Nature vs. Nurture: Homosexuals

Nature versus Nurture: Homosexuality Statistics show that about 9 million Americans identify as gay. Are homosexual individuals born or made? Nature versus nurture helps identify and analyze both sides. Nature refers to people’s genes. Nurture is learned behavior. Homosexuality is one of the most controversial, debated, and misunderstood topics. The American Psychological Association (APA) categorized homosexuality as a mental disorder but it was removed from the list of diagnoses and disorders because of the vast research in the topic (Johnson, “Homosexuality: Nature or Nurture”). Researchers have found that people interpret homosexuality differently depending on whether a person is gay because of nature or because of nurture. Nature states people are born homosexual because of genetics. This means that it’s clear a person is homosexual since their day of birth. The way it’s seen is if a little boy is attracted to barbies instead of cars or a little girl prefers to play sports rather than help her mother bake or cook. The nurture aspect of homosexuality refers to the way people are influenced by the environment. It’s also said “A nurtured gay person is one that is ‘made’ gay” (Johnson, “Nature vs Nurture”). A child can become homosexual if they were raised by a homosexual couple of woman or men. To those children it becomes normal to be attracted to the same sex because that’s the way they were raised. Another way someone could become homosexual is at the time their hormones change. Some teens start to realize it’s the same sex they’re attracted to. During the adolescent years, teens start to have sexual urges and become sexually active and that has a lot of effect on the sexual orientation one prefers. Scientists have also found out that that the brain changes over time. Researchers have tried to figure out in various ways whether a homosexual is born or made. One of the really famous studies was the case of Patrick and Thomas. They’re identical twins who