Is it normal to think that i wasn't born gay?

While I feel like I've always known I wasn't straight, I'm convinced that certain events in my childhood really shaped my sexuality. If these hadn't happened, I'm fairly confident I would be straight. However, one of the most important facts driving the gay pride movement is that you're ~born that way~. While I'm extremely proud of being gay and constantly seeking social change, it feels like I'm selling out my "own kind" by thinking like this. Is it normal?

Voting Results
76% Normal
Based on 42 votes (32 yes)
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Comments ( 22 )
  • NeuroNeptunian

    I can't stress this enough, but sexuality really isn't as cut and dried as populary believed.

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  • associate

    I think there is a certain defensiveness about the 'born this way' line - a desire to assert the "naturalness" of homosexuality in order to legitimise it. Personally, I think arguments from nature are pointless - what matters is whether homosexuality is harmful or not. It clearly doesn't cause harm to the individual or to others, so it's something that should be accepted... I mean, 'acceptance' shouldn't even be an issue. It exists. It makes me ashamed of humanity that some of such create such an issue out of it. Homosexuality is perfectly healthy! It's fine! Personally, I suspect nature and nurture probably play their parts, but - to be honest - outside of vague scientific interest, I don't think it matters. Also, I think that sexuality is generally a lot fuzzier and more complicated than people want to accept, anyway.

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  • anti-hero

    Maybe you were born with the "genes" (not literally) to be gay like I was born with the genes to be an alcoholic. Not that's there's anything wrong with that.

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  • 5yellow_Nemos

    I'm not sure if it's normal, but my cousin has also said that he feels like he's only gay because of things that happened in his childhood too. I don't know what those "things" are, hopefully not bad.
    Have you asked any other people if they feel the same or do they all feel as if they were born that way?
    I find this interesting.

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  • Holzman_67

    yeah I know a girl who's only lesbian because of multiple traumatic experiences with men

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  • Stefie

    I've been bisexual/gay as far back as I can remember. I later got into cross dressing but I stand firm on the belief that I was born the way I am. I'm happy with my life.

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  • tripw7

    My nephew has told me (in secret) that he knew he was gay from the time he was about 9. He didn't have sex with another guy till he was 15 he says. He said that he was able to bring up data on the internet when he was 10. He is now 16 and very openly gay. His parents respect his decision and hope that he will respect others which do not have his beliefs.

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  • Darkoil

    Attraction/sexuality develops as we grow older similar to gender roles. You like who you like, it is not coded for by genes.

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  • Drawingmud

    Not born queer

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  • Rick_Bawls

    Yes, it is normal. I have heard that a number of men became gay as a result of being molested as a child or because they saw someone pissing at a urinal in a men's room.

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  • RapidlyRotatingPanda

    If it were purely genetic then gays would be gay, therefore not reproduce, genes not passed on, blah. For this reason I feel it is due to a persons experiences in their lives that dictates their sexuality.
    Nurture over nature.

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    • CountessDouche

      Not true. The gene that studies link to homosexuality is an X-chromosome, and can be carried as a recessive gene by females- as in the hetero mom can pass down the gene without being gay. Also, there's plenty of closeted homosexuals that bang one out with strait people in their lifetimes.

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      • EccentricWeird

        "The gene that studies link to homosexuality is an X-chromosome..."

        You should not drink and post.

        I assume you mean "allele", not "gene", unless you're talking about genetically modified people with extra genes. Also, what you have there is a corrolationary study, as genetic studies necessarily are. However, there is no strong evidence for a particular "gay" allele, and people with 100% genetic identity (twins) aren't necessarily both gay or straight, which pretty much dismantles the mendelian recessive inheritance hypothesis you're suggesting.

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      • RapidlyRotatingPanda

        Are there examples of twins where one is gay and the other not?
        That would be interesting.

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        • EccentricWeird

          Yes, there are. I met some myself. They are recorded in what are called "concordance" studies.

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  • disthing

    Which 'childhood events' do you think made you gay?

    Whilst it's not conclusive what the general ratio of nature vs. nurture is in sexual orientation, I find it hard to believe you'd be able to pin-point moments in your life that would lead you to become homosexual.

    The general consensus is that sexual orientation is significantly affected by genetics. What makes you think this isn't the case with you?

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    • disthing--OP here--during my childhood I had a really poor relationship with my father and brother, was once shown straight porn by a much older boy (I must've been five when he was around 16), walked in on my mom having sex with my best friend's mom, and also messed around with another friend sexually in middle school. And now I'm a huge fucking lesbian. And I, of course, don't know for sure if these really had any huge impact at all on me (it's impossible to say for sure, isn't it?). It just seems to me that there's no way these events didn't alter my sexuality in some way.
      I'm not saying this for sympathy or anything, just putting it out there for the discussion.
      For the sake of argument, do you think there would be a single gene for homosexuality, or is it more likely that multiple unrelated alleles occurring together may be the cause...?
      (I obviously don't really believe that, but as we work on decoding the human chromosome, I wonder if we'd ever be able to find the answer).

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      • Riddler

        Yeah its complete bull. No one is born straight, no one is born gay, no one is born bi, or pan. You know what people are born as? They are born as babies. When you hit puberty your hormones start kicking in and you develop a sex drive. it does not mean you were sexually active or had a sex drive before that.

        None of these theories account for every single case of sexuality or sexual tastes and behavior. So they are irrelevant. They all say everyone of them is for sure and 100 percent true but since they do not apply to every case and cancel out each other they are garbage.

        There is a theory sayings males with older brothers are more likely to be gay as it makes them more feminine however that does not take into account lesbians. This also says that all gay males are going to be feminine which is also not true. So by that we are saying lesbians are only gay by choice. Which is kind of sexist because that means men have a right to be gay because its not a choice women can choose NOT to be.

        I think there is multiple factors to what develops your sexuality. Such as environment, trauma, how you were raised, genetics to some degree. Someone could be a sadist when they are little and the minute they hit puberty become a sexual sadist/masochist. Now that was part of the personality but it transferred over when they hit puberty.

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      • disthing

        When detectives investigate a crime, they have to be careful about presuming the guilt of a suspect prematurely, because they will start to construct a narrative from the evidence to support their presumption. They will view the evidence in a biased way, potentially incriminating the wrong person.

        Similarly, I think you're presuming certain events must have shaped your sexuality, so you're looking at your childhood with bias; piecing together a narrative which supports your presumption but doesn't prove it.

        Plenty of heterosexual women have poor relationships with their male family members. Plenty are exposed to porn and sex before they have the capacity to understand it, or interest to try it. It might affect their attitude towards sex in some capacity, or indeed individual sexual interests, but alter their entire orientation? I doubt it. So why are you so sure these events are why you're not straight?

        Do you believe some people are born straight, where as you became straight? Or do you believe everybody acquires their orientation later on, through nurture (as opposed to nature)?

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        • disthing

          "Do you believe some people are born straight, where as you became straight? "

          Sorry, replace 'straight' with 'gay'! :)

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  • Numbertwo

    Not born a homo it's a choice

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    • spunkluvr

      So is ignorance, apparently.

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