What makes people gay? Do some people have a genetic makeup that predetermines homosexuality or is it environmental and social factors that influence degrees of sexuality?
The ongoing debate of nature versus nurture continues to ignite as researchers and others alike search for the origin of homosexuality.
Why is there a search for the origin of homosexuality?
Though the origin of homosexuality and it's religious implications (or lack there of) have been debated for some time, gay issues are in the media more today than ever before. Politicians and citizens decide the legality of gay marriage; companies discuss inclusion of gays in the workplace; and religious institutions mull over the inclusion of gays in the church.
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Background
Up until 1973, when homosexuality was removed from the American Psychiatric Association's list of mental disorders, the predominant thought was that homosexuality was a byproduct of upbringing, abuse or other social influences. After all, Freud write extensively about the affect overbearing mothers and the lack of father-figure has on kids sexuality.In 1991, behavioral theories of homosexuality were challenged by a neuroscientist named Simon LeVay, who was thought to have discovered the area of the brain where homosexuality occurs. However, Levy's theories that a gay man's hypothalamus was smaller than a heterosexual man's sexual brain center could've been explained by other social influences. Nonetheless, with new found theories, the treasure hunt to find the scientific origin of homosexuality began... What is nature? What is nurture?
