Why someone is gay

Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Discover World-Changing Science. Ask this question, and you will probably receive one of two responses: Yes. Or No. How wonderful it is that nobody has to be gay! What does science tell us about sexual preference?

Genes We know, from many twin and adoption studies, that sexual preference has a genetic component. Affecting something is not the same as having complete control over it. Environment, like genetics, plays an important role in how our behavior develops. Your environment affects your sexual and romantic relationships. Throughout history, marriages have been influenced by family relations and by economic needs. Your culture affects your views on homosexuality.

The Brain The structure of the brain might influence sexual preference. The third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus INAH3 was found to be more than twice as large in heterosexual men as in homosexual men This study was criticized because it used brain tissue obtained at autopsies, and all of the homosexual subjects in the study were believed to have died of AIDS.

So your brain was influencing your sexual preference even before you were born. This can explain why many gay people feel that they have always been gay.

Brain development does not stop at birth, though. With the right experiences, your brain can change even after you have reached adulthood. If Sexual Preference Can Be Changed Even if gay people can never stop being attracted to members of the same sex, they can learn not to act on their desires. Should they stop?

Therefore, people who are gay by choice have the right to remain that way Of course, there are abusive and unhealthy gay relationships that should not be tolerated, just as there are unhealthy heterosexual relationships that should not be tolerated. Get used to it. References: Bailey, J. Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Read More Previous. Support science journalism. Knowledge awaits. See Subscription Options Already a subscriber?

Create Account See Subscription Options. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. Subscribe Now You may cancel at any time. His study, which analysed the genomes of 40 pairs of gay brothers, looked exclusively at people who identified as homosexual.

He sees the new paper as an analysis of risky behavior or openness to experience, noting that participants who engaged in at least one same-sex experience were also more likely to report having smoked marijuana and having more sexual partners overall.

Hamer says that the findings do not reveal any biological pathways for sexual orientation. Rice and Vilain agree that the conclusion is unclear. A more detailed questionnaire that looks at more aspects of sexuality and environmental influences would allow the researchers to better pinpoint the roots of attraction.

The authors say that they did see links between sexual orientation and sexual activity, but concede that the genetic links do not predict orientation.

Nevertheless, Hamer and others praise the new contribution to a field that suffers from a dearth of good studies. Sara Reardon is a freelance journalist based in Bozeman, Mont. She is a former staff reporter at Nature , New Scientist and Science and has a master's degree in molecular biology. Already a subscriber? Sign in. They often feel glad that their child chose to confide in them, and are proud of their child for having the courage to tell them.

Other parents feel upset, disappointed, or unable to accept their teen's sexual orientation at first. They may be concerned or worried about whether their son or daughter will be bullied, mistreated, or marginalized.

And they might feel protective, worrying that others might judge or reject their child. Some also struggle to reconcile their teen's sexual orientation with their religious or personal beliefs. Sadly, some react with anger, hostility, or rejection. But many parents find that they just need time to adjust to the news. That's where support groups and other organizations can help.

It can be reassuring for them to learn about openly gay people who lead happy, successful lives. With time, even parents who thought they couldn't possibly accept their teen's sexual orientation are surprised to find that they can reach a place of understanding.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Sexual Orientation? There are several types of sexual orientation that are commonly described: Heterosexual straight. People who are heterosexual are romantically and physically attracted to members of the opposite sex: males are attracted to females, and females are attracted to males.

Heterosexuals are often called "straight. People who are homosexual are romantically and physically attracted to people of the same sex: females are attracted to other females; males are attracted to other males.

Homosexuals whether male or female are often called "gay. So people who opt for homosexuality are consciously pursuing anything from intimate relationships to random sexual encounters with people they are not physically attracted to.

Constantly going against your most basic urges to stick to a choice you made at an unspecified point? Hopefully you can see how this undermines the argument somewhat.

Dean Burnett is on Twitter, you can follow him if you want to. Or not. Why would people 'choose' to be gay? Reuse this content.