
Originally Posted by
Rhyfelwyr
For all the "OMG Christians say people choose to be gay" comments, there isn't really any convincing proof that it isn't a choice.
Oh really? "Proof" is a bit of a loaded word in the scientific world. There's no definitive "proof" of gravity, but there's a hell of a lot of evidence. So a less guano-filled way of saying that would be "There isn't really any evidence that it isn't a choice." And that statement would be as false as can be.
Fraternal birth order may affect homosexuality
Homosexual study cites hormonal link
What makes people gay?
Relevant quote:
Then, in 1991, a neuroscientist in San Diego named Simon LeVay told the world he had found a key difference between the brains of homosexual and heterosexual men he studied. LeVay showed that a tiny clump of neurons of the anterior hypothalamus - which is believed to control sexual behavior - was, on average, more than twice the size in heterosexual men as in homosexual men. LeVay's findings did not speak directly to the nature-vs.-nurture debate - the clumps could, theoretically, have changed size because of homosexual behavior. But that seemed unlikely, and the study ended up jump-starting the effort to prove a biological basis for homosexuality. [...]
In 1993 came the biggest news: Dean Hamer's discovery of the "gay gene." In fact, Hamer, a Harvard-trained researcher at the National Cancer Institute, hadn't quite put it that boldly or imprecisely. He found that gay brothers shared a specific region of the X chromosome, called Xq28, at a higher rate than gay men shared with their straight brothers. Hamer and others suggested this finding would eventually transform our understanding of sexual orientation.
So on the face of it you are correct, there is no proof. But "proof" is a chimera, a misused word that should not be applied in the practical sciences. There is no "proof" of the particle/wave theory of light. There is no "proof" of thermodynamics. There is only evidence and testing. (You can prove things in mathematics, though, and that's loads of fun for the whole family.)
Let me ask you this: When did you decide to be attracted to women? Say you're thirteen or so, and the hormones are just kicking in. Did you lie there in your Yoda-themed Star Wars sheets and ask yourself, "Do I want to make the beast with two backs or kiss boys where they pee?" Please describe the thought process that led you to "choose" to be attracted to women instead of, say, Thai Ladyboys.
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