Jul 17 2008
How To Respond To The “Homosexuality Is A Choice” Argument
“No one is born gay, you choose to be gay.”
I used to get this one all of the time. It never really bothered me until it came wrapped in a bible and was used as a club to beat me with. That’s when I started looking into far more substantial and valid texts where one might find logic, reason, truth, and my favorite - FACTS! If a fight breaks out, I want to know I can defend myself. Knowledge and backbone are the best weapons you can have in an argument next to the one thing that will ensure you’ll win, which is a cool head and nerves of steel.
I believe in science and what can be proved, not in jumping on a bandwagon of opinions or beliefs that cannot be backed up with substance and rely on superstition. That sort of thing is not good enough and cannot pass muster. It is the same reason why I’m an atheist, quite frankly. When believers ask me to prove that god does not exist, I explain that it isn’t my place to disprove anything - the burden of proof lies with the believer, and until or unless there is evidential support that is fact based and capable of withstanding scrutiny, I’ll remain unconvinced.
Neuroscientist Simon LeVay, author of The Biology Of Sexual Orientation noted key differences in the brain structure of heterosexual men versus homosexual men; most notably in the areas of the brain that control out attraction to others. Canadian scientists have further evidence to support this claim. More recently a team of Swedish researchers have concluded essentially the same findings as LeVey, but for lesbians. There is much more to be found, including linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. Part of this study centered around an interesting finding that asserts homophobia may have a genetic basis also.
The thing about having this argument with intolerant people of any religious stripe is that you’re never going to trump their bible with any argument, however well reasoned or presented. Sometimes they even make it easy for you and say some of the most horrible, nasty things you could imagine when you get too close to exposing their proclamations as weak subtext for their agenda - especially when they use bullshit phrases like ‘homosexual agenda’ or ‘culture war’. The point at which someone loses their argument the fastest is when they let their emotions get the better of them and they start throwing out bombs. They cannot win on merit, so they default to trying to bark louder. In that second, claim your victory.
