According to Exodus Global Alliance 2018, homosexuality is a persistent and predominant sexual attraction to persons of one’s own gender. However, not anyone experiencing same-sex attraction consider himself or herself as a gay or a lesbian.
There is many theories that can be found regarding to the root of homosexuality. The debate is between whether or not homosexuality is a result of nature: a person’s environment and surroundings, or of his biology and genetics. In other words, were you born gay, or do you become gay?
According to Cherry 2018, nature refers to all of the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are—from our physical appearance to our personality characteristics. Biological theorists have found substantial instances of anatomical, genetic, and endocrine evidence to support their argument that nature does affect homosexuality (Johnson, 2003). In 1990, a scientist, Laura S.Allen, found that the anterior commissure of the hypothalamus was significantly larger in the homosexual subjects than that of the heterosexuals. In 1991, Simon LeVay examined 19 declared homosexual men, 16 presumed heterosexual men and 6 presumed heterosexual women. He found that homosexual men had two or three times smaller the third interstitial notch of the anterior hypothalamus than heterosexual men and women (Johnson, 2003).
However, according to Khazan 2016, part of the explanation is genetic, but since most identical twins of gay people are straight, heredity doesn’t explain everything. Some researchers claim that nurture, especially childhood elements is the one that affects the homosexuality. Nurture is the environment around us that impacts who we are, such as our early childhood experiences, how we were raised, our social relationships, and our surrounding culture (Cherry, 2018). Some behaviorists believe that homosexuality is the result of decisions made by parents on how to raise their children and impacts of their friends. Moreover, other elements are the development of language skills, naming of sexual behaviors and the naming process related to these behaviors. According to Johnson 2003, Jean Foucault said that homosexuality became because we made it so. Homosexuality is the depth of desire such as sexual preference. Meanwhile, psychologist, David Halperin argued that homosexuality was not only the depth of desire but also a psychological condition.
Although there are many arguments and researches on whether biological or social factors affect homosexuality, there is no definitive answer. In my opinion, it does not matter why people become or are gay since homosexuality is just as normal as heterosexuality.
Reference list:
Cherry, K. (2018). The Age Old Debate of Nature vs. Nurture. [online] Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-nature-versus-nurture-2795392 [Accessed 5 Nov. 2018].
D. Johnson, R. (2003). Homosexuality: Nature or Nurture. [online] Allpsych. Available at: https://allpsych.com/journal/homosexuality/ [Accessed 5 Nov. 2018].
Exodus Global Alliance. (2018). What is Homosexuality?. [online] Available at: https://www.exodusglobalalliance.org/whatishomosexualityp95.php [Accessed 4 Nov. 2018].
Khazan, O. (2016). Why Men With Older Brothers Are More Likely to be Gay. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/04/gay-brothers/480117/ [Accessed 5 Nov. 2018].
Lehmann, B. (2016). ‘I am gay – but I wasn’t born this way’. [online] BBC. Available at: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160627-i-am-gay-but-i-wasnt-born-this-way [Accessed 5 Nov. 2018].
LGBTIQ WORLD 