Why are some men born gay?

Answer 1

A hypothesis:The object of human sexuality is to make more humans. The more intercourse, the more pregnancy. But pregnancy is dangerous, both for mother and infant. In order to encourage sex, we humans are equipped with erotic "triggers" that cause us to find others sexually attractive: hair, body build, pheromones, face -- just about anything. From "nature's" perspective, there's no problem if our sexual urges "spill over" to homosexual encounters.

Homosexuality also serves at least two key social functions. It enables youngsters to learn about sex without causing pregnancy, and it serves as an outlet for sexual urges when the community needs to limit population growth. (Studies in rats have shown increased homosexual activity when the colony becomes crowded, even if there's plenty of food and water available.) If this hypothesis is true, the ability to have homosexual intercourse is actually a survival tool.

There is an hypothesis that sexual orientation (at least among males) depends on how much testosterone the fetus was exposed to, and when.

Answer 2

Nobody knows for sure.

There is still no clear answer, though many studies have tried to find the cause. It seems probable that sexual orientation is determined before birth, and is not caused by anything deliberately done or not done by the parents.

The American Psychological Association, which used to call it a "disorder" up till 1973, now says it is not, and "...it emerges for most people in early adolescence with no prior sexual experience".

The debate is between those who believe it is caused by environment and conditioning (nurture) and those who believe it comes from biology and genetics (nature).

Most scientist support the "Biology approach", some say it was an evolutionary advantage to have some gay tribe members, because more resources and care could be given to less children, leading to higher survival rates and therefore higher reproduction of the generations to come.

Here are some of the findings:

Biological Studies:

• Studies around 1990 found that portions of gay men's brains were larger than those of heterosexuals. These portions (the suprachiasmatic nucleus [SCN] and the anterior commissure [AC]) are parts of the hypothalamus, which is directly related to sexual drive and function. These differences were formed in the womb, as brain size and shape don't change to such an extent after birth.
• Another study in 1991 found that a different small part of the hypothalamus (the third interstitial notch of the anterior hypothalamus [INAH3]) was smaller in homosexual men than in heterosexual men. Women's brains also had the smaller INAH3. This difference again was part of the prenatal development, that is, before birth. These studies suggest that sexual orientation is fixed before birth.

Neuroendocrine Studies:

• This viewpoint suggest that sexual orientation is determined by early levels of androgen. If the fetus is exposed to a lot of androgen, it becomes more masculine, and so is attracted to females.
• A study at Stanford gave female rats "male-typical" amounts of androgen in their early development. The female rats became aggressive sexually towards other female rats, even trying to have sex with them. Male rats who received "deficient levels" of androgen became sexually submissive and allowed other male rats to have sex with them. This suggests again that sexual orientation is formed in the womb.
• A Canadian study in 1996 found that the more older brothers you have, the more chance you have of being gay. Fourteen more studies showed the same. The suggestion is that the mother's immune system reacts against the male fetus, recognizing that the fetus' Y-Chromosome is somehow foreign, and then somehow affecting the child's brain with the anti-male antibodies. Again this supports theories that orientation is prenatal.

Twin Studies:

• Bailey and Pillard found that 52% of identical male twins were both gay but only 22% of fraternal twins were both gay. This suggested that the closer genetically the pair is, the more likely they are to have similar orientation. Later studies found the same with females. This suggests that being gay is to some extent hereditary.

X-Chromosome Studies (the 'gay gene'):

• Dean Hamer examined DNA samples from 40 gay men, and examined their family trees. He found a 'remarkable concordance' for 5 genetic markers on Xq28, a section of the X-Chromosome. He also found larger number of gay men in the family trees of the mothers of these men. The chances of these 'gay gene' DNA markers matching randomly is 1 in 100,000. This adds support to his findings and suggests that gayness is to some extent genetic.

Behavioral Studies:

• Behaviorists believe that sexual orientation is formed by our early experiences after birth, for example, family roles, male and female stereotypes etc. The difficulty is that many gay men have brothers who are straight. Another factor is that of cultural heterosexuality. If these influences are so strong, then surely everyone would be straight.
• Gender identity, how boys behave and how girls behave, is learned over time, and largely learned in the family, but it is not the same as sexual orientation.
• David Halperin is a Freudian scientist who holds that homosexuality comes from a failure to resolve Oedipal issues, that is, the son loves his mother too much, and turns away from other women towards men. Halperin is supported by many Christian groups, but he fails to produce any scientific evidence, only examples.

Conclusion:

• There seems to be no definite answer yet. There are many twin studies going on so more findings will appear. Meanwhile it seems that sexual orientation may be the result of a mixture of environmental, anatomical and genetic factors, influencing the child at a very early stage of development.

Answer 3

We're not really sure, but it's been this way as far back as anyone has records, and the percentage seems to be consistent in all cultures. This suggests that homosexuality is a necessary part of human civilization. It is probably related to the interaction of several genes and the instinctive patterns of human "pack behavior." Current research suggests sexual orientation (whether a person is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual) may be related to hormonal events in the mother's womb during fetal development.

Homosexual acts are a form of Birth Control, of course, and can relieve sexual tension when heterosexual options are unavailable or inappropriate. (For example, they allow youngsters to experience sexuality without causing a potentially dangerous pregnancy.)

Answer 4

men are born gay naturally , it is not a choice , its a fact .

If they choose to be gay they are cheating on themselves and are not truly homosexual.

Answer 5

No one knows for sure why some people are gay and others are not. Some believe it is genetic, but this topic is highly debatable.

Answer 6

because that's the way they were born.