Is Homosexuality a Choice or Are People Born Gay?

IS HOMOSEXUALITY A CHOICE, OR ARE PEOPLE BORN GAY?
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Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc71728865 \h 3Problem Statement PAGEREF _Toc71728866 \h 3Objective of the Study PAGEREF _Toc71728867 \h 3Sexual Orientation PAGEREF _Toc71728868 \h 4Gender PAGEREF _Toc71728869 \h 5Research questions PAGEREF _Toc71728870 \h 5Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc71728871 \h 5Is being a homosexual a choice? PAGEREF _Toc71728872 \h 6Methodology PAGEREF _Toc71728873 \h 7Does the gay gene exist? PAGEREF _Toc71728874 \h 8Is there a relationship between genes and sexual behavior? PAGEREF _Toc71728875 \h 9Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc71728876 \h 10
Introduction
Scientists have long been concerned with the influence of genetics on people's sexual orientation. Especially since the 1990s, several studies have advanced in exploring possible natural bases for the phenomenon of homosexuality (Zeeman et al., 2019). One, for example, showed that identical twins are more likely to share the same sexual orientation than non-identical twins or non-twin brothers.
The idea that genes could impact same-sex attraction gained worldwide prominence in 1993, when geneticist Dean Hamer of the United States National Health Institute discovered links between DNA markers on the X chromosome (the Xq28 gene) and male homosexual orientation (Kong, 2019).
Sexuality and the different ways of experiencing affective relationships are aspects of human life that arouse curiosity and generate controversy in some social groups. To understand how human beings relate, it is necessary to know the concepts of sexual orientation and gender, first.
Problem Statement
There are claims of homosexuality having genetic links. There are varying beliefs and debates claiming that people are born gay while others believe that being gay is a choice. This study examines the topic according to other studies conducted in the same regard.
Objective of the Study
This study aims at examining the claims of whether individuals can be born gay or not. It will begin by defining sexual orientation.
Sexual Orientation
The sexual orientation of an individual refers to the individual’s attraction or emotional connection towards or with another person. Those individuals who feel attracted to people of the opposite sex are commonly referred to as heterosexual.
In cases where the interest is in people of the same sex, the reference is homosexuality (homosexuals). Men attracted to other men are popularly known as gays and women attracted to women are called lesbians.
There are individuals who feel attracted to both men and women, and are known as bisexual. There are also asexual people who do not have sexual attractions or affections in any gender.
Sexual orientation has no scientific explanation and is not an individual’s choice at the same time. Therefore, the term “sexual option” is incorrect. Individuals discovers themselves during their development stages, and become aware of their attractions for any of the genders.
Another term that should not be used is "homosexuality" or "bisexualism", since the suffix - ism refers to diseases. The change in the nomenclature for the suffix - dade, which means experience or practice, was established in 1993, after the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) failed to consider homo-affective practices as diseases.
The recognition of homo-affectiveness as a normal practice linked to the sexual orientation of human beings constantly suffers from prejudice. In 1999, gays, lesbians and bisexuals won an important struggle: the prohibition of psychologists to carry out curative therapies, a decision taken by the Federal Council of Psychology.
Gender
Another key concept of understanding human relationships and how human beings define themselves as “persona” is gender.
Gender refers to the state of being physically male or female, and it is established the moment one is born (Almack & King, 2019). Exceptions exist and they may include hermaphrodites (individuals presenting with both genitalia and a mixture of both reproductive systems).
However, a person’s feelings in relation to his own body and how he defines himself goes beyond his birth "sex" (Lovelock, 2019).
Research questions
1 Is being a homosexual a choice?
2 Does the gay gene exist?
3 Is there a relationship between genes and sexual behavior?
Literature Review
Fogel, Lane and Liebert (1989) point out that the first writings that revealed such practices date back to the Egyptian Dynasty, in 2500 BC, while Guimarães (2009) goes further, bringing reports of experiences between Oros and Seti in 4500 BC Other records were found in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, where sex between men was considered common, as long as it was experienced within culturally delimited limits (Richards, 1995). Richards (1995) explains that it was in the context of the middle ages that Christianity began to exercise control not only over sex between peers, but over all forms of sexual behaviour. The Church, which absolutely dominated the spiritual and moral life of society at that time, “took the initiative to specify what sexual acts people could afford and to regulate where, when and with whom sex could take place” (p. 33) . With this position, the Church sought to circumscribe sexual practice to heterosexual marriage, exclusively for procreation purposes. Even the heterosexual man who sought his wife only for pleasure was considered a sinner. Christianity was, since its beginnings, a negative religion in relation to sex, since, according to the cosmological and doctrinal vision that guides it, and sex diverts the individual from his true mission on earth, which is the pursuit of spiritual perfection. In this sense, limiting sex to reproductive purposes
Is being a homosexual a choice?
People generally accept intolerable behaviour from heterosexual people more easily than homosexuality from homosexuals.
A guy can be a pervert, and if he is heterosexual it can go unnoticed. There are several so-called normal heterosexuals, some even married and parents, who reveal clinical signs and brutally punishing pathological behaviours in the sexual field. In other words, they offend all morals, seriously affecting the people with whom they relate, but if they lead an apparently normal life, they are not even labelled (Moor, 2018).
With homosexuals, on the other hand, the case changes and they may even be peaceful citizens and live stable relationships, which cannot escape stigma, more or less murderous jokes, and general condemnation. Many are still discriminated against, and while many are no longer victims of any type of discrimination (and some even benefit from positive discrimination through influential and powerful lobbies), it is worth looking at what attracts condemnation towards someone just for being homosexual.
Homosexuality is not a modern theme and it is impossible to ignore the inner conflict experienced by the overwhelming majority of homosexuals when they discover the authenticity of these feelings in themselves (Carr & Pezzella, 2017). At the moment, or in the time when each one discovers that he/she is attracted to people of the same sex, what prevails initially are feelings of guilt, perplexity, doubt, denial, fear and even a certain confusion. All of this can be eternalized for years, and even decades, because this time of inner conflict also depends a lot on the age of discovery, the type of family, friends, and the social background of each one.
There are several studies conducted on these subjects, full of personal testimonies, but also with scientific statements. Looking at this whole issue from the point of view of homosexuals is important. It helps to understand a lot, as all experts converge on the same starting point: people do not choose to be attracted to anyone, it just happens to feel that attraction. And this is, of course, for both heterosexuals and homosexuals.
Methodology
This will be an exploratory, cross-sectional study with a qualitative approach (Gaskell, 2013). Four male individuals, over the age of 18, will be recruited for this study. They shall have declared their sexual identity as gay. The participants will be located bas...