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Why do so many people believe that your up bringing determines your sexuality

Discussion in 'Sexual Orientation' started by Shasta, Feb 2, 2021.

  1. Shasta

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    From what I’ve researched I have discovered that your sexuality is biological it’s determined before your born but why so people believe that your upbringing determines you sexual orientation. It implies that people are to change me.
     
  2. Tightrope

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    It doesn't imply that people can change. Not to me. The inborn and biological part is your temperament. That's what I've read. Events then cause that temperament to spring into action. This might help explain why some people act on impulses with their own gender earlier than others. We've had quite a few members who report not being aware of these impulses until later down the road. Something could have happened along the way.

    For a lot of people in therapy, they learn that their parents and how they were parented might have affected how they pick who to get into relationships with and what the relationships might look like. It can be one piece of the puzzle. And you can't change the past, so it's not that realistic you can change sexual orientation.
     
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  3. gravechild

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    I thought it was not 100% proven sexuality is determined before birth? Upbringing might not determine orientation, but certainly impacts how one sees themselves. If there's a lack of opportunities to explore, or absence of LGBT role modes, it can be tough.
     
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  4. Tightrope

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    Look at how many researchers there are studying sexuality. No one seems to have the iron clad answer. I'm willing to listen to what they have to say so I can mull it over and also look at what kind of research they conducted. It seems like a lot of these researchers have some piece of the puzzle correct!
     
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  5. LilLady9

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    Very well said. I think his has helped me further understand myself.

    When I was in middle school, I had a consensual same sex experience with my bestfriend.

    I probably would have become aware of my bisexuality eventually, but because of this event I became aware of it earlier than others?

    Am I understand this correctly? Does that make sense?
     
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  6. BiGemini87

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    That's my take-away, too. Had circumstances been different, I might have, if not known my orientation by name, at least have acted on it.

    In reply to the OP: I heavily disagree with the people that think sexual orientation is something that changes. Yes, there are orientations that are naturally more fluid (such as beneath the bisexual umbrella), but ultimately, our attractions to same or opposite sex are fixed--if not determined upon conception, then certainly by the time complex brain function occurs.

    I would honestly love to see more studies on the subject in order to gain a proper understanding, but even if the whole "determined at birth" thing were debunked, I'd still stand firmly upon it not being something we can change. To suggest so would also suggest we can choose to not be gay/bi/etc. which would ultimately set us back a few decades, I wager.
     
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