Is Being Gay a 'Choice'?

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You may be pre-disposed to being attracted to the same sex, but you definitely do choose whether you act upon it or not.

I'll just leave this here

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o-KaUokVXI[/youtube]

Well duh, yes - just like heterosexuals decide to not try and jump into bed with absolutely anyone on the basis that they're the opposite sex.
What's your point?

Just call me Sir.

The point is that everyone is responsible for their actions, so an appeal to a supposed determinism along the lines of "I can't do otherwise!" is irrelevant.

Not when the question is "Is Being Gay a 'Choice'?". Since being gay is not a choice, there is no "otherwise".
It's exactly the same for heterosexuality, but I'm getting the impression you're holding homosexuality to a different standard than heterosexuality.

I find this question to be that exact appeal I'm referring to. I differentiate between gay identity and gay behaviour as opposed to being gay and choosing to not be gay when you are - indeed, the latter is probably impossible.



Maybe, maybe not, depends on what you imply exactly. I'd prefer if you were more specific if you're really curious to know, such as to be on the same wavelength.

I think that editing your quote best illustrates the point I'm trying to make about your claim of an appeal to determinism:

The difference between heterosexual and homosexual attraction is remarkably dull: it's the sex of the person someone is attracted to.

You seem to be saying that, like heterosexuality, homosexuality is not a matter of choice and attempting to change either is probably impossible - but unlike heterosexuality, homosexual behaviour (that is, acting on one's natural hard-wired desires) is a matter of choice.

Let me find what I said about that a few posts back:

There we go. In the area you chose, I make no such distinction. I feel you left a lot unsaid, though, namely when you said:



Or maybe I'm just assuming too much about your assuming too much!

So, like heterosexuals - homosexuals have personal preferences and tastes, and can be choosy about their sexual partners?
Glad we got that sorted out.

I heard they eat and sleep as well.

Wow, all kinds of people have all kinds of choices! People can choose to interfere with others or not. They can choose to fear or understand others. They can choose to view their discomfort as an immutable law of the universe or a conditioned response. Given a set of contradictory rules, they can choose the hateful or the loving ones.

Seeing as the spinoff thread made by jrjones9933 has been moved to PPR...
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt256567.html

... this one should probably go there as well.

[Thread moved from Random Discussion to Politics, Philosophy and Religion]

No I don't think its a choice, but yes this forum is certainly not safe from ignorance....hence why you will find posts like that, here. Even if it was though, who cares? why shouldn't people choose that if it is a choice? But from what I observe I can't really see a straight person getting over their lack of attraction for the same gender enough to become homosexual...anymore than I could see a homosexual getting over their lack of attraction for the opposite gender enough to become straight.

Not on this forum but I have also seen people say that there is no such thing as bi-sexual.....uhh BS, in fact a lot of people are somewhere in between.

^ This.

While technically speaking there is a choice, in practice there is not. I'm straight and couldn't/wouldn't get into a romantic/sexual relationship with another man. I'd find that totally alien to my sexual orientation. Similarly I'm sure gay people feel the same way about getting into such relationships with members of the opposite sex. The only people who maybe have a realistic choice are those who are bisexual, but bisexuality doesn't compute in my brain so I can't comment.

I don't experience sexual attraction much, so yeah, it being a choice kind of makes sense to me. But considering studies it appears that it is not a choice. Even if it was there's nothing wrong with it.