verte76
Blue Crack Addict
I honestly don't know. Human sexuality is so complex that there aren't any simple answers to this question, only complex theories. It's grey areas, nothing is black or white.
Homosexualty
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Canadiens1131
ONE love, blood, life
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As far as cultural/genetics goes, it's hard to choose a side so I'd say both.
What we have now is (in a broad sense) a society where homosexuality is becoming increasingly accepted even by people who are weirded out by it. Homosexuality is right up there with all the other pop culture shit.
I've known people who were repressed homosexuals during their teen years and adopted lisps all of a sudden after coming out in their 20s - so it's a bit of A and B a lot of the time as far as genetics and culture.
Always a mixed bag, always throwing culturally cemented preconceptions about sexuality around - it's a big sexuality mess right now to analyze. We've also got the emergence of the metrosexual term now which has been applied to guys who just know how to take care of themselves - what does that make all other men? Carpenters and woodsmen?
What we have now is (in a broad sense) a society where homosexuality is becoming increasingly accepted even by people who are weirded out by it. Homosexuality is right up there with all the other pop culture shit.
I've known people who were repressed homosexuals during their teen years and adopted lisps all of a sudden after coming out in their 20s - so it's a bit of A and B a lot of the time as far as genetics and culture.
Always a mixed bag, always throwing culturally cemented preconceptions about sexuality around - it's a big sexuality mess right now to analyze. We've also got the emergence of the metrosexual term now which has been applied to guys who just know how to take care of themselves - what does that make all other men? Carpenters and woodsmen?
A_Wanderer
ONE love, blood, life
Retrosexual 
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
Slobs? 
A_Wanderer
ONE love, blood, life
Hey, whats slobby about broad shouldered guys with chest hair who are man enough to wear leather - no wait
Doozer61
Blue Crack Addict
genetics and i don't even have to read the other 3 pages to know where this has been and is going.
I believe some people are simply born gay and that's that. However I feel there are people who have the genes that could potentinally make them gay but will lay dormont until enviromental factors change that. For example a boy who always has luck with the ladies and is popular with his peers will probably stay straight but a boy with the same genes who feels rejected by other boys his age may start to feel envy for his other more popular peers ard thus sexual attractions may come with this envy. Of course many teens get confused when they start noticing the same sex, not because they are sexually attracted to them but because they are simply attractive people who they are looking at. However sexuality as many have said is a very complicated issue, that a whole book could be written about it and it would still not cover it all.
That said I had one friend who thought he was bi when he was 14 and even kissed other boys, then he had sex with a girl and realised he was straight and he prefered women, whilst i had another friend whos not had much luck with girls and got paranoid and started to question his sexuality for about a good year before coming to the conclusion that he is straight. My point is hormones can play haywire on a persons sexuality espcially during teenage years. Anyway I should probably leave this discussion to more older and wiser forum members
That said I had one friend who thought he was bi when he was 14 and even kissed other boys, then he had sex with a girl and realised he was straight and he prefered women, whilst i had another friend whos not had much luck with girls and got paranoid and started to question his sexuality for about a good year before coming to the conclusion that he is straight. My point is hormones can play haywire on a persons sexuality espcially during teenage years. Anyway I should probably leave this discussion to more older and wiser forum members
nathan1977
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Mainstream queer theory seems to avoid the nature of genetics (genetic causality of homosexuality having yet to be proven), and more on the notion of sexuality as a spectrum -- thus there is a spectrum of sexuality that is actually quite slippery and can be influenced due to a variety of factors. This seems to make the most sense to me.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
nathan1977 said:
Is this a magazine you subscribe to or something? What is "mainstream queer theory"?
I think sexuality is extremely complex, and it is hard to say what is the one thing that makes a person gay. I do believe genetics play a big role in it, but then there are some doubts. Such as with identical twins. You don't see both twins being gay; one twin would be gay while the other is straight.
I also think culture and life experiences play a role in the development of sexuality. I think its possible for some people - particularly lesbians - to grow up to be gay after being sexually abused as children. I also think the reason why a lot of women are experimenting with each other, and not as often or openly as men with other men, is because our society allows it. In ancient times, like Greece, it was encouraged for men to be bisexual. Nowadays, most guys wouldn't even dare to kiss another guy. So, I believe there's a lot of factors that lead to sexual development.
I also think culture and life experiences play a role in the development of sexuality. I think its possible for some people - particularly lesbians - to grow up to be gay after being sexually abused as children. I also think the reason why a lot of women are experimenting with each other, and not as often or openly as men with other men, is because our society allows it. In ancient times, like Greece, it was encouraged for men to be bisexual. Nowadays, most guys wouldn't even dare to kiss another guy. So, I believe there's a lot of factors that lead to sexual development.
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Harry Vest
Refugee
This may be very controversial but I believe "most" Gay men are born Gay and "most" Gay women are truly bi-sexual. The reason I believe this to be true is conversations I've had with many gay women and men. Women by nature are more prone to be bi-sexual whereas men are usually (and I don't mean always but usually) either gay or straight. I have talked to hundreds of "gay" people about this so there is obviously some truth to it.
OP
OP
gherman
New Yorker
"Think sexuality is extremely complex, and it is hard to say what is the one thing that makes a person gay. I do believe genetics play a big role in it, but then there are some doubts. Such as with identical twins. You don't see both twins being gay; one twin would be gay while the other is straight."
This statment could also go for genetics because they would have been raised under the same roof and with the same care.
This statment could also go for genetics because they would have been raised under the same roof and with the same care.
True, but it were genetic, then both twins would be gay, not one is and one isn't.
I guess in that situation maybe it has to do with being mirrored-imaged: one twin is right-handed, the other left handed, one twin is the 'good' twin, the other 'bad', one twin is gay, the other straight.
coemgen
Rock n' Roll Doggie
I'm Ready said:
I agree with this, but would add environment to it, too.
I'm open to the idea that there are some people born homosexual, but I also don't think everyone who claims to be homosexual was born that way.
beegee
Neon Zebra
dazzlingamy said:
I'd really like to hear this one further explained.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
Ormus said:
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
coemgen said:
i'm open to the idea that there are some people born heterosexual, but I also don't think everyone who claims to be heterosexual was born that way.
MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
I'm Ready said:
So what would that mean exactly, that someone is born "gay leaning" and chooses to be gay or chooses to be straight or other? So then if you argue that heteros are born straight, we could choose to be gay right? That doesn't make logical sense to me. I'm just curious as to exactly how you mean that. I'm not talking about having sexual experiences with the same sex, I'm talking about being gay.
As far as I can tell the only evident "choice" could be choosing to suppress what and who you are because of how society treats you and your orientation, or because of your own personal struggles with it, or any and all combinations of both.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
i apprciate the original intent of this thread -- it's an interesting scientific question, and my guess is that its an intersection of environment with a huge dose of genetics -- but it misses the main point: sexual orientation is 100% INVOLUNTARY. you cannot control who you are attracted to, therefore there is no basis for discrimination or legislation on the basis of sexual orientation.
coemgen
Rock n' Roll Doggie
^But you think environment is a part of it? Interesting. 
coemgen
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Irvine511 said:
It's funny how in the 90's it was common to hear people talk about experimenting and being adventurous sexually by doing stuff with someone of the same sex.
Now, a decade later, are you saying none of that goes on? I'm seriously just asking and not trying to start something here.
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BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
coemgen said:
It's funny how in the 90's it was common to hear people talk about experimenting and being adventurous sexually by doing stuff with someone of the same sex.
Now, a decade later, are you saying none of that goes on? I"m seriously just asking. I'm not starting something here.
Do you honestly think you could "experiment" if you weren't attracted to the person?
Come on, the 90's was the first decade where homosexuals were actually peppered into mainstream media. And how long has it been around? You honestly think it will be portrayed correctly?
coemgen
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Is it a matter of simple attraction or sexual adventure? People do all kinds of things sexually. Are they just born that way, or are they just "having fun?" I'm sorry, but under your logic you're saying people who have sex with animals are doing so because they're attracted to them. 
redhotswami
Blue Crack Addict
whoa whoa, things are getting tense now at page 4. can you all stretch this out a bit? my bet was for 11 pages.
coemgen
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Sorry, redhot. I'm going to drop out of this now anyways. This is like the 2.5 millionth time we've had a thread on homosexuality here. I know it's worth discussing, but nothing new has been said.
I'm going to drop out of this now anyways. This is like the 2.5 millionth time we've had a thread on homosexuality here. I know it's worth discussing, but nothing new has been said.
redhotswami
Blue Crack Addict
coemgen said:Sorry, redhot.
aww, don't leave! you can make one worded posts. like, have one page of a whole sentence.
I just don't want Dave to win!
A_Wanderer
ONE love, blood, life
My problem with this argument is that it acts as if even if it was voluntary it would be invalid; if it was or ever is a choice then it should still be legal and discrimination would still be wrong.Irvine511 said:
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