is being gay a choice?

[Flyndaran]

You have strongly implied it, but not said it flat out ever, that's true. But every time you write something off as requiring "magic," you imply that there is no possible natural or technological way to accomplish or explain something. ...

No. I disagree. I think we're done. Any further and one or both of us will get nasty.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Twice the chance of relationships, twice the chance of being turned down. Saw that quoted in a magazine once.

Rapscallion

I must be some kind of anomaly or something, either that or twice as much of nothing is still nothing

I don't see the complexity others apparently do. It all boils down to either liking something or not. There are infinite divisions within each area (none, this one, that one, or both) and the only way to explain it is that people like different things which, all together, may or may not trend a certain way.

[McDreidel09]

This came up in my Sociology class last school year. Some people were saying being gay is a choice. Then I spoke up:

"As a bisexual woman, why would I choose to be the way I am in a society that shuns such things? When I was younger, I felt a strange feeling towards women, the same with men. Then I found out that people can like both and I felt complete when I admitted it."

Deathly quiet. No counter arguments,just questions after a few minutes. The teacher was very impressed on how I could shut everyone up with my logic and reasoning.

And no, I am not the attention bisexual. I would love a man or a woman, sober. I find both genders to be beautiful and could fall in love with either. I find that women can be excellent lovers because we have the same parts and know what feels good to ourselves.

[smileyeagle1021]

McDreidel, I must admit, I envy you your courage... when the topic came up when I took Sociology last year I was too cowardly to speak up... I was still closeted back then and couldn't bring myself to out myself like that. That has been one of my bigger regrets... that's 30 people who I could have been an example to on the true nature of homosexuals and how we aren't the filthy sodomites they had been taught about in church and by their parents and instead I hid in my comfortable closet keeping silent the whole class. When given a chance to redeem myself the very next semester in a debate class I once again staid quiet. Though it does prove your point... why the hell would I chose something that, especially in this area, is condemned by the general public, is grounds for being fired in this state, and many people consider to be valid grounds for beatings and even murder... why would I chose something that would make me live nearly half my life in fear of being found out. No, if choice were involved I would never have chosen this, I am happy with who I am, but if at around puberty I had been told "hey, kid, you can either like women and be socially accepted and never know fear of being persecuted for no other reason than who you are attracted to, or you can be attracted to men and be society's punching bag"... there's no way in hell given that question that I'd choose being gay (which is one reason I'm glad it's not a choice )