- Question
Are people born gay?
Few scientific questions generate as much intrigue and political turmoil as the origins of sexual orientation. Is there a clear genetic or hormonal link to sexual orientation that indicates gay people are, in the words of Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"? Can we ever know if same-sex attraction is determined before birth? Is this a question that should even be asked?
Yes, people are born gay
This position holds that people are born gay. It cites studies linking sexual orientation to genetics—from neurological differences and the proposed Xq28 'gay gene' to epigenetics and the fraternal birth-order effect—arguing orientation is innate rather than chosen.
- Epigenetics confirm people are born gay
- We can't choose our sexual orientation because it's genetically inherent
- The fraternal birth effect shows people are born gay
- Gay and straight people show neurological differences
- Homosexuality is a genetic trait that runs throughout generations
- Xq28 is the gay gene
No, people are not born gay
To reduce sexual orientation to genetics or hormones reduces it to a binary outcome. Sexuality is not binary, it is fluid and no genetic explanation has been able to accomodate this.
We don't know if people are born gay
This position holds that we simply do not know whether people are born gay. It argues that no conclusive evidence has settled the question of genetics and sexual orientation, and that the very fluidity of the term 'gay' makes a definitive answer hard even to formulate.
It doesn't matter if people are born gay
This position holds that whether people are born gay is unimportant, and that pursuing the question could even be dangerous. It argues that we may be better off not knowing, and that no one else has the right to define another person's sexuality, whatever its origin.