Lol. People probably aren't "born" gay, but there's no reason to believe it's a "choice". (Apologies for the PR-style scare quotes)
That's a good summation of my thoughts, too.
I mean, at the end of the day, it is a preference. What makes it any different from, say, someone's taste for broccoli? Obviously human society has made it so that "sexuality" is far more important than broccoli, but I don't think either preference is innate. Nature wouldn't hold sexuality up on a pedestal.
That being said, "choice" might not be the best word, either. It's interesting.
Oh, yes it would and does in any creature that uses sexual reproduction.
The real answer to me is that sexual orientation is complicated. There's some genetics, some experience, some hormonal and developmental aspects. But, there's very little conscious choice by an individual.
I disagree. The
functionality of a penis and the mechanics of reproduction don't necessarily go hand-in-hand with attraction. I mean, aren't humans some of the only animals that get pleasure out of sex? Does "attraction" really matter in the natural world? Or is it just about doin' the dirty to make babies,
regardless of an imagined "orientation?" I don't know. I definitely don't think it's as simple as "deciding" to be gay.
Either way, you're definitely right when you say it's complex. It's for that reason that I don't feel confident making an authoritative statement on the matter. I do sometimes think it's convenient to say we are born gay or straight (is there really a way to
know that?), but it's not really something that should matter. Even if it's a "choice" (by some strange perversion of the word), there's nothing inherently criminal about being gay. Societies that value freedom and equality shouldn't care why someone is the way they are; they should treat everyone with respect.
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