DerStadtschutz wrote:
Mushroo, you're welcome.
How can you CHOOSE what turns you on? Sexual arrousal/getting horny is a REFLEX. Just like you can't keep your leg from moving when the doctor hits it with that little triangular rubber mallet thing, you can't CHOOSE what makes your dick or nipples hard, or what makes your p**** wet.
You can find both sexes attractive and get turned on by both sexes. You can CHOOSE which sex you're going to pursue, but you can't choose which one turns you on in the first place. I feel that anybody who says it's a choice must be attracted to the same or both sexes and are either gay or bisexual but afraid to admit to that.
If sexuality was a choice, considering how much sh** homosexuals have to deal with for no reason other than that they are homosexuals, who the hell would CHOOSE to be homosexual? What benefit is there? Fewer rights, being ridiculed everywhere, parents disowning them, just generally being treated like sh** by most people, hated on by stupid religious fanatics, told they're evil, going to burn in hell and all that bs, forced to go to "gay camp" and other similar things, an attempt by the parents to make the gay just go away... WHO WOULD CHOOSE THAT? To suggest that it's a choice is nothing short of insanity as far as I'm concerned.
Disagree a little bit.

I think "being turned on" can be a Pavlovian response developed due to positive sexual experiences. A wonderful night of passion and orgasms with a man (or woman) and then you get turned on by the sight/touch/smell of that person, or others with similar attractive qualities. In other words I think that for many people, "I could never be turned on by a man/woman" could be "cured" by an erotic experience with the right partner. Of course I am not saying that people
should do this, it is perfectly OK to stay in one's comfort zone.
I agree 100% that living in a homophobic society makes same-sex an unappealing choice for many. Part of this is a lack of positive queer role models (especially true for those of older generations). If your only exposure to queer culture is the "flaming" stereotype on TV then yes, it can seem like a ridiculous lifestyle choice. People with a more diverse and permissive social circle will be more likely to "experiment" I think. The hatred of gays you describe is sadly true in some places, but fortunately, in the year 2011, at least in some parts of the world, it is respected or even admired. I'm sure you have heard the word "Pride."
Social pressure is the number one reason why the ratio is so lopsided (90%/10% is one common estimate) in my opinion. In a hypothetical world where heterosexuality was taboo then I think this number would be closer to 50/50 or maybe even 10/90.