitled104, May 22, 2017.

  1. Untitled104

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2016
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    London
    Gender:
    Female
    The origins and causes of homosexuality are undoubtedly still scientifically hazy. Ideas of nature vs nurture, genetic predispositions and the role of environmental factors float around the place with a decisive answer yet to be found. (If I'm wrong and some evidence of decisive causes have flown over my head, please fill me in!)

    Of course, when approaching a topic like this, you'd normally go straight to the research and thought-over validated theories, but I'm not necessarily here for that friends! Oh no!

    I want to know what YOU think; when you think of homosexuality in regards to yourselves and/or other people, where do you think it came from? Do you think it's inborn? A result of uncontrollable or controllable environmental factors? A combination of the two? Are there other theories you believe more?

    What do you believe in regards to differences in the development of same sex attraction between the genders?

    I'm brimming with questions! Of course, feel free to pick and choose or add in your own, any thoughts are welcome! I'd just love to get a feel for attitudes/beliefs within the community.
     
  2. faultyink

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2016
    Messages:
    296
    Likes Received:
    7
    Location:
    cabeswater
    Gender:
    Female
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    Some people
    I've always kind of thought that maybe it's genetic, cause my cousin was gay on my mom's side, and my mom had a gay uncle. And it does seem to run in families... my sister is into girls, too. And my nana said she might have married a women "if things had been different." I also have a friend whose sister is bi, and his mom is bi. He might be but idk. And furthermore, I know someone else who is bi and her sister is too!! So I think it musttt be genetic.
     
    #2 faultyink, May 22, 2017
    Last edited: May 22, 2017
  3. Sienrar

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2015
    Messages:
    195
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Houston, TX
    I don't know, so I just say, "I don't know."

    There's no hard evidence suggesting that genetics, upbringing, etcetera are the one true determiner of sexuality. Gonna be a hypocrite about the, "I don't know" part and say that it might just be a mixture of a lot of different things. But more importantly, it shows that a lot more research is needed before anyone draws hard conclusions.
     
  4. YoungMountain

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2015
    Messages:
    18
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Maine
    My identical twin has a different sexuality than me, so I think it's developmental rather than purely hereditary. I don't know for sure why homosexuality exists, but I think that same-sex pairs are supposed raise orphans, so even though they can't pass on their genes, the offspring they raise will.
     
    #4 YoungMountain, May 23, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: May 23, 2017
  5. silverdeer

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2016
    Messages:
    328
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    United States
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    I was about to say I'm the only person in my family that is gay but I just remembered that my great great uncle was gay and in a relationship. I say "was" because I don't think he is alive anymore..
     
  6. I'm gay

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    1,751
    Likes Received:
    809
    Location:
    United States
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    The theory that's been advanced that makes the most sense to me is the idea that it's hormones in utero that cause homosexuality. If it were purely genetic, environmental, or nurturing, then it doesn't make sense that gay people would come from straight parents who raise their kids in strict hetero-learning environments.
     
  7. Khai

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2016
    Messages:
    53
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Gender:
    Other
    Gender Pronoun:
    They
    Sexual Orientation:
    Other
    Out Status:
    A few people
    Coming from a younger persons perspective, I've always just sort of noticed my mutual feelings towards both/all genders. I don't really know how it works, I guess some people just are and some people aren't. I don't think Its genetic as such, but I do think it could just be a natural and random selection type process influencing behavioural patterns and physical responses.
    Idk, Thats just my thoughts.
     
  8. skittlz

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2017
    Messages:
    319
    Likes Received:
    37
    Location:
    MN
    Gender:
    Female
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Some people
    True. Though, I've seen from documentaries that identical twins raised in the same environment can end up with different sexual orientations. So I'm curious as to how the twins, with more or less identical DNA, residing in the same uterus, could be affected differently by the prenatal hormones. (Distribution is uneven?)
     
  9. Libertino

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2016
    Messages:
    1,195
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    This Side of the Enlightenment
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Other
    Out Status:
    Some people
    Hmm. My brother and I shared an utero and we could not be more different sexually. I could venture the idea that he hogged all the testosterone; that's wouldn't be the first time I've heard that one :wink:

    The fact is that we do not know. There are some patterns and commonalities (for example, many gay men I've met had poor relationships with their father and identified more with their mothers--but consider that many straight men have this experience too) and research continues, but ultimately I don't believe it matters. Search always for the explanation, sure, but if it is never found, that is not a problem.
     
  10. Kira

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2014
    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    16
    Location:
    Georgia
    Gender:
    Female
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    Some people
    My best thought is it's essentially nature's own way of balance to curb overpopulation.
    Lets say roughly one third of people worldwide "actually gay", these people would be less likely to have children, because as we know people have far too many for our own good.
    Then, the majority screws that up by forcing such minorities into seclusion and forcing us to hide our true colours. Hence, overpopulation and unsustainability. Those who wouldn't have had children had them anyway to meet society's expectations and norms.

    But if everyone were to "come out" safely and the "closet" was no longer a thing, no more denial, society's straight bias dropped, think of how much less the world would be overpopulated? If people aren't taught straight is the only option... Much more sustainable levels, less hunger, less consumption and waste, easier to reach out and help those in need. Maybe that was nature's "intention" and archaic human concepts have merely led it astray?

    Can't take anything for infallible however, especially one without enough proof. If anything this is a mere hypothesis. Hard evidence to the contrary may pop up in a later point, who knows?
     
  11. I'm gay

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2016
    Messages:
    1,751
    Likes Received:
    809
    Location:
    United States
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    Uneven distribution is exactly my thought. We already know that there's an uneven distribution of nutrients in utero, so hormones may work the same way.

    I think this is likely true. But it still requires a mechanism.

    I do agree generally with people who say it doesn't really matter why. Even more important, though, are the potential consequences if the cause is ultimately determined. How many people would then attempt to prevent their children from becoming homosexual by hormone therapy (if hormones are determined to be the cause) or gene therapy (if genetics is determined to be the cause) or any other "therapies" designed for that purpose. Perhaps we really do need to let it be up to God.

    :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:ride:
     
  12. MCairo

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2014
    Messages:
    663
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Seoul, KR
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Questioning
    Out Status:
    Not out at all
    It does have a genetic base (identical twins have more chance of sharing the same sexuality than fraternal twins), but it's not purely hereditary. Hormones in the womb probably also play a role, since the chance of being gay slightly increases depending on the number of older brothers one has. Of course, all these studies focused on the male homosexual, not the female. So there may be other reasons for female homosexuality.
     
  13. Weregild

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2015
    Messages:
    527
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Brazil
    Gender:
    Female
    Sexual Orientation:
    Questioning
  14. I dunno. In my opinion, there should be lots of unbiased research going on to find out more about LGBT people. No pseudoscience political agendas from either the right or the left, just the truth. I also really want to know more about trans people like myself. What does the science say? I think there's almost been a breakthrough. Studies have been done and autopsies have been carried out that show that trans people have the brain structure and grey to white matter ratios of the opposite sex. It hasn't been given much publicity though, because it would ruin the idea that gender is nothing but a social construct. In my opinion, and you're free to disagree, just throwing it out there, trans people are living proof that gender isn't a social construct. I think we are evidence that gender is psychologically and biologically hardwired into our brains from birth. Some aspects of gender are socially constructed, yes, but that isn't gender, that's culture. There's also so much other stuff about trans people we still don't know. Anyway, I should be shutting tf up right about now, and start talking about the scientific causes of gay people. I'm a science nerd, I know. Many people think it's due to how hormones are balanced in the womb, since when there are twins and one of them turns out gay, the other one turns out to be gay as well for the vast majority of the time. People think that more estrogen was produced in the womb than normal. We really need to find things out about this kind of stuff. We could help others understand us all better as LGBT people. Okay I'm done XD
     
    #14 Random Ross 1, May 29, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: May 29, 2017
  15. Nightdream

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2014
    Messages:
    401
    Likes Received:
    12
    Location:
    Brazil
    Gender:
    Other
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Some people
    I have no idea. I just believe that's an inborn thing, but I'm not sure if it's related to genetics. I say this because many LGBT people have stories about signs since they were kids. I have my story too, even if it's different from most people's. I remember being very open minded about the LGBT community since I was a little child and I always thought men and women were exactly the same in mind, but were conditioned to be different, meaning thatI wouldn't care if I had a boyfriend or girlfriend. Guess what? I'm bisexual. That's why I don't believe anyone can become gay, bi, lesbian, asexual or trans. They either are or never will be.
     
  16. MaoKingofcats

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2016
    Messages:
    334
    Likes Received:
    6
    Location:
    Alaska
    Gender:
    Other
    Gender Pronoun:
    Other
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    I agree that's my response to this topic as well.
     
  17. Chip

    Board Member Admin Team Advisor Full Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2008
    Messages:
    16,551
    Likes Received:
    4,750
    Location:
    northern CA
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    What I'm reading and hearing is that it is likely a combination of factors:

    • Genetic predisposition (as evidenced by the studies of identical twins showing about a 50% chance that if one twin is gay, the other will be, and limited studies of separated identical twins),
    • The womb hormone theory (indicating that later-born children to the same mother are more likely to be gay than earlier-born children)
    • Early childhood factors (little is known about this, but parental bonding and other factors in first two years may play a role)

    What does not seem to be in dispute (except by the crazy religious nuts) is that it appears to be fixed either before birth or very early in life.
     
  18. jscott3320

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 30, 2017
    Messages:
    8
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Charlotte
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Not out at all
    I do not think there is one answer. I believe there are people who, from the very beginning, identify and feel more comfortable with the same sex. I know some are shy and as they age, stay away from male-female situation of a sexual nature. I also feel that some who experience the thrill of same sex orgasm believe they must be gay or lesbian because they could not have enjoyed it so thoroughly. I have experienced a lesser and greater degree of same sex feelings and acted on them. I came to the realization that I enjoy the pleasures of traditional intercourse, oral sex and the joys of playing with another man's package and therefore do not feel the need to choose.
     
  19. DusDogs

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2017
    Messages:
    21
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Holland, Leiden
    It can be genetic, like me and my twin are both gay... But there are also twins were the first half is gay and the other isn't. But this all also shows the complexity of brains, all bird species have gay individuals and more intelligened mamal species also have gays think about elephants, cats(there are know gay lion couples who are also recorded having sex and all those things.) Wolfs, bears, etc. Homosexuality can be seen as being right or left handed. My twin is right handed and I left. Gay individuals have also increased survival rate for emperor penguins, the gay couples take over the eggs that are left behind when the parents can't stand the hunger anymore. More baby's, yay for the gays.(!):eusa_danc

    ---------- Post added 30th May 2017 at 11:32 PM ----------

    This one doesn't apply to me:icon_wink was born 2-3 months to early but the other can be true. But we are not the only animals species... So maybe not how they are raised is a reason.
     
  20. Ozma

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2016
    Messages:
    183
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Somewhere over the rainbow
    Gender:
    Female (trans*)
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    Some people
    The real cause of homosexuality is cute people.