Sexual Orientation

Sexual Orientation

Sexuality is not a Choice

The definition of sexuality is the gender or sex one is attracted to. Many believe that the default for sexuality should be an attraction to the opposite sex and that anyone who goes against this convention is doing so by choice. However, as more research has been conducted on sexuality, the results have shown that it is more complex. In addition, research in the past has shown that sexuality is not a choice but rather a result of biological and sociocultural factors, even though these factors are yet proven.

According to a genome-wide association study conducted by Ganna et al. (2019), individuals with the same sexual orientation exhibited five loci not present in people with opposite sexual direction (Hodges, 2021). Although this study concludes that these genetic variations account for about 8 to 25% of same-sex behavior, it is evident that there is a difference between straight people and gay people. These variations specifically impact their sexual orientation (Hodges, 2021). Notably, this study is one of the first to confirm a biological aspect of one’s sexual orientation after decades of research; therefore, one can conclude that with more advanced studies, more discoveries will also be made on the matter.

Furthermore, other factors have also been argued to influence one’s sexual orientation. These factors include one’s environment (sociocultural) and hormones. During the development of a baby while in the mother’s womb, the prenatal endocrine environment has been shown to have a considerable impact on the baby’s sexuality (Balthazart, 2011). Moreover, researchers believe that the environment can affect one’s sexuality (Payne, 2020). For example, if an individual grows up in a community that embraces same-sex orientation, they are likely to become gay. The same case applies to homophobia, leading to one becoming straight. As a Christian, I believe that God made everyone in His image and likeness; therefore, I know that different sexualities are just as usual, having different skin color or eye color.

References

Balthazar, J. (2011). Minireview: Hormones and human sexual orientation. Endocrinology, 152(8), 2937-2947.

Ganna, A., Verweij, K. J., Nivard, M. G., Maier, R., Wedow, R., Busch, A. S., & Zietsch, B. P. (2019). Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior. Science, 365(6456), eaat7693.

Hodges, B. S. (2021). Is Sexuality a Choice? An Analysis of the Facts and Factors that Influence One’s Sexual Orientation.

Payne, W. (2020). Population & the environment. Human Behavior and the Social Environment II.

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Do you think sexual orientation is a choice or not? Explain your answer.
Your opinion may differ from other classmates. Please be respectful.

Please Note: My sexual orientation is “Straight”. I don’t believe it’s a choice; I’m a Christian by faith, and God has created us perfectly. Please write based on my beliefs. Thanks