Being gay isn't genetic

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I am a firm believer that is depends on your home environment. I had a very confrontational and hostile relationship with my mother and was constantly rejected by girls for kinship and sharing activities together. I found trust in men because of it. Does anyone else think this way?

I do not believe it is genetic either. I think sexuality is a subconscious preference decided during childhood and adolescence. It does not make sense for a species sexuality to be defined by genes - that would be far too rigid and I believe sexuality is dynamic defined by environment.

Perhaps during childhood the child is subconsciously learning about sexuality, taking hints and clues from their peers and the adults. Slowly this knowledge converges and around puberty something triggers the preference to make itself known. I am a great believer of Sigmond Frued and what he says about it.

I'm a little different, two of you seem to think you can be 'swayed' one way or the other, I believe there are no different types of people (apart from cases of proven brain damage) and anyone can be anything, whether it comes to sex or to other tendencies like homocide, but I think that it's actually the norms that shape the way people behave in society.

Hence why I'm irked when people mention homosexuals are only 10%, because the fact is we all live in an heteronormative society, and in my opinion the other 90% isn't heterosexual, they enforce the social norm and earn 'rewards' (approval, social status) etc. for it.

I don't think it is either their is no evidance to proove that it is but I like bother genders.

I think genetics plays a fairly significant role in sexuality, although, as you all have said, sexuality isn't concrete.

In the absence of a genetic link you still must account for the anatomical differences that can be observed between the brains of male homosexuals and male heterosexuals.

For my part, I believe that genetics are part--but only part--of the equation. Genetics combined with relative presences of steroid hormones (androgens and oestrogens) [/i]in utero[/i] will create the physiological predisposition towards homosexuality, which is then reinforced or mitigated by post-natal environmental factors.

From my basic understanding:

Attraction is surprisingly biological. Your bodies goal, no matter your personal goal is, is to have strong and healthy children. When searching for a mate, your body is looking for someone that compliments you genetically and immune system-ly (could not think of a word). Everyone has their own signature smells and pheromones that they produce to accomplish this. Males and females, of course, produce different pheromones and smells due their sex hormones. In homosexuals, their bodies like smells and pheromones from the same sex (for the most part). Just like everything else, there are exceptions to the rules. It is possible to make changes to the brain through the epigenome and nurture. How big the changes and which makes the changes, epigenome or nuture, is up for the debate. For all we know, the epigenome is the tool nurture uses to make changes.

Personally, I don't think the changes can be that big if it's just nurture and there's no traumatic event. People have tried to nurture homosexuals out of homosexuality for centuries. You'd think it work the other way too.

Mind you, this is "find a mate" attraction and not "what you're willing to have sexual relations with". The porn industry is proof enough that people will 'do' anything and anyone. Also, just because we don't have a genetic link now, doesn't mean we won't. There are thousands of genes to figure out and we only just begun. Not to mention it's much more important to find genes of genetic diseases than it is to find the "Gay Gene(s)".

All human traits, including behavioral traits, have a genetic basis. Environmental triggers literally switch genes on and off, but our genes have to code for a certain trait in order for environmental influences to enable it. That's why we often speak of a genetic predisposition. There is a lot of research which suggests a that homosexuality also has a genetic component (as well as an environmental component). Nothing is 100% nurture.

Cool!