So I had to choose a social controversy that can be solved or at least be furthered by science and I chose if being gay is a choice. I have been googling it but there is not that much evidence for either side. Some sites talk about gay genes but I do not think it is good enough evidence to base my project on because the data is not that convincing. I am not really talking about gay rights in my project because it is more of a scientific and fact based thing, so I really need some actual facts. Does anyone know of any scientific evidence I could use? Right now I am mostly talking about how traits are usually caused by multiple factors, not just one gene, but that doesn't really answer the question. Thanks!
Look up information about identical twins. From what I've read if one twin is gay there is a 50% chance that the other will be too. This would suggest a biological basis for homosexuality. Compare that to if one twin is left handed their twin will only have a 10% chance of also being left handed. Genes play a greater role in sexuality than left handedness. Some think it's a combination of hormones in the womb and genetics that cause it. I know I read that somewhere. Also there is an area in the brain that is smaller (bigger? I can't remember) in gay men compared to straight men. There have been studies that show that a persons pupils dilate when they see someone they are attracted to. This would be involuntary, not a choice. If people argue with you maybe ask them how old they were when they chose to be straight. If you flip the script maybe they'll realize how ridiculous it sounds. Just a suggestion in case it comes up.
There's a scientific theory that says people prefer to stick with the herd. Considering the majority of people are straight, according to this theory, everyone would choose to be straight, therefore it cannot be a choice. How could anyone choose to subject themself to that kind of prejudice? I dunno, it's not much of an idea, but it's something. Lindsey23 pretty much covered it
There's a scientific theory that says people prefer to stick with the herd. Considering the majority of people are straight, according to this theory, everyone would choose to be straight, therefore it cannot be a choice. How could anyone choose to subject themself to that kind of prejudice? I dunno, it's not much of an idea, but it's something. Lindsey23 pretty much covered it
It's difficult cause there's not really conclusive evidence proving it yet, in spite of how obviously unchosen it is for all of us. Maybe a poll could be helpful if you interview a large amount of gay people asking them whether it's in their control. I don't know if that's within the guidelines of the project though, and whether you could do it yourself or cite someone else's work
Lindsey is fairly accurate. It works in a similar way as left handedness. In MRI scans, homosexuals were shown to use parts of the brain that the opposite sex uses. Studies show right handed males with more older brothers are more likely to be gay. Females and left handed males are not included in this rule. Studies also showed that gays are more likely to be left handed-- lesbians being x2 more likely to be left handed than straight women. Honestly, you'll find a lot of evidence regarding that older brother rule. It's a statistic that has been shown to be consistent in being true and makes scientific sense. You can do more research on it because I can't explain it in one post. Word of advice: try to stay away from the term "genetics". You can talk about epigenetics, because that plays a large role, but do not say that homosexuality is genetic because that really hasn't been proven.
Watch a documentary called Brainwash: Gay/Straight. It's on YouTube and they discuss the science behind this. They look at the brains of straight vs gay people and people's of different tribes and being gay is found across the planet in all peoples.
