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Homosexuality is one of the most hot button issues in America today. Everyone has an opinion, some based on religious views others based on other external factors. People are afraid to talk about it because it’s something we don’t actually fully comprehend. This is because it scares people to admit they don’t know something. We need to find out if being a homosexual is something we are born with, or is it something we learn over time.
Review of the Research
There have been many research studies done to try and determine the actual cause of homosexuality. The most important one to date was conducted in 1993 (O'Riordan, 2012).
This particular study was done on the genes of homosexual males; it showed a relationship between the Xq28 genetic maker and same sex attraction in males (O'Riordan, 2012). This was an incredible advancement in the research on homosexuality. It showed many people that being gay was actually something out of our control, and that we have no way of changing these people. This study was never replicated successfully, therefore all of this is still hypothetical (O'Riordan, 2012). Although this study wasn’t able to be replicated it’s still one of the major milestones in the research on homosexuality. The study got a lot of news attention; this was because it was an answer for people (O'Riordan, 2012).
Although there has been a substantial amount of research done on homosexuality, some psychologists don’t want to abandon the belief that therapy is beneficial (Murphy, 2011). This could be because they are greedy and you can’t treat something we can’t control, or they truly believe therapy is helpful. It seems most psychologists aren’t actually opposed to the idea; they are more against being wrong. This mak...
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...ary Psychology, 11(2), 304-323.
Kwiatkowski, M. (2010). Perception of parental attitudes in homosexual, bisexual and heterosexual individuals. Archives Of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, 12(2), 31-42.
Långström, N., Rahman, Q., Carlström, E., & Lichtenstein, P. (2010). Genetic and environmental effects on same-sex sexual behavior: a population study of twins in Sweden. Archives Of Sexual Behavior, 39(1), 75-80. doi:10.1007/s10508-008-9386-1
Murphy, T. F. (2011). A Brief History of the 'Gay Gene.'. Genewatch, 24(6), 11-12.
O'Riordan, K. (2012). The life of the gay gene: from hypothetical genetic marker to social reality. Journal Of Sex Research, 49(4), 362-368. doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.663420
RICE, W. R., FRIBERG, U., & GAVRILETS, S. (2012). HOMOSEXUALITY AS A CONSEQUENCE OF EPIGENETICALLY CANALIZED SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT. Quarterly Review Of Biology, 87(4), 343-368.
Homosexuality is a product of biology because according to research, the hormones of the females are stronger. Dr. Hamer states that sexual orientation, male homosexuality is genetically influenced. This is passed down through their mothers to the hormone of their offspring. Sexual identity is wired into the genes, which discounts the concept that homosexuality and transgender sexuality are a choice. Since sexual differentiation occurs within the womb, as a result of hormonal influences, it has been hypothesized that homosexuality may result from differential hormone balance in the wombs of those who eventually exhibit a homosexual orientation. According to a study, the question is whether homosexual practice changes the brain or whether the brain results in homosexual practice. According to Dr. Hamer, male homosexuality might be linked to a set of five DNA sequences located on the Xq28 region of the X chromosome. Therefore, if homosexual orientAtion were completely genetic, one would expect that it would not change over the course of one's life.
This represents a change in avenue of attack, not a broad ideological shift from historic eugenic arguments. Similarly, the search for the "gay gene," while a relatively new scientific concept, is highly reminiscent of previous understandings of queer sexuality, which located deviance in physical and/or hormonal "abnormalities." The idea that queer people's queerness is loc...
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).
I first checked out a site written by a supporter of the "gay gene." http://voyager.dvc.edu/~bmckinney/www.pilot.infi.net/~susanf/aolgay.htm is written by Don Robertson. Don Robertson is a gay teacher of biochemistry and molecular biology. In his article, he states that many experiments have proved the genetic connection to homosexuality. He names some of the experiment's methods but he doesn't include who ran the experiments, where they were done, why or why not they would be reliable or whether they would have the same results if the experiments were repeated. He comes up with figures like if one identical twin is gay there is a sixty- percent chance that the other identical twins will also be gay. This is included to prove that since identical twins share identical genes, they must have had the "gay gene" passed down to both of them. This claim brings up a few problems.
Dean Hamer et al at the National Cancer Institute published the initial paper that is accountable for the explosion of interest and argument regarding genetic determination of sexual preference in 1993 (2). Hamer's study found that, of thirty-two pairs of brothers who were "exclusively or mostly" homosexual, twenty-two pairs of brothers shared the same type of genetic material. This introduced the idea that there is a gene for homosexuality. Hamer went on to identify a specific genetic sequence that exists on the maternally passed-on X chromosome...
“Homosexuality is found in over 1,500 species. Homophobia is found in only one” (1,500 Animals”). Conversion therapy, or otherwise known as “reparative therapy,” is a homophobic process by which many therapists attempt to “cure” homosexuality. Conversion Therapy demonstrates the ignorance of this world by causing mental and physical harm to its participants in an attempt to “cure” something that is not a problem, and that is why the federal government needs to ban it once and for all. Homosexuality was once considered a mental illness, which led to attempts to “cure” it.
...ally factors are responsible for sexual orientation. There are so many variations within society that could affect at person's sexuality, that it is impossible to make any assertions at this point. Therefore the nature and nurture debate is still open.
Many people cannot understand why anyone would want to get involved in homosexual activity. There are many arguments about homosexuality whether is by nature or nurture. Before we make judgments on homosexuality, we need to identify the causes of homosexuality. Homosexuality is caused by genetic, biological and environmental factors.
”There are numerous theories about the origins of a person's sexual orientation…orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and biological factor …there are probably many reasons for a person's sexual orientation and the reasons may be different for different people.” (“Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality”)
Somerville, Siobhan. "Scientific Racism and the Invention of the Homosexual Body." Gender, Sex, and Sexuality. New York: Oxford University, 2009. 284-99. Print.
As humans, it is natural to shy away from things that are different than the norm; we discriminate. It is very important to rid oneself of discrimination to better clarify the decision at hand. To make a valid conclusion on homosexuality, it is essential for one to forget what they were taught when socialization occurred, mainly birth to adulthood. As an example: You were told as a young child to hate and not associate yourself with African Americans because of the color of their skin, because they are different. When you grow older, you obtain a six-figure job, but y...
In today's society, there exists a mixture of issues which tend to raise arguments with people all over. There are a handful of topics that always seem to escalate these differences between people to the point where one who earnestly participates in discussion, debate and argument can direct their anger towards their feelings on the person themselves. Some examples of such delicate subjects are the death penalty, abortion, and euthanasia. An issue that has in recent years, begun to increase arguments, is the acceptability of homosexuality in society. Until recently, homosexuality was considered strictly taboo. If an individual was homosexual, it was considered a secret to be kept from all family, friends, and society. However, it seem that society has begun to accept this lifestyle by allowing same sex couples. The idea of coming out of the 'closet' has moved to the head of homosexual individuals when it used to be the exception. Homosexuality is nothing to be ashamed of and we should all come to realize this.
Research has already shown parent sexual orientation has no significant effect on children’s psychological adjustment in Wainright, Russell, and Patterson (2004) as well as Rivers, Poteat, and Noret (2008). There has been a stereotype that a man and a women should raise a child and if not the child would be “confused” about gender behavior, identity and sexual orientation. Wainright, Russell, and Patterson (2004) study has shown that parental sexual orientation has no effect of adolescent romantic attractions and behaviors. The results of their study show that children of same sex parents have a significant relationship quality. There was no significant difference in children’s’ general role behavior, children’s sexual orientation, gender identity, children’s’ cognitive development and psychological adjustment. Having same sex parents has no impact on a child’s gender role behavior, sexual orientation, gender identity, cognitive development and psychological adjustment. Having a same-sex parent has no impact on a child but rather the relationship that the child has with the parent no matter the parent’s sexual orientation. The relationship between the parent and the child s what can
Vrangalova, Z., & Savin-Williams, R. C. (2012). Mostly heterosexual and mostly gay/lesbian: Evidence for new sexual orientation identities. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 41, 85-101. doi: 10.1007/s10505- 012-9921-y.
Savin-Williams, Ritch C. Mom, Dad, I'm Gay: How Families Negotiate Coming out. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2001. Print.