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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsScientists Destroy Anti-Gay Arguments About “Choice”
http://www.vocativ.com/312971/scientists-destroy-anti-gay-arguments-about-choice/Instead, they say, its much more likely that non-hetero orientations are a result of nonsocial factors. In other words: nature rather than nurture.
The more than 50-page paper, published in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest, covers the evidence on everything from the prevalence of homosexuality to theories on sexual fluidity in women. Its the section on the cause of non-heterosexuality, though, that has the most important political implications. As the authors note, this science is frequentlyif not always correctly used to support political, social, and moral conclusions regarding homosexuality.
This matters on an individual level, too: Past research has found that people who believe that sexual orientation is innate are more likely to believe in equal rights for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)those who want to hate gay people, no matter the science.
HuckleB
(35,773 posts)closeupready
(29,503 posts)are talking about the idea of sexuality as choice - it was interesting to see a mainstream Hollywood film openly examine the cliché that 'real' men are for women, and 'real' women are for men. Of course, the boy-meets-girl cliché ultimately forms the basis for "Ex Machina" but at least popular culture is starting to think about alternatives. (I'm probably reading too much into it, but hey...)
ohnoyoudidnt
(1,858 posts)When someone says it is a choice, they are essentially saying they could have gay sex and enjoy it. But their interpretaion of the Bible or beliefs cant bossibly be wrong. Cognitive dissonance is very powerful.
stopbush
(24,396 posts)being gay was "a choice" while being religious and identifying with religion is also a choice. In fact, you can choose to switch religions every day of the week and you still have a Constitutional protection for your beliefs, whatever they are. I don't see gay people changing back and forth between gay and straight.