So why is it offensive to consider homosexuality as a choice?

[Rex Fallout]

Do you hear people talk about "acting upon" their heterosexuality?

Yeah. Those who don't are referred to as practicing Celibacy.

 

[AnarchistFish]

It's not offensive. Just stupid.

 

[sinterklaas]

Seems a good idea to me to 'choose' a sexual orientation that will get you shunned by many in western countries and beaten or even killed in the rest of the world.

That fact alone is enough to throw the "you chose it" argument in the trashcan.

 

[Soxafloppin]

Offensive...no. Inaccurate yes.

If being Gay was a choice all men would be Gay, you get to hang out with your best friend all day, and get blowjobs.

 

[NordicWarrior]

I absolutely believe homosexuality is genetic. I find it ridiculous that they can't marry everywhere and anywhere.

What I don't understand from a scientific point of view is that over 200k years that human beings have been on Earth, if it was genetic, shouldn't have the genes for homosexuality been "bred" out by natural selection?

It's just something that is a mystery to me.

 

[Dense_Electric]

It's not so much offensive as it is just factually incorrect. Did you choose your sexual orientation? I never did. I just started noticing girls when I reached a certain age, and that was that. No conscious decision involved.

Now granted, part of what you're saying is true - you can choose to engage in homosexual sexual activity, in the same way that you can choose to engage in heterosexual sexual activity. But that's a sexual act, not sexual orientation. I think the thing you're missing is that those are two different, if not unrelated, things. It's completely possible to be gay and have sex with a person of the opposite sex (and vice-versa).

 

[Johnny Reb]

Because if homosexuals had a choice in the matter they would obviously choose to be attracted to women.

Sounds crazy but it's true.

False. I'm gay and i wouldn't have it any other way. Like if you gave me a potion with a 100% certainty of making me a heterosexual, i'd say fuck off. Being gay is freaking awesom (granted just existing gives me the death sentence in several countries and i have severaly limited rights in most the "civilized" world). And i can safely say that the majority of gay men agree with me. Any gay man that says that he's okay with his sexuality yet if given the chance, would become a hetero, is obviously brainwashed.

 

[elvor0]

Why? It's because as anyone who knows anything about genetics and evolution will tell you, if Homosexuality was a result of a gene then Homosexuality wouldn't exist, since it's a self culling gene. If a gene for Homosexuality was mutated into a person at some point, it couldn't be passed on to subsequent generations and thus become widespread because by the very nature of the sexual orientation Homosexuals are much less likely to have children.

Technically, you could see it as an actually useful genetic mutation (to put it in blunt terms), by helping keep the population in check. Think about it, if we didn't have homosexuality the population is likely to be much higher, IVF/Surrogacy only coming about in the last few decades and there still ain't that many same sex couples that do IVF or Surrogacy in the grand scheme of things. There's also the point that it's not exactly a heredity trait, so it wouldn't be "wiped out" so to speak, even if gay people never had kids.

Plus animals can be gay, and their psychology is much simpler than ours. Not that I can elaborate on that much, but I do know it to be true from various reports.

Because if homosexuals had a choice in the matter they would obviously choose to be attracted to women.

Sounds crazy but it's true.

False. I'm gay and i wouldn't have it any other way. Like if you gave me a potion with a 100% certainty of making me a heterosexual, i'd say fuck off. Being gay is freaking awesom (granted just existing gives me the death sentence in several countries and i have severaly limited rights in most the "civilized" world). And i can safely say that the majority of gay men agree with me. Any gay man that says that he's okay with his sexuality yet if given the chance, would become a hetero, is obviously brainwashed.

But Women are so niice to look at If God did exist, I maintain that he phoned it in with Men, women have all this anti alising, higher poly count, better textures. Men? Blocky and hairy to disguise the dodgy textures he did. Well cept vaginas, those things are NOT nice to look at. Even being straight, I'd say Penises look better than vaginas objectively.

In all seriousness though, you make a great point, I'm as comfortable with my sexuality as you are with yours, and you're perfectly right in saying that if someone chose to change theirs, they're obviously not completely comfortable with it. Not that that wouldn't be somewhat "justified" with some of the hate gay people still get, they may be comfortable with it, but are sick to death of having to put up with abuse for it. Which is pretty saddening.

 

[Varrdy]

Even as a straight guy I find all this "chose to be gay" crap stupidly offensive! Do people honestly think that gay people would "choose" a "lifestyle" that would, even in these so-called enlightened times, mean they would be subjected to hate and persecution on such a scale it beggars belief?!?

(Note to the OP, that rant was not aimed at you, for the record.)

Choosing to act on your sexuality is not the same as choosing your sexuality. You can choose not to have any kind of relationship but you can't choose your sexuality, no matter what religious nutters and Fox Noise "journalists" say!

 

[Toilet]

Because if homosexuals had a choice in the matter they would obviously choose to be attracted to women.

Sounds crazy but it's true.

False. I'm gay and i wouldn't have it any other way. Like if you gave me a potion with a 100% certainty of making me a heterosexual, i'd say fuck off. Being gay is freaking awesome (granted just existing gives me the death sentence in several countries and i have severaly limited rights in most the "civilized" world). And i can safely say that the majority of gay men agree with me. Any gay man that says that he's okay with his sexuality yet if given the chance, would become a hetero, is obviously brainwashed.

You obviously fail to see the joke.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

Honestly why is it? Don't get me wrong I've got no problems without homosexuality, in fact I can see myself experimenting some day. But for the live of me I can't see why it's most often considered offensive to think of it as a choice.
I can see that being more sexually attracted to the same sex isn't something you do so purposfully/consiously. So if you purely regard homosexuality as being dominantly sexually attracted to the same sex. Then yes it isn't really a choice, more something that just happens to you. But surely everything beyond that is a choice right?
Again I want to stress that I think it's the right choice. Sexuality is a good thing, so I'd encourage people to do whatever they want on that area as long as all involved parties are consentfull.
But still acting upon your homosexuality is surely a choice right? So why is it considered offensive to regard it as such? Especially as the alternative is to regard it as something like an affliction, which I personally would find much more offensive.

For even Bi sexuals its not exactly a choice. Bis have a preference leaning towards opposite or same sex partners. Also this choice thing tends to be shoved down gay peoples throats (there's a joke in there somewhere) because many people fear if sexual attraction towards same sex isn't a choice then sexual attraction towards children may not be a choice. That scares the crap out of people.

All in all gays are tired of being told why they are the way they are.

 

[Denamic]

What I don't get is why people don't get this. You don't choose what you like. You can't even choose what foods you like, so how could you even think for a moment that you can choose what you're attracted to? It's offensive to say homosexuality is a choice, because it makes an integral part of what makes a person into who they are seem like a trivial choice. People kill themselves because people harass them for being gay. If they had an option, do you really think they'd still rather kill themselves rather than simply turning straight?

 

[funkyjiveturkey]

I'm pretty sure somebody has already said this but i'm not reading through 6 pages so let me rehash.

It is offensive because it implies that homosexuality is something a person can simply stop doing or, in some people's minds, it means it's something that can be "Cured". this kind of thinking leads to things like "pray away the gay" and people saying there's a "gay agenda". it's a very ill-informed argument that causes a lot of problems out of ignorance. i know for a matter of fact homosexuality is not a choice, i know several people that have been the way they've been since childhood, sometimes it's just something you're born with.

and for the rebuttal of women being more open to experimentation than men that just has to do with the way some people differ in thought. my girlfriend is straight, but has experimented, and finds nothing offensive about the idea. men are taught more so to be grossed out by the body of the same sex while at the same time encouraging female same sex experimentation.

homosexuality is also exhibited by multiple different species in the animal kingdom. how can it be a choice for creatures that for the most part dont have choice whatsoever?

 

[King Kazma]

I'll choose my sexuality, I'll choose who I want to be with if I wish so. Fuck your opinion if you disapprove. Now get the hell out of my way.

See, it's not so hard. Than again I am that great.

It's the simple things.

 

[maxben]

People find the idea that Homosexuality is a choice offensive because they think that it demeans Homosexuality, but it really doesn't. Homosexuality is a preference, and like all preferences is the result of upbringing, both by their parents and the community at large, that eventually develops from these things into a subconscious drive. Homosexuality is no more a choice than a preference for say, Diet Coke over regular Coke, but neither is it something genetic. Why? It's because as anyone who knows anything about genetics and evolution will tell you, if Homosexuality was a result of a gene then Homosexuality wouldn't exist, since it's a self culling gene. If a gene for Homosexuality was mutated into a person at some point, it couldn't be passed on to subsequent generations and thus become widespread because by the very nature of the sexual orientation Homosexuals are much less likely to have children. It's like someone mutating a gene for a inherent tendency to kill their own children, that gene would die out with the person that first had it.

You are way way way wrong about genetics. For example, male homosexuality is believed to be passed down through the female family members of male homosexuals. Please don't take your misunderstanding of genetics and act like its law. Male baldness is also believed to be passed down from one's mom instead of dad. Also, it is currently believed that women who have had many boys lead to younger boys being more likely to be gay. The reason for this statistical fact is unknown, but it is theorized that it has something to do with conditions in the womb caused by previous male children. In this case it is not genetics that leads to homosexuality, but it certainly comes previous to birth through conditions in the womb.

Genetics, fetal development, epigenetics, and evolution are not clear principles that you can just apply "common sense" to understand.

 

[Johnny Reb]

Because if homosexuals had a choice in the matter they would obviously choose to be attracted to women.

Sounds crazy but it's true.

False. I'm gay and i wouldn't have it any other way. Like if you gave me a potion with a 100% certainty of making me a heterosexual, i'd say fuck off. Being gay is freaking awesome (granted just existing gives me the death sentence in several countries and i have severaly limited rights in most the "civilized" world). And i can safely say that the majority of gay men agree with me. Any gay man that says that he's okay with his sexuality yet if given the chance, would become a hetero, is obviously brainwashed.

You obviously fail to see the joke.

You obviously fail to know how to word a phrase so that it actually sounds like a joke.

 

[Abomination]

Because if homosexuals had a choice in the matter they would obviously choose to be attracted to women.

Sounds crazy but it's true.

False. I'm gay and i wouldn't have it any other way. Like if you gave me a potion with a 100% certainty of making me a heterosexual, i'd say fuck off. Being gay is freaking awesome (granted just existing gives me the death sentence in several countries and i have severaly limited rights in most the "civilized" world). And i can safely say that the majority of gay men agree with me. Any gay man that says that he's okay with his sexuality yet if given the chance, would become a hetero, is obviously brainwashed.

You obviously fail to see the joke.

You obviously fail to know how to word a phrase so that it actually sounds like a joke.

Males are naturally attracted towards females unless they are homosexuals which are an anomaly.

If homosexuality was a choice and not ingrained like heterosexuality then why would they choose to be attracted to something they're not attracted to? It's a tautology joke.

Homosexuals are homosexuals because they're homosexuals.

 

[Horon]

Because the world is run by people who think that things they don't like shouldn't exist.

People these days can't learn how to ignore shit, instead they decide they have to whine about everything.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Nobody chooses what they like, silly. It's not particularly offensive to say so, it's just plain not true.

 

[Glass Joe]

Because if homosexuals had a choice in the matter they would obviously choose to be attracted to women.

Sounds crazy but it's true.

False. I'm gay and i wouldn't have it any other way. Like if you gave me a potion with a 100% certainty of making me a heterosexual, i'd say fuck off. Being gay is freaking awesome (granted just existing gives me the death sentence in several countries and i have severaly limited rights in most the "civilized" world). And i can safely say that the majority of gay men agree with me. Any gay man that says that he's okay with his sexuality yet if given the chance, would become a hetero, is obviously brainwashed.

You obviously fail to see the joke.

You obviously fail to know how to word a phrase so that it actually sounds like a joke.

Males are naturally attracted towards females unless they are homosexuals which are an anomaly.

If homosexuality was a choice and not ingrained like heterosexuality then why would they choose to be attracted to something they're not attracted to? It's a tautology joke.

Homosexuals are homosexuals because they're homosexuals.

Hey that's messed up man. There's nothing in the genetic code that says men have to be attracted to men. That shit is just instructions on how to make proteins. Men can have sex with lots of different people and things just for no reason gay or straight. This is an enlightened society man, get out of here with the word "natural".

edit: This shit isn't darwin on the SS beagle it's 2013