Do you choose your sexuality, or do you choose to act upon it?

(Making my own post so that I can write more and I don't hijack someone else's answer).

Well, thus far, no one has come up with anything conclusive to what "causes" someone to be gay. People generally fall into four different camps of thinking: people are "born" gay; enviornmental factors cause someone to be gay; a combination of the former (i.e. perhaps certain things make you more predisposed to being gay, but environment plays a role as well); or that being gay is a choice.

There are studies that suggest that people are born gay. This study is one of them ( link ). What they're unsure of is whether or not it's caused by genetics, or caused by the environment of the womb. Either way, it suggests that a person is born gay (or at least born with a higher predisposition to being gay). Another study found that the more older brothers a boy has, the more likely he is to be gay. The mechanism is unknown, but it's thought to have to do with the mother's body seeing male fetuses as foreign and developing an immune response to them (which would become greater which each subsequent male fetus). link This is, of course, suggestive that it is related to the environment in utero.

Your view is that all children are a "blank slate" and that homosexuality can be potentially learned due to experiences throughout life. When you say "children", I assume you mean at the time of birth. These studies suggest that there are things going on before birth, while the fetus is still developing. Even if we were to describe a fetus (at the time of conception) as a "blank slate", certainly we know that the environment in-utero can have an effect on the fetus' development (diet, hormones, habits, etc.).

These studies would back up either a) people are born gay; or b) people are born predisposed to being gay (but environment will ultimately determine whether they are or aren't). They do not support the ideas that being gay is a choice, or that being gay is based solely on (post-utero) environment.

Sexuality is something you are born with. Chances are you don't develop it until puberty or even later, but I don't know any homosexual teen who would choose to go through all the horrible bullying and judgment that many homosexuals go through. As for upbringing, I think your family can influence your own OPINION on your sexuality, but not your sexuality itself.

My older brother is gay, and my whole family is hugely supportive except my father. My brother actually admitted that our dad's lack of support for homosexuality helped to keep him in denial about his sexuality, but it didn't change the fact that he is attracted to men.

idk I know personally, I've just always loved guys. It's just something that has always been apart of me I don't know why it just is

I think sexuality is not a choice, but some people try desperately to control it through their actions.

Specifically now I'm thinking of Republicans and right-wingers who desperately hate homosexuality as an affront to God, but are gay themselves.

They can join the church, try to pray the gay away, get married, have children... and yet still get caught in a bathroom with a male prostitute.

They have so much to lose, and a life time of heterosexual actions... and yet that over-riding since-birth homosexuality will not be denied. No matter how hard they try, no matter how hard they pray.

I have never understood people in thinking that sexual orientation is a choice. I'm attracted to the female body. There was never a conscious decision making process in this, that's just my mentality. Likewise, why would someone think that someone would make the conscious decision to be attracted to the opposite gender?

There are plenty of younger kids that feel ashamed of their sexuality due to the stigma and pressure put on them by society and family (IE all the kids committing suicide). I'm sure in those cases the opposite is what is happening. They are attracted to the same sex, and I'm sure to some degree they wish they weren't as to simplify life.

Studies have shown that hormone levels between homosexual and straight humans differ, so this could lead to it. I don't think it's different than any other preference. Ice cream is my favorite food, you like steak. We never made a conscious decision to like one or the other, it's just our brains preference.

I don't think sexuality in and of itself it determined by the environment and such. There are plenty of church going people in very conservative families that are homosexual, with everything in their environment going against this.

I don't believe sexual orientation to be a matter of choice. To some degree society could affect it a little. If that is the norm as in ancient European society (Spartans were all gay), one might be more disposed to go along with it because it is their culture and is what is expected.

In general though,I think in large part it is determined by brain chemistry.

it's neither something you choose or
something predetermined

I believe ones upbringing
has to do with the outcome..

..parents/friends and other people
you meet throughout your childhood