Sexuality over the years has been defined and reshaped in many ways by different researchers and experts. In the CNN article, “Being Gay is not a Choice,” James Hormel defines sexuality as something that you are born with and cannot hide or ignore your true identity. In the article, Hormel recalls the times in his life where he felt alone and when he hid the truth. Hormel goes on to state how he “spent the first 35 years of my life trying real hard not to be gay”(Hormel, pg. 1). However, despite Hormel 's views I disagree with this article in many ways as it shows little evidence on how someone could in fact be born gay. An individual decides his identity and sexuality, which in most cases is tied together with how one is raised and the environment in which one is raised in. John Hormel’s article on sexuality can be countered by an article written John D’Emilio. His article, “Capitalism …show more content…
The War selected men and women from across the country with different backgrounds and placed them in sexually segregated camps. “The war severely disrupted traditional patterns of gender relations and sexuality, and temporarily created a new erotic situation conducive to homosexual expression” (D’Emilio pg. 106). At the time of capitalism and war, young men and women whose sexual identities had not been formed where placed in single sex training facilities where they would only interact with their own sex. This made the transition for most soldiers difficult and allowed for some already lesbian or gay individuals to interact and unify because of the confines of the war. The temporary freedom of sexuality allowed for men and women to challenge some of their heterosexual upbringings. In addition to gay identities resulting from the restrictions of war communities witnessed a large increase in bars and other meeting places for gays to meet and unify post World War
Günter Grau’s article on “Gay and lesbian Persecution in Germany” from 1933 to 45 presents the detailed view of the treatment of homosexuals and the lesbians during the Nazi government period. The author tries to highlight the actions that were taken during the Socialist regime of Hitler due to their extra emphasis on the socialism. Therefore, the article also presents the analysis of the speech of the German army general Josef Meisinger to combat homosexuality during the period between World War I and ...
In the essay “Why gays shouldn’t serve” by David Horowitz he states that “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell policy is a way of containing the destructive force of sex on a combat capability called Unit Cohesion. (354)” This controversial topic has surfaced more and more recently because Barack Obama wanted to let all people serve in the military, regardless of their sexual orientation. “More than 1,000 retired flag and general officers have joined us in signing an open letter to President Obama and Congress, repeal of this law would prompt many dedicated people to leave the military (James J. Lindsay).” There are multiple points you could focus on when trying to explain your point on why gays or lesbians should not serve in the military. The first point we will be focusing on is: how would military life change if straight men or women knew that there were gays or lesbians sleeping next to them? The second point is: would straight men and women communicate with the gays or lesbians the same way as they would toward other straight men or women? The third and final point is: how would other countries view our military if they knew we had gays or lesbians in the military?
Andrew Sullivan, author of, What is a Homosexual, portrays his experience growing up; trapped in his own identity. He paints a detailed portrait of the hardships caused by being homosexual. He explains the struggle of self-concealment, and how doing so is vital for social acceptation. The ability to hide one’s true feelings make it easier to be “invisible” as Sullivan puts it. “The experience of growing up profoundly different in emotional and psychological makeup inevitably alters a person’s self-perception.”(Sullivan)This statement marks one of the many reasons for this concealment. The main idea of this passage is to reflect on those hardships, and too understand true self-conscious difference. Being different can cause identity problems, especially in adolescents.
To look at what causes homosexuality, one must look back through history at different points in time, for example Homosexual acts occur naturally in nature and appear all over history. No one knows for sure what causes homosexuality or if there is a choice in sexual orientation at all. Scientific studies have furthered no evidence in supporting the idea of altering Sexual Orientation or choosing in what sexual acts you enjoy ruling out any possibility of Homosexuality being a choice. No link to psychopathy or family distress to homosexuality has been found, and all studies point to birth regarding sexual orientation at birth rather than during adolescence (APA).
In this chapter she demonstrates that while homosexuality between women was defined in a much more approving manner. Acts of affection between women were not seen as inherently perverse. Army officials became suspicious for misogynistic reasons, believing women were inherently more secretive and private therefore harder to detect when they were misbehaving. This led to the kind of sting operations which Grace Garner and Fannie Clackum were subjected to in which they were invited on a trip which turned out to be a trap designed to accuse them and another woman of homosexuality. However, in Garner and Clackum’s case they, unlike Quiroz, were able to demonstrate their ladylike characteristics and the unfathomability of one of either of them being homosexual. The two women were the first in history to successfully appeal a military discharge for homosexuality. However, antihomosexual mentality and antilesbian policy flourished within the U.S. military. This was despite a lack of clear criteria by which to examine many of these
In the 1940s, homophobia was extremely prevalent in the United States. People who were openly gay were often stigmatized. “Homosexuality was discussed as ‘an aspect of three personality disorders: psychopaths who were sexual perverts, paranoid personalities who suffered from homosexual panic, and schizoid personalities’ who displayed gay symptoms” (Kaiser 29). Many regulations and practices discriminated against gays. The military found homosexuality to be a direct threat to strength and safety of the U.S. government and the American people, in general. In 1941 the Army and the Selective Service banned homosexuals from participation in the war (Kaiser 29). All major religions considered it sinful and throughout the country, more and more people found it to be immoral. Life was hard for homosexuals in the early and mid-twentieth century. They were forced to hide their sexuality in order to escape derision or imprisonment.
52% of teenagers do not identify as exclusively heterosexual. (according to a report by the J. Walter Thompson Innovation Group) 35% of millennials fall in the same category, and the percentage keeps declining as you move to older generations. This is because gender identity is not primarily caused by nature, but by things like upbringing, your environment, and your education. My partner and I stand in affirmation of the following resolution: Gender identity is caused more by nurture rather than nature. We will argue this case with the following two contentions:
Back in my younger days, I feared to lose my social and economic privilege as being seen as a homosexual female, so I policed myself to present this ‘straight girl’ persona, to avoid being publicly and institutionally sanctioned. Reflecting on Adam’s readings, “Adult heterosexuality was not taken to be an inevitability; it was an achievement of safe passage through adolescence.” (p***) Regardless, of how I felt back when I was young, I still do “act” heterosexual (acting heterosexual is the performance of the traditional straight sexual identity). Be that as it may, now I don't distress when peers around me don’t follow the social rules of normative femininity and heteronormativity in public.”Years ago I would have shunned them, or best, ignored them” (76); and yet with several developed friendships that I have made along my life journey, and a lot of courses that bring awareness to homosexuality; I’m proud to say that “gradually my awareness...was no longer the source of my shame, but the beginning of my empowerment”. (p.75-76) I have reached the point in my life, that now I force myself to acknowledge and not fear the social retaliation of the practices and normalization of heterosexuality by the women I know. Meanwhile, I may still be self-conscious around those women who don’t fit this normative, yet I won’t be imposing my opinions on them, those opinions are up to me
Unlike sex, the history of sexuality is dependant upon society and limited by its language in order to be defined and understood.
In Brandon Ambrosino’s “I am Gay – but I Wasn't Born This Way”, the author states his reasoning as to why he believes he chose to be gay. Being one of the few who questions the born this way ideology, Ambrosino, along with other LGBTQ activists, are “cast as homophobic, and their thinking is considered backward”(par 10). However, just because an argument like this is popular, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true. Even scientific organizations like the American Psychological Association (APA) believes that people have no control over their sexual orientations, however, no findings have been found that determine if sexual orientation is determined from hormones, genetics, or cultural influences(par 21), therefore contradicting the previous claim.
The first possible cause of homosexuality is genetic factors. Homosexuality is a trait from birth (Buchanan, 2000). Studies found that identical twins share many common traits. A study found that identical twins normally share homosexual behavior if one of them is homosexual. This proved that genes are likely to cause homosexuality. In addition, according to (Santinover, 2002), homosexuality is a heritable behavior. Based on heritability studies, almost any human trait is heritable including the homosexual behavior. He stated that behavioral genes are found in specific chromosome. Thus, the behavior is obviously heritable. Moreover, Italian University of Padova (2004) believes that homosexual trait is passed from mother to male offspring by natural ...
From the moment people born, there are certain basic functions that will be with them throughout their lives. The abilities to eat, breathe, sleep, or to have the capacity to learn are a natural occurrence for most people. There are, however, traits that are specific to each individual. They are traits that set them apart from everyone else. The traits such as eye color, ones dominate hand, or susceptibility to a specific disease are a few traits that aren’t easily changed. However, there are some that are controversially questioned as to whether or not one is born with the trait or if it is a learned behavior. One of the biggest of these controversies is the question of whether sexual orientation is a choice or something that is beyond the individual’s influence. Although the evidence is commonly disregarded because of personal beliefs or opinions, sexual orientation is not a choice.
"My own experience taught me much about 'choice ' in sexual orientation. I knew I was 'different ' at age 13, despite growing up in the relentlessly heterosexual America of the 1940s." This quote is from Patricia Nell Warren, she knew she was gay since she was 13 years old, however, instead of coming out she was forced to hind who she was. She ended up getting married at the age of 18 and remained married for 16 years, denying her inner reality. She even attempted therapy to rid herself for her homosexual feelings, but those failed as well leaving her helpless. After two decades of trying but failing to fit in the heterosexual lifestyle, she decided to "come out" at the age of 37 (Bily 2009). Her story is just one of many, displaying that homosexuality is not a choice, it is something that is felt from within and is there at a very early age, essentially birth. There are many studies being done today in order to prove that homosexuality is something acquired at birth and something that is apart of people. A part of them that they cannot change regardless of what others believe or what they try to do to stop themselves from being homosexual. Although there is no undeniable evidence concerning the initiation of sexual preference, there is significant historical and sociological support, that homosexuality is as natural as heterosexuality.
From birth, one's sexuality is shaped by society. Cultures institute behaviors that are to be seen as the societal norms, which work to constantly reinforce societal expectations of how genders should act in relation to one another. Although some may argue that one's sexuality is an innate characteristic resulting from genetic makeup, there is a large amount of evidence pointing to its social construction instead. Through the power differences between males and females, established gender roles, and drastic economic shifts, society establishes sexuality and reinforces the behaviors that are expected of its citizens.
The sexual orientation of a person has been a critical debate over the past several centuries. For several...