Dr Rick

Probably; it damn hard for us guys to find one, too.

SimplyAtheistic

I am saying that genes might stimulate you if chemicals of the same sex are present, BUT, it has been shown homosexuals can start liking the same sex just because of their natural habits, or more simply, because they like how they act. The mind is an important part of this process, and we just don't know enough about it yet to say either way. We can't say for sure that it is triggered by genes, but then again we can't say its all by choice either. All I am saying is that I don't think you are completely hard wired at birth to be either way.
Jake
Edit: It is also worth mentioning it is in a homosexual's nature to act different, if it was all gene controlled, they would act like a normal male and just have sexual relations with males. As it is their entire mentalitiy is different, and that in turn makes them choose the same sex.

Salmon of Doubt

Some bisexual people waver between the two, but most people who define themselves as gay don't usually change their mind. Some Christian preachers claim they make people straight again, but this is either gay people denying that they are gay, or bisexual people who decide to confine themselves to the opposite sex.

I think that's fair. Sexuality can be very fluid, with people defining themselves as x% gay. However, I think that the chemicals at birth influence to what degree someone will have homosexual tendencies. I certainly don't feel as if I could choose. I'm attracted to whoever I happen to be attracted to, and I have no personal choice in the matter. Do you think you could choose to be gay?

Excuse me? Different how? Please justify how you think a gay person's entire mentality is different.

Peez

The "genes vs environment" dichotomy is not the same as the "no choice vs choice" dichotomy. As has been implied in some of the posts here, someone who has developed into a homosexual individual due to their environment may have no more "choice" in the matter than if their sexuality was entirely determined by their genes. Almost certainly, as Salmon of Doubt has pointed out, both genes and environment likely play a role. That is: one may inherit genes that influence the propensity to become homosexual, but environment might also influence it, and perhaps even random chance.

By the way, I chuckled at Dr Rick's comment, but just imagine how much more difficult it would be if 90% of the women that you met were not sexually interested in your sex.

Peez

Nic Tamzek

Just to play the Devil's advocate here -- as most people are advocating a determinist view of sexuality, whether it is attributed to environment or genes or a combination -- has anyone seen the movie "Chasing Amy"?

(You can google up some reviews, e.g. here is one:
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~nevyn/chasingamy.html although it is decidedly postmodern)

I recall hearing an interview of Kevin Smith (IIRC), and he discussed a scene wherein Alyssa, who is a apparently committed lesbian through the first half of the movie, falls in love with Ben Affleck (alright, every movie involves some suspension of disbelief, right?) after some fairly dogged pursuit. When Alyssa's lesbian friends find out, the reaction was "well, there goes another one". Ah, here's the quote:

Anyway, Smith said that while the "official" response to the movie from what he termed "political lesbians" was very negative, he said that private comments from various people was that this was fairly accurate.

I heard this quite awhile ago, but that was the gist of it.

I bring this up because it paints quite a different picture of the sexuality issue than the genes vs. environment debate that has been dominant over the last 3 or 4 II sexuality threads. I'm *not* saying I know what the hell to think, if I have an opinion it would be that most common views are probably wrong even though I haven't seen a satisfactory "explanation of sexuality" that I can point to as an alternative.

Peez

This does not bear on the origin of sexuality, it bears on the distinction between homosexual and heterosexual. It does not appear to be a "black-and-white" issue, rather there appear to be shades of grey. It would perhaps be better to recognize a continuum of different tendencies to be sexually attracted to one sex and/or the other. An example of where this might come up: I would expect that many people in prison behave homosexually even if they never would outside of such circumstances. Are these people "homosexuals"?

Peez

Wounded King

Kinsey might not have done much for studies of sex but he did originate a scale for measuring sexuality.

http://www.indiana.edu/~kinsey/research/ak-hhscale.html

SimplyAtheistic

Ok, firstly, I would speculate that you do have the choice, but you find homosexuality to be more pleasing, more fulfilling, and more natural. This could be a condition of your brain mixed with some genome effects. Secondly, my statement does not hold true for all homosexuals, but quite a few lead different lives than the typical member of their sex. A gay male worries more about things a woman might, or a woman might turn into a "butch" kind of person. This is all stereotypical, so it might not apply to you and I am certainly not saying this is any kind of fact, it is simply an observation. Now these certain people may be homosexual as a result of their behavior, and not the other way around. This is only for some, and is not true for all. So for those others, maybe genes do play a role in it, mixed with environmental factors. What does it really matter though? It should be acceptable either way. If it is by choice then it is your choice to make, not some damn church's. And if it is by genes, then you can tell the churches to go to hell because god made you to be a sinner
Jake

Kevbo

Along the same line of reasoning:

Religion: Determined by biology, environment, or a combination of both? Explain to the fundy who says that "homosexuality is a choice" that homosexuality is no more a choice than religion. If he feels that religion is a choice, he should not feel that homosexuality should be legally condemned, because such persecution could just as easily be visited on his own religion. If he thinks that religion is inborn, how could he be right when so many are "born" with the wrong religion?

Wounded King

Im always worried that if a genetic factor predisposing people to homosexuality ever was discovered all the religious right would rush out to the genetic screening clinics, and abortion could suddenly find itself with some new proponents.