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It's from a number of things. The biggest is gendernon cconformity at an early age, boys who don't develop a masculine identity (often due to a lack ofa mmale role model and over bearing mother) will look to the opposite sex for guidance and will develop a feminine identity, causing homosexuality later in puberty. This is why many gay men act feminine. The reverse is true for many lesbians.
In some cases, sexual abuse can cause confusion and conflict. Bad relationships such as an abusive ex boyfriend can make some women become lesbians (my cousin is a lesbian for this reason), or not feeling like '' one of the boys /girls'' on the playground. Though I am no expert, this is just what environmental influence theories I have read.
Though your argument is a solid point. Honestly as a straight man, no I don't think that I could ever have sex with another man. If I was only around gay people no it would not make me gay. But for kids it might because they are impressionable.
So basically, sexuality is not a choice, it's innate. Thanks for proving my point.
It's environmental. Look no further than our modern day prisons. Straight men go in, and what do they do? They often develop same sex attractions and form romances with other male inmates. Some even become transgendered while incarcerated.
If sexuality was truly determined by birth and set in stone as many claim, the above would never happen. I realize its an extreme example, and you can try to argue that its strictly about power, but it's not. Many of them do become legitimate homosexuals.
In my psychology class we were taught that everybody is innately bi sexual sexual, everyone finds both sexes attractive to one extent or the other, and environment and personal choice causes a sexual attraction and sexual preference for one sex over the other. Some people claim that this theory is out dated because it's main attribute is the Kinsey Scale. But I think it hold some weight.
Straight people, even those who say they think homosexuality is completely normal, believe it's wrong to be gay. They believe it's wrong to be sexually attracted to the same sex. Somewhere there's a part of you that says the same thing to, because otherwise you would be gay. The environment has caused us straight men to build a mental barrier against it. Gay people have no such barrier, they have a barrier against the opposite sex. We build similar barriers with members of our own family so we don't find them sexually attractive either.
Very poor example. Men in prison have sex with each other because there are no women around, not because they're becoming gay. It's the "any old port in a storm" version of sexuality.
You took a psychology class? Lol! I guess that makes you an expert, holding your own against a PhD.
You can read a bit about the theory here, but it is wikipedia so don't take it too seriously.
Actually, there is nothing about the theory at your link. It's simply a stub.
What we know is that sexuality is not an either/or characteristic. Even gender isn't an either/or characteristic, because some people are born with ambiguous gender characteristics, and other people are born with the feeling that their gender is wrong. Sexuality is a range. Just like intelligence is a range. And athleticism is a range. A person's sex drive is a range. He or she may have a low sex drive, may not even be interested in sex, and yet certain stimuli to that sex drive may increase it to the top of the range that he or she was born with. Just like someone has a certain range of intelligence, and their curiosity and memory may be stimulated to maximize their intelligence to the top of the range they were born with. A person is born with a range of sexual preferences. And their environment may encourage, or discourage, those sexual preferences. But their range is innate. Just like intelligence. A person whose intelligence range is between 105 and 120 cannot make themselves into Einstein. A person's whose musical ability is average cannot make themselves into Mozart. A person who is naturally clumsy and slow will never be able to ski like Bode Miller. We are born with genetic limitations. We can work to push those limitations to the top of the ranges we are born with, our environment can help or hinder us in developing our abilities and tastes and preferences.
As humans, we are all so genetically unique, and the ranges that make up our limitations can be very broad, or sometimes very narrow. We are a product of genetic variables and environmental variables that only add to the uniqueness of each human being.
Sexually, many people have a very broad range in sexual preference. Because there are so many sexual variations available to humans. And since we are wired to enjoy sex, we've pretty much explored all those variations. While society tries to rigidly tell the members of the society which variations are acceptable, and which are unacceptable, even going so far as to make all sexual activity into questions of morality, I believe that as long as no one is harming another living being, that sex is sex.
And someone who is heterosexual when they go to prison, but engages in homosexual relations while in prison, come out of prison heterosexual. Their preference is unchanged.
It's from a number of things. The biggest is gendernon cconformity at an early age, boys who don't develop a masculine identity (often due to a lack ofa mmale role model and over bearing mother) will look to the opposite sex for guidance and will develop a feminine identity, causing homosexuality later in puberty. This is why many gay men act feminine. The reverse is true for many lesbians.
In some cases, sexual abuse can cause confusion and conflict. Bad relationships such as an abusive ex boyfriend can make some women become lesbians (my cousin is a lesbian for this reason), or not feeling like '' one of the boys /girls'' on the playground. Though I am no expert, this is just what environmental influence theories I have read.
Some people, such as the prison example, choose to become gay because they're lonely and have no other options but members of the same sex.
I don't think people can change so easily, I think it takes time as in the prison example. They don't become gay the first day inside, it develops over time.
Though your argument is a solid point. Honestly as a straight man, no I don't think that I could ever have sex with another man. If I was only around gay people no it would not make me gay. But for kids it might because they are impressionable.
What a crock.
I grew up in a normal middle class family, semi religious, good grades, played with barbies, no sexual or mental abuse, loved my frilly dresses and black mary janes. I am still uber feminine. I love heels, and jewelry and dresses, never leave the house without my hair and makeup done. Yet I am homosexual. I am attracted to only females. I didn't even meet another homosexual until I was living on my own after high school.
If how you are raised is a factor, why am I the only one of all of my sisters that is a lesbian? We were all raised the same way. Heck, my little sister has never been anywhere as girly as I am and she is heterosexual.
I have never had any type of abusive relationship, even when I dated males to try to conform. My ex-husband is one of my best friends to this day.
It's from a number of things. The biggest is gendernon cconformity at an early age, boys who don't develop a masculine identity (often due to a lack ofa mmale role model and over bearing mother) will look to the opposite sex for guidance and will develop a feminine identity, causing homosexuality later in puberty. This is why many gay men act feminine. The reverse is true for many lesbians.
In some cases, sexual abuse can cause confusion and conflict. Bad relationships such as an abusive ex boyfriend can make some women become lesbians (my cousin is a lesbian for this reason), or not feeling like '' one of the boys /girls'' on the playground. Though I am no expert, this is just what environmental influence theories I have read.
Some people, such as the prison example, choose to become gay because they're lonely and have no other options but members of the same sex.
I don't think people can change so easily, I think it takes time as in the prison example. They don't become gay the first day inside, it develops over time.
Though your argument is a solid point. Honestly as a straight man, no I don't think that I could ever have sex with another man. If I was only around gay people no it would not make me gay. But for kids it might because they are impressionable.
Holy crap. You didn't learn this in any 'psychology' class. At least not one within the last 50 years. Stop trying to claim you did. This sounds more like something a person might get from an anti-gay religious propaganda website like jesus-is-savior or NARTH or just pulled out of their rear end.
It sure sounds like the poster did. Next class is 'phrenology' and students will engage in feeling the bumps on each others heads for personality typing. *grin*.
My professor was old yes, but I don't think he would mislead us.
Hint, A portrait of Freud hanging on the wall at the local senior's club is not a real live 'professor' - even though you might think it's talking back to you.
Just opinion. I've not seen any positive proof. Until I do, it's still a 'lifestyle'.
Even if you saw it, you still won't change your mind. Information on human sexuality is all over the Internet, you will believe things that conform your beliefs.
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