Education

Click on the questions, and see the answers below:

About Sexual Orientation
What is sexual orientation? What causes it? Is it a choice? Can therapy change it? What about "conversion therapy"? And "reparative therapy"? How can a therapist help?
About Homosexuality in General
Is it a mental illness? Can homosexuals be good parents? Why do they tell others? why is it difficult for GLBT? How do I overcome prejudice? Why is education important? Do all gay men have AIDS? Where can I learn more?

What Causes a Person To Have a Particular Sexual Orientation?

There are numerous theories about the origins of a person's sexual orientation; most scientists today agree that sexual orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and biological factors. In most people, sexual orientation is shaped at an early age. There is also considerable recent evidence to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality.

For example, in studies of identical twins separated at birth, a very high probability was found that, if one twin is gay, the other twin is too. Because identical twins share their genetic makeup, one concludes that biological factors play a role in determining one's sexual orientation. Studies with siblings have been replicated consistently.

Psychologist Michael Bailey of Northwestern University and Psychiatrist Richard Pillard of Boston University studied the sexual orientation of siblings raised together. They found that if one sibling is homosexual the chance of another sibling being homosexual is 52% for an identical twin. 22% for a fraternal twin (non-identical twins), and approximately 10% for adopted or non-genetic siblings Again, this study points to a genetic component underlying homosexuality.

In addition, environmental factors alone cannot explain sexual orientation, either. Children raised by heterosexual parents have no greater likelihood of growing up to be gay than children raised in heterosexual families. In fact, the vast majority of gays, lesbians and bisexuals were raised in heterosexual families. Yet, it is incorrect to conclude that being raised in a heterosexual family increases the likelihood of growing up to be gay.

In summary, it is important to recognize that there are probably many reasons for a person's sexual orientation and the reasons may be different for different people. How exactly environmental, cognitive and biological factors interact is still unkown to the most part. End of Page