The Student Room Group

Gay - Nature vs Nurture

So I was at my cousins place, with his friend and we were watching t.v when a gay guy came on, and my cousin was like 'change the channel, I don't wana watch this' etc. So I was like, "why? because he's gay? That's just stupid". Then we got into this debate, and I said "it's not his fault he's gay", then my cousins friend started hysterically laughing, and said that's the stupidest thing he's ever heard, and that of course it's his fault, who else's fault is it. Then my cousin, takes his side and says yeah that's stupid!! how can you be born gay, its his fault, he decided to be gay. This really frustrated me!:mad: because I’m not a narrow minded person, I thought he could be gay because of nature..or nurture, there's so many factors. But they were so narrow minded, that they didn't even say it's nurture, but it's the own guys fault. And they completely ruled out nature. Btw, I am a female, and straight. But this really got to me, as they didn't see my view, I wasn't even asking them to agree with. How can they be so narrow minded! They actually thought there is no such thing as being 'born' gay, not even a possibility. :rolleyes:

So, I just want you guys to express your opinions! Do you think they was wrong to say it's his fault that he's gay? I know they have the right to have their opinion, but they were being really, really stubborn.

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Reply 1
lol your born the way you are- take my family; uncle transvestite, sister dyke, me transgendered. n we all hid it n got exposed by accident :eek:
who knows? i doubt its something as simple as the "gay gene" ppl keep talking about but there probly is a genetic disposition that makes someone more likely to be gay. its nobodys fault how they feel and i dont think homosexuals should ever be penalised for it. on the other hand if someone is going around being deliberately camp then they shouldnt be offended if ppl get annoyed lol.

ps the crow: that must have been an interesting period lol. it all came out at once??
Reply 3
Anonymous
...Do you think they was wrong to say it's his fault that he's gay?


Definately wrong, and completely ignorant. It isnt a conscious choice - you can't choose your sexuality anymore than you can your hair colour. As for nature vs. nuture, I'd be inclined to say it's nature, but I'm open to reasoning.

Anonymous
how can you be born gay, its his fault, he decided to be gay. This really frustrated me!:mad: because I’m not a narrow minded person, I thought he could be gay because of nature..or nurture, there's so many factors.
No one decides! IMO you're completely in the right here - it's not something a person decides. Believe me, sometimes it would be easier if everyone were 'normal' :frown: and I don't see why anyone would choose to be gay, IF there were a choice.

Ignorance is unfortunately something everyone has to live with! :rolleyes:
Reply 4
high priestess fnord
...there probly is a genetic disposition that makes someone more likely to be gay. its nobodys fault how they feel and i dont think homosexuals should ever be penalised for it...


Couldn't agree more! :biggrin:
Reply 5
a)Nobody knows what causes homosexuality
b)People who claim they do are either exhagerating their knowledge about the subject or simply making baseless claims.
c)The studies that have been made have been inconclusive and generally prone to large errors.
d)All in all, nobody knows.
Jonatan
a)Nobody knows what causes homosexuality
b)People who claim they do are either exhagerating their knowledge about the subject or simply making baseless claims.
c)The studies that have been made have been inconclusive and generally prone to large errors.
d)All in all, nobody knows.


no one here is claiming that they know for a fact what causes it. we r just stating our opinions based on our own experiences
Reply 7
high priestess fnord
who knows? i doubt its something as simple as the "gay gene" ppl keep talking about but there probly is a genetic disposition that makes someone more likely to be gay. its nobodys fault how they feel and i dont think homosexuals should ever be penalised for it. on the other hand if someone is going around being deliberately camp then they shouldnt be offended if ppl get annoyed lol.

ps the crow: that must have been an interesting period lol. it all came out at once??


yeh I don't think it's simple as a 'gay gene', but I agree about the genetic disposition that might make someone more likely to be gay.

benji_flavs
Definately wrong, and completely ignorant. It isnt a conscious choice - you can't choose your sexuality anymore than you can your hair colour. As for nature vs. nuture, I'd be inclined to say it's nature, but I'm open to reasoning.

No one decides! IMO you're completely in the right here - it's not something a person decides. Believe me, sometimes it would be easier if everyone were 'normal' :frown: and I don't see why anyone would choose to be gay, IF there were a choice.

Ignorance is unfortunately something everyone has to live with! :rolleyes:


Thanks so much, somewho who agrees with me! lol It's so true though, people don't just sit down and think "yeah I'm going to be gay today".

Yeah ignorance...we all gotta live with it!:rolleyes:
Reply 8
high priestess fnord
no one here is claiming that they know for a fact what causes it. we r just stating our opinions based on our own experiences


exactly! we have no facts, or evidence, but there are endless possibilities, and they are open for discussion.
Reply 9
ol your born the way you are- take my family; uncle transvestite, sister dyke, me transgendered. n we all hid it n got exposed by accident


Hmmm. am I the only one who sees this? You claim to be born like that (Nature) yet you are surrounded by family members who are all different (Nurture)???

This is a tough one.

What about paedophile's. Born or become?

PS: No offense Crow. I don't mean to undermine your standing or opinion.
Reply 10
high priestess fnord


ps the crow: that must have been an interesting period lol. it all came out at once??

yup it was. it happened exactly a year after each!! same day pretty much same time!!!:eek: which was creepy

randomiser dude- i think peodos are born. its the way ther sexual desires are...which is a born internal instict. doiesnt make it right (cos kids too young to accept it responsibly or say no n not dev n can harm em etc) but its still born- in my opinion. n noone can change tyhat so...:p:

also everyone hid it n acted straight/normal strict traditional which was why was so scared of how i felt. so not grown up around it
alot of paedophiles were abused at children so there must be at least some nurture involved. tbh human nature is so complex that the answer to all these kind of questions has to be a mixture of both surely? even before ppl are born hormone levels in the brain etc can vastly change ppl and i think babies pick up more of there surroundings than we acknowledge. any scientific research into such things is ultimately flawed because there are so many variables, both genetically and environmentally.
Reply 12
Oh come people, everyone has a choice. And I think it's pretty obvious that gay people decide to be gay, who else's fault can it be. Homosexuality is not natural so the idea that someone is just born gay is ridiculous it's a concious decision, just like paedophilia. Should we start saying paedophiles are just born that way and it isn't their fault.
no one can help who they feel sexual desire for. they can decide wether to act on it or not.
Reply 14
Then there's Freud who says everything can be blamed on our parents and the first four years of our lives.

Are gay people aware of their attraction to same sex from a very young age, or does it just happen progressively over time?

Are some just able to put these thoughts out of their minds, choosing to ignore their attraction to same sex (or children, for that matter)?

Does indulging these thoughts make it worse, ie: make one become concious of the fact that they are attracted to same sex?

On some level I believe we are all susseptable to homosexual thoughts, even paedophillic thoughts, but we do have the choice to ignore such feelings?

I realise this is a seemingly narrow minded belief, and one that appears related to the opinion of the religious... But I am neithet narrow minded nor religious.

I speak from experience.

I think the things that make us who we are, how we behave, and what we are sexually attracted to, are far more complex than we may ever fully comprehend.
Reply 15
Well I definately reckon that whatever impulses people may have, it is up to them to choose whether or not to act on them. So bearing this in mind, practising homosexuals are at fault for their way of living.
so they should be sexually frustrated for the rest of their lives just because some narrow minded ppl think its morally wrong?? whats so wrong with two consenting adults having fun? its not like they are hurting anyone.
Reply 17
DOES IT MATTER?

Homophobia is disgusting, whatever you believe homosexuality is about.

It's definitely not a choice, genetic or not. You really can't decide who you're attracted to, you just ARE. That's not exclusive to gender, that's just generally.
yah man!!!

bannded those GAY from my neigbourhood
Reply 19
IT IS A CHOICE with regards to whether or not to act upon those impulses though. I am not necessarily saying these people should be frustrated for the rest of their lives. But if you choose this lifestyle then you have accept and expect the fact that not everyone is going approve and some people will overtly disagree.

And thus you cannot choose this lifestyle knowing that this will happen and then complain when it does.