Quote:
Originally Posted by mfblume
Some one tells me they're born gay, I do not believe it since no one is born gay... they're usually victims of gay child abuse.... but I said YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN! |
Actually, there are significant numbers of people who were raised in conservative religious homes that still come out as being gay, though they were never abused.
However, this is a complex issue. Those who were abused might very well perpetuate their abuse through same sex attraction. So, I'd say that abuse is definitely a "factor", but it isn't a factor in every case.
There are multiple factors beyond abuse to consider.
One is genetics...
For example, the blind studies using pheromones and the brain's biochemical response. Those who self identified as being gay or straight were given strips of cotton. Each strip of cotton had a sample of either female or male pheromones on them. The brains of those who identified themselves as straight biochemically responded to the strips with pheromones from the opposite genders. The brains of those who identified as gay biochemically responded to the strips with pheromones from the same gender. Please understand, this was a blind study. The individuals in the study had no idea what the study was even for, let alone what they were being asked to smell.
In essence, as it relates to gay people, the biochemical responses of the brain triggers the centers of the brain that make the same gender smell more appealing. This is related to genetics. Something is all twisted up here in gay people. Their brain has wires crossed somewhere causing the brain to respond pleasurably to the same gender.
Another factor is what is called genetic memory...
Child psychologists discovered a disproportionate number of children of 9/11 survivors suffering from PTSD relating to loud noises, falling, falling debris, fear of flying, etc.. The problem was, most of these children were not even conceived until after 9/11. Thus the question was, why are these children suffering from PTSD relating to an event they never personally experienced? Studies began to reveal a pattern. Parents in traumatic circumstances long before the conception of their children had a higher rate of their children having fear or PTSD response relating to similar events. For example, a woman is attacked by several dogs. Five years later, she has a child. That child has an irrational fear of unfamiliar dogs. Also, there appeared to be a greater percentage of children who responded to circumstances relating to events that happened to their mothers than their fathers. They even found that certain aversions, fears, and phobias can be found within specific groups of people. For example, Scott-Irish people whose ancestors who experienced the great potato famine have higher rates of thyroid disorders and conditions relating to the storage of body fat. It is almost as though their bodies remember the famine and is in survival mode.
So, they performed a number of different experiments. One involved shocking lab rats. Everyone loves shocking lab rats, right? So this example will be entertaining. lol What the scientists did was they bred a generation of lab rats. They separated the male and female lab rats and verified that no females were pregnant. They then periodically filled the cage with the scent of rose petals... and began shocking rats. lol They did this several times to make sure they made a deep impression on the rats. So deep in fact, that when they began filling their cages with the scent of rose petals... the rats would flee and hide to avoid being shocked. Then the scientists stopped the process. They allowed the mice time to calm down, because they were rather fearful of any intrusion into their cages. After the rats calmed down and seemed to be behaving normally, they integrated the males and females. These rats sired a new generation of rats together. Once these baby rats were old enough to be separated from their parents they isolated them. The filled their cages with various new scents. These rats responded inquisitively to each new scent. However, when they released the scent of rose petals... over half of these baby rats who had never smelled the scent of rose petals before, and had never experienced being shocked after smelling the scent of rose petals, began fleeing for cover. Heart rates jumped and panic response activated.
How in the world did this new generation of rats associate the scent of rose petals with danger? It appeared to differ when only the mother or father experienced the scent associated shockings. If only the mother was shocked, over half responded to the scent of rose petals. If only the father was shocked it was under half. Those rats who were never exposed to the scent of rose petals or shocked... their children had no panic response at all.
Somehow the traumatic experiences of the parent rats were being passed down to their baby rats. The believe that the biochemical responses in their brains not only altered brain chemistry (as PTSD does), but it also effected their genetic make up, building "switches" into their genetic sequence that are passed down to their children. Under the right conditions, these "switches" are activated and a panic response based on an event that never happened to them is the result. Scientists believe that this is not only absolutely fascinating, but that it is an absolutely necessary biological function to ensure the survival of a species. A way to ensure that proceeding generations have a built in survival reflex should they face what their parents faced.
They also found that as they get further from the original generation of mice who were indeed shocked, fewer and fewer of the proceeding generations appear to be so easily triggered. But the response lingers in the minority... and can even skip generations.
Now, this could have an impact on human sexuality. Because it may not be that a given gay person was abused... it could be that a parent, grandparent, or great grandparent was abused. It could be that at some point a parent, grandparent, or another ancestor had a rather traumatic or extremely "wild" experience that left such a deep impression, that their genes passed down the genetic memory of the event and as a result, it is affecting a present generation's sexuality.
Scientists are starting to find that our genetics are much like play dough, they can be shaped and effected by a number of life experiences, and that the impressions left from these experiences can be passed down to proceeding generations.
There are other factors too... but I found these the most interesting.
Hybrid Mode
