Auster
New member
While a person can certainly choose to have sex with either male or female, in most cases one of the two goes against our nature. I could have sex with a man if I chose to, but it is not something that I desire to do. I am not attracted to men. The reverse would be the case for a gay male. Gay men can certainly choose to have sex with a woman, but it is not something they desire and thus they would be going against their nature in doing so.
This desire, this attraction, it is only a chemical reaction; an emotion. The fact that you can go out and have sex with a man indicates a choice. Nature? Hardly, and only in the sense that nature designed emotions as a drive, an impetus within us. We choose to follow that drive just as we choose to break a law or we choose to buy that candy instead of a proper meal. Or choose to abstain from sweets.
For instance, the term 'its against my better nature, but. . .' indicates a choice. Homosexuality as defined by society is a preference, subject to change and free will, choice.
Most studies have shown, and I belive that people are born with sexual identity that fits on a scale.. say from 1 to 10.
A person who is a 1 is purely and unquestionalbly attracted only to the opposit sex.
A person who is a 10 is purely and unquestionably attracted only to the same sex.
Most humans, regardless of if they will admit it or not, are between a 7 and a 3. VERY few are 10's or 1's.
Because of the social stigma of being anything other than a 1, many will not even admit it to themselves if they are not a 1.
This only seems to support the idea that orientation is a choice. Nowadays we have all kinds of 'orientations' and preferences; the very concept of homosexual is being muddied by the idea that it is attraction itself.
It is behavior. The question could be asked what behavior defines it (kissing, fondling, what have you) but like the pseudosciences of the 'Middle Ages' (<<including Christian based) emotions and non-empirical data are not an acceptable basis for definition when there are much more definitive alternatives.