What if one day science proves being gay is due to environment?

Fixed

 

Fuck it, I'm still gonna like girls and guys.

 

I agree.

I already believe it's influenced partially by environment, whether in utero or otherwise. Honestly, I'd be very surprised if it's purely genetic. "Homosexuality" appears to be a complex trait with many genes associated. When you have such a complex trait (which being gay likely is), it's likely environment plays some role on whether or not it is "activated." If you find one pair of identical twins where one is honesty straight and one is honestly gay, that already suggests there's very likely an environmental factor besides in utero effects. Just because it may be environmental doesn't automatically invalidate it. Environment permanently shapes us in ways we don't understand or are not completely aware of. It doesn't make it a choice. And, even if it were a choice, it doesn't change the fact that what we each do with our own lives, if it's not harmful to others, is up to us.

 

I agree. The idea that our only right to respect and legal equality is naturalistic isn't something that appeals to me. It's bad in that it still holds our existence to be unfortunate but something we have to put up with, as the assumption is that heterosexuality is a preferable but unavailable status for us.

 

Knowing the causes wouldn't change anything for me. I'd still be the same person.

But a part of me hopes we'll never have a definitive answer and never know exactly what "causes" orientation. Because if we do, the next step for some people would be finding a "cure."

Luckily, I believe the "causes" are multiple and complex (not just environmental, not only genetic) and we're pretty far away from understanding them.

 

I agree. Having grown up in a very binary environment where homosexuality was deemed as "gender bending" and that gay men were always feminine, I thought I was just messed up as a person and yes(sigh), confused. I liked girls, so I best keep liking them and ignore the feelings I had towards guys. I could only do that for so long though. By 7th or 8th grade, I knew I wasn't straight. It's a real problem to grow up in a sex negative environment. So many Christians are brought up that sex and even masturbation are evil.

 

I wouldn't really care, because I'd still be me and only me, and science can't change that.

 

Find me proof brain changes to sexuality parts of the brain can't change sexuality.

Wait, there is none and it been shown that every other brain changes can affect an aspect of a person corresponding to that change.

 

I already believe that being gay is due to environment. I don't think that anyone is 'born straight' or 'born gay' - but rather that society teaches you that it's normal to be straight.

I had 2 older brothers. Sports were always on the TV, playboys were always laying around, half naked girls on the wall, they had girlfriends - I thought that was cool... Look at me now - I love sports and I love women. If I had grown up with 2 older sisters who were boy crazy and constantly took me shopping and showed me a different lifestyle, I might have turned out differently. (Weird to think about, my immediate thought is to completely deny that because I can't imagine being attracted to men... But, I still think it's an environment thing.)

Of course I'm about to get some political juggernaut on my ass and tell me that, that's complete bullshit because their story is COMPLETELY different... Just remember that everyone has their own opinion and there's different forms of environment that's not just family life.

 

I think most likely it will be shown that it is largely environmental and random, but that does not make it easily changeable. My hunch is that we may have genes that push us and make it more likely that our first crush will be with the opposite sex, but there are random aspects to it and in some percentage of the population, their first crush just happens to be the same sex. And after that, their brain associates that with survival and reinforces that pathway, while trimming other pathways.

When people say there are genes that make you attracted to sexual characteristics, well okay how does your brain know what 'male' and 'female' is? It has to imprint based on your parents, your siblings, your peers growing up. There's a huge environmental effect there obviously.

 

It would be trumpeted to the sky by the supposedly anti-science homophobes.

 

That wouldn't bother me. I don't need to "justify" my sexuality for homophobes who are looking for any excuse to discriminate. The idea that homophobes would suddenly "love us" if homosexuality were proven to be genetic is false.

 

I don't know? I don't think it would affect me but I feel it could somehow hurt our parents...I mean my mom never said "what did I do?" Because I feel she understood that it was the way I was born but if that were found to NOT be the case then I don't know? And if homophobic assholes who even considered that maybe their kids were gay figured out it was engulfment then they might send them to conversion camps...but nvm that it'll never happen so whatever :lol: they'll prove soon enough that we were born this way

 

Well if you choose your sexuality or if it is the product of environmental factors then you can change it right? But I've yet to hear of anyone being able to choose who they are sexually attracted to. You just can't, no one can. Therefore sexuality is not a choice. End of story.

Anyone who is ready to say "yay" to it being a choice I dare you to choose to be sexually attracted to a tree. Because that is pretty much what you're saying. That you choose who or "what" you are sexually attracted to.

 

If I am who I am today because of environmental influences, then so be it. Doesn't change anything about the fact that I'm gay.

 

Everything, literally everything, we do is a product of our genes and our environment and we choose neither.

The only discovery that would be harmful is if they found that homosexuality can be consciously controlled or reversed. That could shift the onus on us to change. *cringes*