Homosexuality- is it a defect?

Question:Why do so many people claim homosexuality is not a choice, but then condemn rapists and murders? They can claim it was the way they were made too so why should we excuse homosexuality as something that wasn't a choice, but condemn murderers, philanderers, pedophiles, rapists, etc. when in fact it is quite possible they were *made* that way too. The only difference is that there are no victims in homosexuality, but if we are *programmed* certain ways, how do we know that homosexuality programming is not abnormal to the genetic design similar to those mentioned above? I'm not trying to bash anyone, just asking. Unless you are of the opinion that homosexuality is a choice. So which one is it, a choice or not? Is it a flaw in the design or is it something someone chooses to do? Do murderers choose to be murderers or is it how they were born? Can one be born "a murderer" or does the environment weigh into that decision. Does the environment contribute to homosexuality, or is it all nature?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Why do so many people claim homosexuality is not a choice, but then condemn rapists and murders? They can claim it was the way they were made too so why should we excuse homosexuality as something that wasn't a choice, but condemn murderers, philanderers, pedophiles, rapists, etc. when in fact it is quite possible they were *made* that way too. The only difference is that there are no victims in homosexuality, but if we are *programmed* certain ways, how do we know that homosexuality programming is not abnormal to the genetic design similar to those mentioned above? I'm not trying to bash anyone, just asking. Unless you are of the opinion that homosexuality is a choice. So which one is it, a choice or not? Is it a flaw in the design or is it something someone chooses to do? Do murderers choose to be murderers or is it how they were born? Can one be born "a murderer" or does the environment weigh into that decision. Does the environment contribute to homosexuality, or is it all nature?

Homosexual identity is not a choice, but homosexual acts are matters of choice. If homosexuality were wrong, then, just like rape and murder, homosexual 'actors' (i.e. people who engage in homosexual acts) should be considered immoral, but homosexual 'agents' (i.e. people who are homosexual, but don't necessarily act on their desires) shouldn't.

As for the question of whether homosexuality is a defect or abnormality, it's certainly an abnormality (as the majority of people aren't gay), just like left-handedness is abnormal. Is it a defect? It's certainly a disadvantage (given rampant homophobia in the vast majority of the world, and the 'inability' to have children), but the word defect's a bit ambiguous for a possible answer.

Yes ,it is!

I think you got a point. But there's a huge difference between victimless behaviour and social acceptance. Also most people can choose not to kill someone or molest a child. It's optional after all or you're obviously not quite right in the head. But murder is a bit specific in my opinion. I know law is not morale, but sometimes I wish it could be. If a wife gets beat up by her drunk husband twenty times, plans, prepares and kills the man I wouldn't consider that really murder. Or if a father hears of his child being sexually abused by a relative - but law is law. Morale is morale.

Apart from that I think that homosexuality indeed is a defect in the sense that it obviously can't be inherited from your parents in a normal sense, thus outside evolution, but in the sense of life standard or in comparison to the other criminal references you mentioned I'd say no - not by a long shot.

Definitely a deviation from the norm ha ha.

a lot of these depends on your religious and moral beliefs. i am a christian yet fairly liberal thinking. as a christian i believe the choice is between good vs evil. it is against god to be gay yet some are naturally prone to desire same sex. so for them either be themselves or be alone. my sister is a lesbian and sweet as can be i don't think by being gay alone she will perish to eternity in hell. however she could've been straight if she wanted to it is a choice not that her desires for women wouldn't have went away but u can put religion first if u want to. some do i know preachers that are admittedly prone to homosexuality yet choose to be celibate and serve god. I'm not judging just trying give u a Christan perspective personally i don't care about who u love or marry as long as u are happy and don't shove your beliefs down peoples throats but the general christian consensus is that it is a choice. for my sister it stems from being sexually assaulted at a young age by men so it made her fearful of male companionship and somehow that turned into desires for females.

I have a brother who is homosexual. He tried to say it was hereditary. So, out of 5 sons my mother had, he was the only one who turned out homosexual. Doesn't set right with me. I would think if it is hereditary, all 5 of us would have turned out that way. Neither of my sisters turned out that way either.
They are trying to claim that the homosexual is born with a certain defect in the brain. This is just rubbish.
I've heard people on TV shows claim that they knew they were homosexual ever since they were 5 years of age. I'd be willing to be that, at 5, they had no idea what a homosexual was.
Bottom line: homosexuality is a choice that one makes of one's own free will.
And, don't tell me I'm homophobic because I am not afraid of any homosexual. Those who are homophobic are the ones who are giving in to the homosexuals because they want to welcome everyone and don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

Homosexuality being completely upto a choice is a lie.
Religion(christianity) depicted homosexuality as hateful, sinful, possessed by evil, etc. The bible says it is a sin to perform homosexual act, however, sex is in our nature, what if we are born homosexuals? Is that a sin too?

Scientfic studies have dont on this matter. The three factors that result in homosexuality are the following: choice, biology and environmental influences.

Examples of biological & genetical effect: An October 2004 scientific research publication stated that scientists at the University of Padua have found that women tend to have more children when they inherit the same genetic factors linked to homosexuality in men. This fertility boost more than compensates for the lack of offspring fathered by gay men, and keeps the “gay” genetic factors in circulation.

A 2005 study reported genetic scans showing a clustering of the same genetic pattern among gay men on three chromosomes - chromosomes 7, 8, and 10. The regions on chromosome 7 and 8 were associated with male sexual orientation regardless of whether the man got them from his mother or father. The regions on chromosome 10 were only associated with male sexual orientation if they were inherited from the mother.

A study published in Human Genetics in February 2006 examined X chromosome inactivation in mothers of gay sons and mothers whose sons were not gay. Researchers found extreme differences between women who had gay sons and women who did not.

I had a friend who was a devoted christian. His family were very devoted as well. He prayed everyday and attended churches. One day he told me that he is gay, crying. In this case, how can homosexuality be a choice? He is a devoted chrstian, he know homosexuality is wrong however he himself is gay. How can this happen if homosexuality is truly a choice? No one, will want to be gay. He/she will conflict with every aspect of life. There are chances that their family will not accept it, religious people being mean, etc.

I dont think homosexuality is a sin. Because of the genetical factors. And i do not like gay bashers. And i will not tolerate people who simply bash others because of the difference. We will continue to find more answers about homosexuality. And one day people will know its not a choice.

Thanks for asking ;)

never leave your friends behind.

My english it's not very good (you will find me in the italian page of Answer) and I'm not an homosexual but think (hope) I've understoud the sense of your question reading it.
There's many tipes of homosexuality not last the genetic one. Find in yourself this difference from that that we call normality few times it's easy to affort. My opinion is that we can talk of a cure only if the homosexuality it's a product of a trauma or naturally is the fruit of a illness (like mental disturbs can be) or may be in prevention. You must think that there is people (talking of south of Italy) can't see the difference beetwen pedophiles (that like sex with children) and homosexual (guy or lesbian). That's sad. I'm very happy the mentality it's changed from the '80, have and had (God bless him) much omosexual friends, omosexuality can/must be a choice.

You are absolutely right.
Doing so would be just making a pig of oneself.

Murderers are not born that way! They become murderers because they hold grudges of something that has happened to them in the past (referring to the ones that kill for no reason)...That is a fact that has been proven...
I believe this also appeals to rapists and pedophiles...

I think homosexuality may be considered a defect...I think you're born that way, just like people with mental illness are born that way...

Depends on who's view your listening to ?

Love, an overwhelming love sees no class, creed or religion and supposedly no gender.

If a man should make the acquaintance of another man, with whom he falls in love, is entirely besotted and feels he has found his soul mate, then yes gay is all fair and good.

If however it is a concerted effort to deviate from the norm, driven by a dislike of one or a desire to make a stand, then it is less than ideal, and meets with an equally volatile public disapproval

Some, based on bad experiences with member of the other sex, poor parenting, abuse or a simple hatred base their decisions upon this rancour and choose to be intimate with other men.

The first issue that ought to be resolved is related to genetic determinism. Much plausibility is being gained by academic discourse that claims genetics to a greater extent determine who we are. In this case the collateral issues of responsibility need to be reappraised. Again, much is being done. For example, on the issue of criminal responsibility, gene expression profiles are taken account of. Serial sex offenders may in some jurisdictions aquiesce to chemical incapacitation. The debate is about diverse types of determinism vs. indeterminism. Some say determinism is the hand we are dealt, indeterminists say it is how we play the hand. This is the first point that needs to be made.

Secondly, this having been said, sexuality, and specifically homosexuality, are in no way related to the debate. Sexuality is a sphere that is first of all distinct from biological procreation and emotional love. Any presumed link is totally arbitrary. Though any form of permutation may exist between any of these three i.e. sex, procreation, and love, the three are distinct. Sex may be simply a zone restricted to procreation just as it may be a zone exclusively based on love or simply sexual pleasure. Any form of the expression of sexuality may accomodate itself in any of these domains. This is where the freedom lies. A heterosexual, bi sexual or homnosexual may position him or her self anywhere. If one is conditioned by beliefs or values, this will infring on one's choices just as believing in magic, science, religion, ideology, or crying or bleeding statues will condition one's choices in life and shape one's self-image and world-view. This is what choice and beleife are about; they are subjective and irrellevant referents that say little. But we cannot blame or paint the scene as being dark just because we are wearing dark glasses, whether we are aware or not of them! Objectively, any form of sexuality is an expression of emotional or physical self-fullfillment that we ought to be free to enjoy as we please between, conceedingly, consenting 'adults'. Even the issue of 'pairing' needs to be re thought and ought to include any configuration or permutation possible. The worst diservice to sexuality is the claiming of rights, which is at once both an act of submission and an accpetance of intollerance.

If you grow up in a bad environment, you could become a murderer, but if you grow up with two gay parents, it doesn't make you gay. Murderers are usually made. Some are born, but most are made. Homosexuals are born, rarely made. There is a great difference. There isn't a "Murderer Gene" - there very well may be a "Homosexuality Gene."

Some of these arguments that are being posted as "Answers" are just patently fallacious.

Matthias Carlsson said the following: "I think that homosexuality is indeed a defect in the sense that it obviously can't be inherited from your parents in a normal sense, thus outside evolution."

Can't be inherited from your parents in a "normal sense?" Really? Do you have any evidence of this? Oh, I understand. You mean to say that just because neither one of your parents are homosexuals, then obviously they can't pass it on to you. So, the shade of your hair is EXACTLY the same shade as one of your parents? Your height is exactly the height of one of your parents? Your interests, academic strengths and weaknesses, hobbies and proclivities are EXACTLY the same as your parents'?

Not to suggest that sexuality has a genetic correlation, but our friend needs to open up a biology text and look up "recessive gene."

User Sliq1983 said the following: "I have a brother who is homosexual. He tried to say it was hereditary. So, out of the 5 sons my mother had, he was the only one that turned out homosexual. Doesn't set right with me. I would think if it was hereditary, all of us would have turned out that way."

Really? Are you serious? Did you even THINK this argument through before you posted it? Did you even applying it to another trait - say, hair color? If four of your brothers had brown hair, and you were blond, would you suggest publicly that your mother had an affair that resulted in you? If one of your brothers was the only one that was over six feet tall, would you suggest that he was the result of an affair, too?

It's called INTELLECTUAL HONESTY, people. It means not letting your prejudices and biases to poison your otherwise sound and logical arguments.

And Sliq, the only people that I've ever heard say "I'm not a homophobe" are indeed homophobic. And you completely miss the point when you say that you're not homophobic because you're not "afraid of gay people." I know you're not really stupid enough to really think that. Don't ignore the issue at hand by paying attention to the etymological root of the word, but how it's REALLY deployed in the English language. It means the "HATE of gay people." And if your hate is not already overt, I'd imagine it's at least unconscious.

I hope your brother can live the rest of his life surrounded by friends, his partner, and the family that accepts him - and I hope he has it in his heart to reject you and your disdain for your fellow human being (and your silly arguments.)

I can only answer from my experience in life and also observing people who I have known. Think of it this way, before puberty most of us are simple little boys and girls. Some of us may behave a little better than others. Girls as a gender seem to be better behaved and less prone to excessively physical activities.

This would partly be to do with their being physically weaker than boys. Boys are stronger physically but are generally not accepted as being strong as girls mentally. This would seem to be supported by the number of adult men incarcerated in prisons as opposed to the number of women.

Women will huddle around and support each other in times of trauma and crisis and nurture and encourage the hurt towards recovery. Men will try and tough it out and carry emotional and psychological pain like grief for years. Us men really do need to wake up, swallow our pride and ask for help far more often.

Homosexuality is not an easy subject to talk about with men. The typical red blooded heterosexual male may feel any thing from a nauseous repulsion to actually becoming aggressive and wanting to "Poofter bash" as it is known in some places.

I have a friend that was sexually abused as a teenager and as a result has been seriously distorted in his perception of his own orientation sexually. Knowing him and his history, as a father it grieves me to the core of my gut. He has 4children to two different marriages that have failed and currently is in a mess, hates women and is now going back into the gay scene. Having had possibly one or more male relationships in the last year or two.

There are some other people that are borderline in their gender. As close as possible to almost being a third gender. Let me explain they are effeminate men or masculine women. There are some who claim to be unsure of their true orientation and so claim to be bi-sexual and get plenty of action as they call it from either straights or gays.

Then there are gay people who will tell you that they have never been molested or sexually assaulted and just knew from an early age in childhood that they were gay and attracted to same sex relationships. As I get older and have gained some needed extra education, I am beginning to realise that there is no easy answer. For some people who find themselves sexually oriented to being against or different from the accepted more traditional heterosexual orientation.

Some people have been seduced into their sexual orientation and others simply made a choice to experiment maybe at first and then found they were happy so stayed gay. Others say from their understanding that they were inclined that way from birth. The fact remains gays, Tran-sexuals, bisexuals all grow into adults and in modern society all demand their rights to be heard accepted and acknowledged as alternative and valid life styles. They vote and band together often militantly to have their rights heard and to petition change in their communities.

The way most societies are developing, sweeping them aside as ridiculous or invalid will not do any thing other than cause major problems. As to your question above, gays would argue what they do is with consenting adults and as such is not a crime of violence.

I get your point, I guess. But do you really have to use murderers as your comparator.

God put homosexuals on earth to spread his love. Just like everyone else.

The environment will have an influence, but you can't hide forever from your true sexuality. Whatever that may be.

Aren't we all guilty of listening to masterpieces that were made by homosexuals? They have added great value to human creativity. Maybe they are just androgynous souls. I am glad Elton John was born and thrived. I love KD Langs "Constant Craving." They are, on a reproductive level, disadvantaged....but last time I looked there are sooo many people on the earth. We don't even take care of them- even the heterosexuals. We just judge and judge and judge, I don't think homosexuality should be against modern law. Why? CONSENTING ADULTS have more say in their lives than I.

They know they need a doctors excuse to get out of class.
My friend when we were kids us to complain the girls he wanted never liked him back. 6 years later i find out he is gay. So to me he was normal just unlucky with girls, so this way opened up to him and thats were he stayed. Most of the time people are looking to belong and that is a place to belong for them. I know they're not to blame, this cruel society that bases everything on looks and style rejects so many people. Sad.

It is an abnormality. A kind of perversion of mind and habits.

It can be considered either genetic or a learnt or induced defect.

Homesexuality or being lazbian is a perversion and it is not normal.

Didn't read your long additional details to that simple question - but I think we cannot overlook this one thing: homosexuality does not propagate the species, therefore any species which becomes entirely homosexual would go extinct. It seems to me that if there is one thing ONE thing that Nature or God wants and programs us all for, it's survival of the species. So I'd say homosexuality is not part of the plan, whatever else it may or may not be.

everybody fancies people, not as if everybody wants to murder people. There is no way you can possible compare them! And as you say there is no victims so whats the problem? Maybe you'd understand if you had a brain!