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Some of the netizens on Twitterverse are talking about this, and before we post their thoughts about this topic here, no… being gay is not a choice. This is according to experts and researchers.
American Psychological Association (APA) for instance, stated on their website that although it is up to us whether we want to act on our feelings or not, “psychologists do not consider sexual orientation to be a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed.” You can read their article in full here.
In addition, Dr. Richard Pillard, along with J. Michael Bailey who’s a professor of psychology at Northwestern University, conducted a series of studies on sexual orientation in the ‘90s. Dr. Pillard, by the way, is a professor of psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine and the first openly gay psychiatrist in the United States. The two researchers, whose findings were published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, found that “homosexuality is largely biologically determined, not environmentally influenced.” In BU Today’s interview with Dr. Pillard, he discussed how “being gay runs in families much more frequently than you would expect by chance alone.”
Dr. Pillard added:
And the pattern is hard to specify: that is, in some cases they’re brothers and sisters, in some cases it’s parents and children, or aunts and uncles. So it’s hard to put that into theory given what we know about genes and behavior, which is to say, not a lot.
However, a recent study revealed that “There is no ‘gay gene’ that determines whether someone has same-sex partners,” said Andrea Ganna who is the lead researcher of a group of scientists from various universities and research institutes in the UK, the US, the Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, and Denmark. Their study was designed “in order to better understand the diverse set of factors that may contribute to sexual behavior.”
While critics may use their findings to rationalize how “being gay is a choice,” GLAAD’s Chief Programs Officer Zeke Stokes said that Ganna, Neale, Maier, et al’s research:
Provides even more evidence that being gay or lesbian is a natural part of human life, a conclusion that has been drawn by researchers and scientists time and again. The identities of LGBTQ people are not up for debate. This new research also reconfirms the long-established understanding that there is no conclusive degree to which nature or nurture influence how a gay or lesbian person behaves.
You can read more about their study here and here.
Having said all that, here is some of what the Twitterverse has to say on the matter:
Of course, not science has proven that already! What one chooses, is to act upon one’s sexual orientation, you haven’t any more choice over your sexuality than choosing to be tall or short, or what color your eyes are going to be or your natural hair color.
I honestly don’t understand, in these days and times; knowing what we do about genetics . . .
well, I retract that, I do know, unfortunately.
We humans like to simplify. We would like to find one gene or one factor that creates a given result. I like to believe that, for lack of a better term, certain transactions during fetal development or very early childhood may activate brain chemistry or certain genetic strings to produce the processes that manifest emotional and physical attractions. You may have two people genetically similar, but one got a different vitamin infusion, or had a different childhood illness, and wound up taller in adulthood. One person may have a variation in a hormone combination, and may end up with lungs… Read more »
It has to do with how much testosterone one receives or doesn’t at the (second trimester.) I use to watch “The Doctors” late 90’s.
What they discovered was that the brain scans have revealed that with gay men and hetero women, the brain activities are more similar; more active areas, than hetero men. That has manifested in sexual orientation, because we have the same tendencies in our sexual desires. The more areas that are active in the brain, the smarter, it is said.
How do you explain bi men? or pansexual ppl, asexual ppl?
Me? I don’t explain, lmao! I leave that to those qualified to do so; I’m /learned/nerdy/curious enough to learn from them.
Thanks for the information. I theorized that cortisol, adrenaline, and vitamin levels might have had something to do with activating male attraction responses. During high stress periods in a community, more females seemed to be conceived, to provide a greater number surviving, and a greater number of future offspring. The number of male-attracted males produced by stress is not counter-purposed: for every male not attracted to women, that is one less competing for the women, one less chance of two men dying and making fewer babies, one more warrior to help protect the community at large, not focused on his… Read more »
I didn’t choose it. My dick did. I wasn’t born this way. But it’s possible that my dick was. For me, it’s not a lifestyle; it’s a means of pleasing my dick (and the rest of me). I’m married for over 3 decades, hidden deeply in the closet, living both my hetero lifestyle and my discreet homo “sex-style,” loving it all and won’t change a thing. There’s no definition for me.
Kinsey scale…you are obviously a “3”… (out of 6) and yes…you were born this way
You’re understandably a little off-base, though a “3” would average it out right for me. I’m a 0 when it comes to my social/societal ways (all hetero) but I’ve pretty well become a “6” sexually. On the other hand, I truly don’t believe I was born this way. There were events in my tween years that I believe led my dick to prefer other dicks.
Is being gay a choice? Ask yourself this…. Why would anyone choose to be gay knowing they will be hated by millions of narrow minded people? Also, if being gay is a choice, that means straight people chose to be straight. Ask any straight person when they chose that. Their answer would be they just felt that way. EXACTLY the same thing with being gay.
Wes- I gather we don’t have much in common, but I must say you summarized that quite well. In my case, it would not only mean being hated by millions, but also a complete collapse of my family & my life as I know it.
When I “Barreled-Assed Out” from between my Mommies legs!
I “winked” at the “Delivery Physician” and he shouted “Ahha”!
… way to go!
“From-Day-One!
I have always been myself.
I always knew and I never fought it.
I Just had to accept that I was Gay but the World wasn’t.
We Gays can be a part of this Globe and live “Symphonious” with ourselves and with others.
Peace within; Peace around… .
I think it’s a very complex answer that could be just as diverse as the LGBTQ+ community. I’ve known people that say they have always been attracted to men. Others who only got curious later, but either liked it or didn’t after they may have been talked into trying it, or some such situation. Some freely live out and proud, but others choose to live subdued more “heteronormal” lives.(they may even still be married to a woman and enjoy women, but just play with men in a heteroflexable way.) To each their own, but some of it is a choice.
Who/Whom you have sex with is always a choice…. orientation, no matter how much or who might “talk you into” something is not a choice. Ya is what ya is izzy….
I would personally want to be str8. I want to have a family with a wife and kids. Being this way has destroyed all that for me. Me choosing, to be honest, spares me of having to sneak around my wife and possibly infecting her with something I caught from some random dude while hiding in some closet. As lonely as I get sometimes, I would rather suffer the misery of this lifestyle than to ever put my family through that type of hurt. Not fair to anyone.
Martha- see my post. Same boat for sure.
Umm what’s the point of this article? “Twitter weighs in”… Really? Come on, you can do better than that Lol
Like let us know about Jack Jablonski (Los Angeles) or Maura Healy (MA). Mainstream media has numerous articles about them.
Would not say being gay is a “choice.” Its about as much of a choice as your favorite food or favorite song, those are preferences that have been built up with enjoyable experiences.
Nobodys born liking the things they like in any other category, why would sexuality/gender be any different other than you wanting to “f e e l” like its true b/c reasons. None of this really matters at the end of the day personally
Are we born gay? Straight? Bi? etc. Answer: No. No one is born with any sexual orientations, nor is anyone born “programmed” like some robot to have one. We don’t just turn 5 years old and be like “hey mom? I’m gay! And in love with a boy in my kindergarten class…can I have sex and be in a relationship with him?” You’re mom would be like wtf!? Who taught you that??? And question the school about it. We don’t even know what gay means by that age let alone what love is lol. We develop them naturally on our… Read more »
Dyson- I know I’m OD’ing on responses here but your comments also make a ton of sense – well put.
Sorry, but you don’t know what you’re talking about. You need to do more research rather than speak as an expert based on your own life experiences. Back in 1991 there was a scientist named Simon Levay who’s work was featured on the cover of Times and Newsweek magazines. He did an extensive study where he used cadavers of heterosexual and homosexual men. He dissected their brains and found conclusive evidence the heterosexual men have a part of the brain that was always larger, and in homosexual men was always smaller. He interviewed the families of the cadavers and found… Read more »
Interesting reading but especially in the case of the Discover article, it’s hardly a one-size-fits-all definitive conclusion. And in my case, I have one cousin (a woman) who turned out gay – nobody else. I remain convinced that I turned out this way due to my wandering eyes during my tween years, which so happened to see more in men than women, while the whole lifestyle thing remained completely on the hetero side.
Being in the LGBTQ+ group, these days, puts you in a protected “victim” class of people, and gives you MORE rights than the average straight person. You can “cancel” anyone you want. Who WOULDN’T want to be gay these days? That’s why there have been progressively more gay/lesbian people with each generation. Gen Z is like 10-15 percent gay. It’s crazy.
Agree. Pride population isnt narcissitic, most gay ppl etc arent narccist, but a narcissist choosing to be in gay relationships or to transition their gender gives them alot more leverage to manipulate people.
Thats the ugly truth of the matter. The normal masc/fem lgbt ppl need to keep the narcissist in check b/c at the moment the narcisst subset are the ones leading the lgbt unfortunately and nobody wants to say “Enough is enough” without guarantee of having backup to disagree with the status quo
Hi, based upon what I’ve discovered in my research of indigenous cultural views in Africa and America, being gay is indicative of a very powerful spiritually gifted individual who is born to accomplish a very special role in the community in maintaining the balance of life between all parts of nature, as GATEKEEPERS.
Read “Coming Out Spieitually” by Christian de la Huerta!
Thank you for your work, Jerovon. I am very interested in your research and conclusion(s). I would love to chat directly with you re this topic if you are willing. Lmk . Sean
A choice? When someone’s sexuality lights up, they quickly become aware of who they are sexually attracted to. For those boys and/men who exhibit the classic stereotypical gay characteristics, being gay generally will follow. For those boys/men who do not exhibit gay characteristics, they have a choice to either pursue gay experiences or live lives as Straight.
Is being gay a choice. No. Is choosing to live as gay a choice? Yes, for some men.
Do you think that showing gay stereotypes/traits means someone is gay? Or do they have their sexuality go down the gay route because women arent at all interested in romantic/sexual things with an effiminate(feminine) guy so gay guys are they’re only options?
Ive read women saying this multiple times and they talk about gay men as if they think of them as women. The “gay best friend” isnt ever a masculine burly gay guy. Their gay best friend is the “twink” archetype who they want to act like the gay stereotype. Agree? Disagree?
That Straight Gay guy could easily be someone she dated but put in the “Friend Zone” because she didn’t feel chemistry. He could also be married to one her good girl friends. In either case, she’d not know he was Gay because he had chosen to not act on his Gay sexuality.
If it is not a choice, then is it…
1. A mistake of nature?
2. A cruel deed purposely imposed on an individual by nature?
Nature is just protecting herself; no, there are no mistakes made by nature; those are what man does, over population is really wreaking havoc. Nature tries to save us from ourselves, anytime there’s over population, there’s problems, such as we see today and it’s going to get much, much worse.
Homosexuality is nature’s answer to over population, naturally.
There’s no need for researchers or experts to weigh in – being gay is most definitely not a choice. We are born with our sexual identities. The only choice those of us born gay have is to accept it or not. If we choose to deny our homosexuality, we can go through life unhappy, making others unhappy, and never really being at ease and learning to love ourselves unconditionally. I will be sixty-nine in five weeks, am a very active topman with absolutely no erectile issues (yes, I am immensely blessed in two ways), and have been too, too happy… Read more »
No. The “born this way” argument gets convuluted and devours itself
Born gay. I guess
Born straight. I guess
Born bisexual. Wait what?
Born asexual. Um… well they must b-
Born pansexual. I… umm
Spot on
Maybe you should stop paying so much attention to social media. All the cool people are taking breaks from social media. Instead of arguing with a faceless nameless entity who’s mind you will not change, use the energy more constuctively.
Absolutely not. I fell in love with my wife back in high school. My life would be so less complicated if she were enough for me, but I need gay sex just as often if not more often. I wish I could choose. I’d be completely hetero.
As an old bitch here, I never wanted it, I tried at a very young age, looking at my brothers Playboys, and other mags they had under the bed. In school tried to kiss a girl, and act like the rest of the boys to be involve with them messing around with the girls up to high school. But nothing changed in my mind to have any interest to them. So I even joined to go to Vietnam, after over 12 years of service I gave up and met a guy, in which we were together for almost 31 years.… Read more »
I believe that it’s not a case of whether it’s something that we can actually choose or have chosen . I have been having a theory about this for my entire life regarding my sexuality and realizing that it is not the same as sexual orientation. I’ve Never identified as a gay person or straight person.. it all started with that question and when I am asked I immediately draw a blank because I don’t actually see myself as anything but I feel connection to the male body and being! It’s waaaay more nuisance to the categories of the people… Read more »
honey baby, you were born that way! if you think you can change it and conversion therapy yo’self, then try .. but watch yourself regressing and going back to sucking on that dick the next day, you’ll see why!
Being gay for me is not a choice. I remember being attracted to boys and men ever since I was a little kid. While my friends were crushing on Lynda Cater as Wonder Woman I was crushing on the Six Million Dollar Man. I’ve never been curious about women and have been strictly dickly my whole life.
I’m a sissy fag and love it
“I didn’t choose to be gay, I just got lucky!”
If it’s “a choice”, WHEN did people CHOOSE to be straight?
Why why why should anyone care what goes on on Twitter? How stupid.
I had gay fantasies when I was four or five years old. I don’t think it’s a choice. I was born gay
I was most certainly NOT born gay. I had crushes on female musicians and movie/TV stars. I never looked at boys sexually or romantically. I still don’t (romantically). For me, it’s more of a decision, since I don’t want my sexual activities to lead to unwanted pregnancies, and I want to save myself for my wife as the only female sexual partner I’ll ever have. Plus, sexual relationships with women are mostly complicated with the expectation for marriage or commitment. So, for me, it’s more of a logical thing. I’ve never been with a woman yet, but that’s by choice,… Read more »
Your ideology, is very similar to that of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
“Love is for men, women are for babies” that was actually once said, by these men in the times of antiquities, which explains why they were such effective warriors, they sexually loved each other.
Anyone who is gay knows it is not a choice, if it were why would we choose to live outside of the mainstream? Many older gays fought and died for the opportunity younger gays have and the rights they now enjoy. They are not all content, they now have hitched their wagon to the gender fantasy and indoctrination of children. Doing so is going to come back and haunt us all. We should have accepted the rights we achieved and lived our lives instead of jumping off into the abyss of false science.
I’m expecting the backlash in the coming years. We stand to lose so much by allowing these new ideas to take over the community.
Being straight is a choice. Being gay is a way of life. And if you think that doesn’t make sense, neither does thinking anyone would choose to be denigrated, persecuted and harassed their entire lives.
I wonder what y’all think of prison inmates that were straight but they had gay relations during prison time? I always found that idea controversial.
I think/thought about that, humans are very resilient, but in questionable ways sometimes. I think they just use their “survival skills” I liken it to cannibalism, well, sort of as they just desire warm flesh, another human, this will do; for the really severe cases ‘rape’ is about power, though, not sex as that is just the vehicle, sex that is.
But is that just about the urge for sex OR actually having feelings for being with another male?
Back in 1991 there was a scientist named Simon Levay who’s work was featured on the cover of Times and Newsweek magazines. He did an extensive study where he used cadavers of heterosexual and homosexual men. He dissected their brains and found conclusive evidence the heterosexual men have a part of the brain that was larger, and in homosexual men was always smaller. He interviewed the families of the cadavers and found the most common trait was on the mothers side of the family there was a homosexual child for three generations, then there was one generation with no homosexual… Read more »
“Twitter weighs in” this should be rich, all the social media “experts” in one place how fortunate.
Ah Shi…I mean Twitter. The thing I’ve NEVER seen the need for.
Being gay is not a choice. This idea has been disproven numerous times. BTW – who cares what Twitter thinks. They’re not very bright and Twitter is full of virtue signalers