WraithGod
Perhaps most people these days are homosexual, not because of an actual, physical attraction, but because of the media.
Now before you flame me, think about it. Before people started believing that being gay was all good, there were hardly any people who could truly say that they were homosexual. Now, this may have been because such a thing was unseemly at the time, but it may have also meant that there was no promotion of the subject.
If you believe you are attracted to a member of the same sex, IT MAY NOT BE A SEXUAL ATTRACTION. You may just admire them, and want to be like them, rather than want to be with them. You may think another girl, or another guy, is beautiful, sexy, or fun to be with, but who says that's not just friendship waiting to happen? After all, we do base friendships on appearance a lot, since you see people's personalities after you see what they look like.
Third, most people would have never heard of the concept of homosexuality if it was not promoted, brought up, and spoken about. Many of those people only considered they may be homosexual after hearing such things, and would have never concentrated on the possibility of being attracted to those of the same sex as themselves.
Thus, is homosexuality a myth? Are all the gay people in this world going around believing they're gay, while not actually having the genetic makeup or natural tendency to be so? Natural selection, evolution...none of these concepts would allow for such an anti-procreational activity, so it is entirely possible that homosexuality is nothing more than an effect the media and culture has had on people's psyches.
Now before you flame me, think about it. Before people started believing that being gay was all good, there were hardly any people who could truly say that they were homosexual. Now, this may have been because such a thing was unseemly at the time, but it may have also meant that there was no promotion of the subject.
If you believe you are attracted to a member of the same sex, IT MAY NOT BE A SEXUAL ATTRACTION. You may just admire them, and want to be like them, rather than want to be with them. You may think another girl, or another guy, is beautiful, sexy, or fun to be with, but who says that's not just friendship waiting to happen? After all, we do base friendships on appearance a lot, since you see people's personalities after you see what they look like.
Third, most people would have never heard of the concept of homosexuality if it was not promoted, brought up, and spoken about. Many of those people only considered they may be homosexual after hearing such things, and would have never concentrated on the possibility of being attracted to those of the same sex as themselves.
Thus, is homosexuality a myth? Are all the gay people in this world going around believing they're gay, while not actually having the genetic makeup or natural tendency to be so? Natural selection, evolution...none of these concepts would allow for such an anti-procreational activity, so it is entirely possible that homosexuality is nothing more than an effect the media and culture has had on people's psyches.
Drew
Like others have said, many times people find themselves confronted with these inclinations and are uncertain what it means. It isn't until they are presented with an actual "name" that they are then able to identify that these feelings are not entirely unique to them and have a vague word for which to describe it.
It goes without saying that there are exceptions to everything. For the most part, no single rule can go entirely unopposed in truthfulness. There are those out there who may perhaps use "homosexual" as nothing more than a group to belong or even blatantly oppose. I've seen this thread's topic in varied themes and in each case, we find ourselves no closer to having a decisive standpoint. Take speculation... take lack of knowledge... mix that in with a few who are mature and educated... Where does that leave you?
The fact that homosexuality has been more publicly expressed by the media has definitely caused a degree of controversy. As far as I can see, it has had both a positive and negative effect. On one hand you have people being better educated on what it is about and that these things should be considered instead of dwelt upon in silent doubt. On the other hand, you have the less educated, using and reinforcing a general stereotype that leads to the detriment of knowledge and truth. Do I find that media has made homosexuality the "in" thing to do? No. If by "in" you mean "accepted", then I say yes. Human beings are instinctually fearful of those things which they do not understand and until such time as they better educate themselves on it, they will remain fearful and vindictive about it. I have conversed (in depth) with many people who consider themselves to be homosexual and, being a good judge of personality/character/intent, I see sincerity in their words and actions. Though they may not seek to express it in the best manner, I can say with certainty that those individuals are not claiming to be homosexual for any other reason than that they are truly homosexual.
In conclusion... Homosexuality is not a myth, nor has it been.
It goes without saying that there are exceptions to everything. For the most part, no single rule can go entirely unopposed in truthfulness. There are those out there who may perhaps use "homosexual" as nothing more than a group to belong or even blatantly oppose. I've seen this thread's topic in varied themes and in each case, we find ourselves no closer to having a decisive standpoint. Take speculation... take lack of knowledge... mix that in with a few who are mature and educated... Where does that leave you?
The fact that homosexuality has been more publicly expressed by the media has definitely caused a degree of controversy. As far as I can see, it has had both a positive and negative effect. On one hand you have people being better educated on what it is about and that these things should be considered instead of dwelt upon in silent doubt. On the other hand, you have the less educated, using and reinforcing a general stereotype that leads to the detriment of knowledge and truth. Do I find that media has made homosexuality the "in" thing to do? No. If by "in" you mean "accepted", then I say yes. Human beings are instinctually fearful of those things which they do not understand and until such time as they better educate themselves on it, they will remain fearful and vindictive about it. I have conversed (in depth) with many people who consider themselves to be homosexual and, being a good judge of personality/character/intent, I see sincerity in their words and actions. Though they may not seek to express it in the best manner, I can say with certainty that those individuals are not claiming to be homosexual for any other reason than that they are truly homosexual.
In conclusion... Homosexuality is not a myth, nor has it been.
Drew
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But there are a lot of teenaged-young adult people who seem to suddenly one day be "gay" or "Bi". and often flip flop back and fourth. I believe the media has influenced this a little.
On the topic of flip flopping between gay and bi:
Though there might be some degree of truth in what you are saying, I believe that the matter relates more to the aspect of public ridicule by those less willing to have an open mind.
I remember somewhat crushing on Myrissa in Junior High. I was intrigued by the manner in which she responded to me. Around that same time period, I was also undergoing a great deal of self-doubt as I wrestled with feelings of attraction to some of the guys in my grade. I wanted to suppress those inclinations. Perhaps, in part, that was why I sought to stimulate that flicker of interest she had shown. I had been taught and raised to believe that it was an abominable sin to be attracted to members of the same gender. I wanted to be like everyone else. Though I could recognize that Myrissa was a very attractive girl, I found that it was simply that... an appreciation of good looks. That discovery, though profound, made me question more introspectively why that physical attraction I didn't feel for girls was instead felt in the presence of handsome guys.
The act of having an inclination does not justify it. There is a drastic difference between speculative conjecture from the side-line, and having it be an aspect of your being where you are eventually forced to cope. Though sexual orientation does not envelop every aspect of a person's identity, it contributes significantly to how a person might see themself (self-image) as they reflect on how others might perceive them. Depending on whether that person has been witness to positive or negative receptiveness by society to other members of the gay community, the resulting identity may be thrown into more chaos. In general, I have found that people (gay or straight) want to be accepted by their peers. No one likes to know that a void exists in their life where if they needed emotional support, it would be unattainable. I do not seek to justify my orientation, but only to give perspective from my experiences. That is all anyone can do. Having tried to change who I am to make myself more acceptable, I gradually acknowledged how empty that facade made me feel, as it did not reflect my true feelings. There are things that a person should deal with appropriately and suppress, but there are others that should not be pushed under the rug.
People want to fit in... they do not desire to be an outcast for circumstances which they cannot control. I believe that this so called "flip-flopping" of gay/bi may be primarily attributed to a desire to be more acceptable to society, however unrealized that may be. It seems somehow more acceptable to be attracted to the same gender if you also have an attraction to the opposite. Though this does not account for the vast majority, I feel that it plays a significant role in several instances of bisexuality.
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Also on the same lines of your post, I have trouble understanding bisexuality, as in actual attraction to both sexes. Its true that homosexuality and heterosexuality is determined by chemicals within your body and brain but for bisexuality to happen the chemicals would have to both be present/equal.
bah lost my train of though. Im too tired.
bah lost my train of though. Im too tired.
I'm intrigued by your statements, for they imply some direct knowledge of what constitutes for physical attraction, yet to the extent of my knowledge, there have been no adequate results to fully support that.
As for me, I consider myself to be gay, however my physical attraction is as follows... (rough guess) 75% to guys and 25% to girls. I have asked those I know how they would evaluate their physical attraction to both genders and more often than not I receive percentages similar to my own.
People continually try to place speculative opinions as to what creates homosexuality. I, myself, have also attempted to enter that same arena of guessing. Is it chemicals? Is it environment? Is it part of consciousness? Does there HAVE to be a cause? What causes heterosexuality? Those last two questions bring the most clarity for me.
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