homosexuality

[NekoSama101]

is it me, or is homosexuality becoming a trend? i have several friends who are homosexual, and every day they seem to "recruit" more and more people. it seems to me that it's become one of the fads that will be gone in a year or two. it's becoming difficult to find one good looking person who isn't on drugs, already taken, or homosexual. I just want to know what you peoples have to say about it.

[Japan]

[COLOR=DarkRed]It is not a trend. There has been homosexuals since ancient times.[/COLOR]

[NekoSama101]

Ture but when you compare the ratios from then to now, the numbers have increased immensly in the past few years.

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]I'm sure the majority of the people I know who say they are homosexuals/bisexual are merely stating their sexuality. I can't really see how that could even turn into a 'fad' but.. uh, I guess stranger things have become fads.

First I've heard of it, anyway.[/color]

[Grunt Salesman]

>< How can biology become a fad? One can't control it... It's just that homosexuality is becoming more common, and more people are admitting it. That, or people are saying it to try to be different, and they're not really homosexual.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=DarkOliveGreen][quote name='NekoSama101]is it me, or is homosexuality becoming a trend? i have several friends who are homosexual, and every day they seem to "recruit" more and more people. it seems to me that it's become one of the fads that will be gone in a year or two. it's becoming difficult to find one good looking person who isn't on drugs, already taken, or homosexual. I just want to know what you peoples have to say about it.[/QUOTE]It is just you. Homosexuality has never been a trend. It?s not a matter of people who are homosexual recruiting others to become one rather it is one of them helping them have the courage to admit what they really are. [QUOTE=NekoSama101']Ture but when you compare the ratios from then to now, the numbers have increased immensly in the past few years.[/quote]First of all where are you getting your information? Is this actual statistics? Or just an assumption on your part? Even if you did produce a legitimate source of study it would still be unlikely that it's correct. It?s only natural that there will be more since there are a lot more people on the planet than there was just 20 years ago. Go back to ancient times and it?s even less people. I would imagine that the percentage of people who are homosexual is about the same. If anything has changed it?s more likely that the percentage of those who hide what they are is what has decreased. They were always there, but never told anyone. [/COLOR]

[The_Mix_Breed]

[quote name='SunfallE'] I would imagine that the percentage of people who are homosexual is about the same. If anything has changed it?s more likely that the percentage of those who hide what they are is what has decreased. They were always there, but never told anyone. [/quote]

I totally agree. People are just more comfortable about coming out then they use to be. With movies like BrokeBack Mountain and homosexual celebs like Ellen Degrenous and Anthony Rapp, people are starting to see it better. I guess you could call it the new racism, but that's a bit much. Homosexuality is being accepted calmly, there is probably still alot more racism then homophobes and there probably will always will be. It's not a trend just a new way of life. And hopefully, this way of life wouldn't lead to civil war.

[Starwind]

I'd like to state that homosexuality wasn't always a repressed or negativly veiwed concept in this world. In fact in some eastern cultures it was once considerd to be a more noble pursuit then heterosexuality. The idea of completely devoting yourself to your fellow man, imparticular. There were times when it may have been a fad or a trend, but I don't think that really applys in the here and now. You don't recruit people to homosexuality, it's not the military. I believe that either homosexual/bisexual or your not. You don't just change sides of the spectrum.

[NekoSama101]

to agrue with the whole homosexuality being bilogical, here's proof that it is not, that is actually a choice. (thanks to troubledwith.com)
"No solid scientific evidence exists today that people are born homosexual."
"According to Joe Dallas, author and former homosexual, ?People tend to view homosexuality more favorably when they think it is inborn. No wonder gay leaders (not all, but most) push the born gay theory; it furthers the cause.?1 "
"The same holds true for homosexuality. From conception, males differ from females. Every cell in the male body is different from every cell in the female?s. There are vast disparities between males and females that are currently overlooked by the popular media. But, by design, male was meant for female, and vice versa. "

there you go, scientific proof. and i can get more if you want. By relizing that it's a choice, then it definatly does seem like a trend. How ever,like most trends, it may not, and it doesn't, occur everywhere.

[kalon]

[B]trend[/B] (noun)
1.The general direction in which something tends to move.
2.A general tendency or inclination.
3.Current style; vogue.
[B]fad[/B] (noun)
1.A fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time; a craze.

If homosexuality is a trend, why would people risk alienation from a great deal of the general public and their loved ones just to be cool? Homosexuality is not accepted by many people, so it does not fit the definition of the words. You are who you are. Your sexual preference is not something you choose. Liking the same sex, opposite sex, or both genders does not make you a better or worse person. I live in Tennessee, in a town that's certified red-neck country in the middle of the Bible Belt. I cannot understand how people can be so ignorant, but almost everyone I know is against homosexuality. I apologize if this offends you, but I hate how the people around me descriminate against people they do not even know. I personally am not Christian, but if God teaches people to love one another, why do so many of my Christian friends dislike their peers just because they are attracted to the same sex? This is not meant to rant against religion. I am just stating what I see.

[NekoSama101]

I don't hate my friends for it, i just don't agree. my best friend is homosexual, but i don't really care. i'm just stating that around where i live, it seems to become something that people do to become "popular". around here, it's more praised then discrminated against. that's washington for ya.

[The13thMan]

[FONT=Century Gothic] [COLOR=DarkOrange]I believe it's simply because it's becoming more and more acceptable in today's society. Also to be a homophobe nowadays is frowned upon. So even if somebody didn't like homosexuality they would be a little nervous saying so in today's society.

No it's not a fad.

I don't know whether i believe it's a biological thing or not, i'm not going to say whether it is or not because i simply don't know.

I'm morally against homosexuality, though i'm pro choice. It's your choice to be gay, i just don't believe in being gay. Odd? Maybe.

That's all i feel like saying, and i'm not going to argue anything like this...as i've done it before and it never turns out well. ^L^

Later.

[/COLOR] [/FONT]

[Guest Gun Preacher]

i think it mainly depends on were you live.

Example america in one of the only countries that allows homosexuality in other places you can be killed for being gay, thats why the numbers have gone up in my oppinnoin because people are free to chose what they want to be.

Example 2 if a person says there gay just to be popular then i guess were you live it can be considered a trend if everyones doing it just to be cool.

[Zephyr]

[QUOTE=NekoSama101]to agrue with the whole homosexuality being bilogical, here's proof that it is not, that is actually a choice. (thanks to troubledwith.com)
"No solid scientific evidence exists today that people are born homosexual."[/quote]

However, is their any solid evidence that shows it is not true. Just because the evidence is not their, does not mean we can discount the possiblity outright.


[quote]"According to Joe Dallas, author and former homosexual, ?People tend to view homosexuality more favorably when they think it is inborn. No wonder gay leaders (not all, but most) push the born gay theory; it furthers the cause.?1 "
"The same holds true for homosexuality. From conception, males differ from females. Every cell in the male body is different from every cell in the female?s. There are vast disparities between males and females that are currently overlooked by the popular media. But, by design, male was meant for female, and vice versa. "

there you go, scientific proof. and i can get more if you want. By relizing that it's a choice, then it definatly does seem like a trend. How ever,like most trends, it may not, and it doesn't, occur everywhere.[/QUOTE]

No offence, but until I see a degree attached to that name I cannot say I trust his "scientific proof" about the differences between males and females (unless that is from a different source). Keep in mind, while the male and female bodies are different in many ways they must also be similar in many ways in order to even allow for procreation. As for the "male was meant for female" comment, consider this: the majority of human behaviors already go against the natural order ( we are the only species that seem indepently, consciously, and intentionaly capable of destroying the order of nature).

[Dodeca]

[SIZE=1]We had a conversation about this (well, the 'choice or birth' thing) in Sociology the other week. Two people in the class were adamant that it was all about choice, and got [verbally] beaten down by the rest of the class. It was actually quite amusing, lol.

Personally, I don't agree that people are 'born with it' per se, but I would put it down to slight biological/biochemical differences that the person has no real influence over. The basic arguement was this; in a straight situation, if there's a girl/boy you're attracted to, you don't think [I]"Oh right, I'm straight, therefore I like her/him"[/I], you just get more of an instinctual [I]'BAM!'[/I] response. In that sense, no-one has any conscious control over their sexuality. In the same way, a person couldn't just decide [I]"Oh, I think I'll be gay today"[/I] and actually [I]be[/I] gay.

[CENTER]* * *[/CENTER]

[B]Neko[/B], it may be that many of these people are just 'experimenting' with homosexuality/bisexuality. I know quite a few people who claim to be bi-sexual, for instance, when all they've done is kissed a member of the same sex - which, at least in my book, doesn't count. Not to say they're all 'experimenting', but there's a fair number of them around for the bi-crowd.

And Neko, don't quote loose, non-statistical 'evidence' that relates only to a very small area of the biological debate (ie. only the birth theory) and use it to completely shrug off everything else except for choice. That's just plain ignorant, to be honest.[/SIZE]

[Kanariya]

[size=1][font=georgia]Geez, concerning this it could be anything. As stated before, homosexuality is becoming more acceptable nowadays, and some may just be 'experimenting'. So, of course it would seem more people you know are claiming to be homosexual, or bisexual.

But, in a way, it had become trend with the people I know. For example, my friend had one day declared herself 'bisexual.' Now, I have no problem with that, but I began to get suspicious, and as she claimed herself 'bisexual' to about everyone she knew, everyone was hogging her about 'oh my goodness that's so cool' and stuff like that. She had suddenly become a really 'important' person, and then as the fame died out, she proclaimed herself straight. I ask her about it, and she remains silent.

Now, that could be many things. A lack of attention in her home, or maybe it just was experimenting. But, I can believe it's always possible if not a trend, a source of attention, and that I don't respect.[/size][/font]

[Guest tanukioh]

Hmmmmmmm... I think that is ok if someone is homosexual, as long as they don't try to hit on me. >.> and I think there are plenty of...decent...hetero guys. we just don't look so hot. :(

[Retribution]

[size=1]I think homosexuality is perfectly fine and acceptable. I sincerely hope that some day, gays and lesbians can marry in any state in the United States, and that there's no social stigmatism attached to being homosexual.

My logic is that I don't have a right to determine a person's sexual preference "right" or "wrong" -- it should be a completely personal thing. Who cares if the person has a choice to be homosexual or not? That's completely missing the point -- if a homosexual couple wants to get a civil union, who am I to stick my nose in their business and say that their actions are "immoral," "not right," or "just wrong"?[/size]

[James]

[QUOTE=Dodeca][SIZE=1]The basic arguement was this; in a straight situation, if there's a girl/boy you're attracted to, you don't think [I]"Oh right, I'm straight, therefore I like her/him"[/I], you just get more of an instinctual [I]'BAM!'[/I] response. In that sense, no-one has any conscious control over their sexuality. In the same way, a person couldn't just decide [I]"Oh, I think I'll be gay today"[/I] and actually [I]be[/I] gay.

[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Bingo. Nobody - straight people included - actively choose who to be attracted to. We notice who we notice and it's not something we consciously think about. If it were, we'd be able to simply "stop" loving someone whenever we wanted to (which would be very handy during break-ups). Funny how it doesn't work like that.

In any case, my partner works in medicine and has explained to me that there's actually quite a lot of strong evidence (particularly in recent years) that suggests a biological (genetic, to be more specific) connection with sexuality. In fact, it is currently thought that it's actually the father's genes that contribute to sexual orientation.

However, there are also those doctors and scientists who feel that hormone levels during puberty (levels of testosterone and estrogen) also play a role. Perhaps a combination of chromosomes [i]and[/i] hormones play a role. Who knows. But the link is there.

More importantly, many seem to forget that the ratio of gay people to straight people in any given population is usually 10% to 90%. So no matter what the population size, around 10% will always be homosexual.

My feeling is that this is simply nature's way of maintaining population balances (and avoiding over-population). I suspect that further research over the coming years will probably bear that out.

Just as racism has become less acceptable as we learn more about the biological similarities of people from different races...so too homophobia becomes less acceptable as we become less ignorant in general. It's the same as anything - difference breeds fear/misunderstanding and that simply takes time to overcome.

(And no, it's not a fad - it's simply that more people are willing to talk about it now. Just as many people were gay fifty years ago, but far fewer spoke about it back then.)[/font]

[eleanor]

[color=dimgray] I don't think the supposed homosexuality trend is applicable to most parts of the world, but I'm sort of surprised that most people are rejecting the idea of it being a trend in high school. Like Kanariya stated before, there are a lot of people who just randomly 'come out' about being bisexual or gay, and then just as randomly become straight again. I've heard more than several cases of it at my high school.

Obviously this cannot apply to people who are really homosexual, so it doesn't really directly connect to the original question, but it's definately a part of it.

As for the original question (I hate to say 'real gay people', but I guess I have to), I agree with what everyone else has said so far. What I'm sort of interested in, though, is if the percentage of gay people really [i]has[/i] risen. James wrote in the previous post that no matter what size of population you have, about 10% will be homosexual. I'm wondering if this is applicable to the populations of the ancient world and past civilizations. All I know is that there are some past cultures that had sex between men as the norm, but has the 10% thing been constant?[/color]

[renayiiq]

[QUOTE=NekoSama101]to agrue with the whole homosexuality being bilogical, here's proof that it is not, that is actually a choice. (thanks to troubledwith.com)
"No solid scientific evidence exists today that people are born homosexual."
"According to Joe Dallas, author and former homosexual, ?People tend to view homosexuality more favorably when they think it is inborn. No wonder gay leaders (not all, but most) push the born gay theory; it furthers the cause.?1 "
"The same holds true for homosexuality. From conception, males differ from females. Every cell in the male body is different from every cell in the female?s. There are vast disparities between males and females that are currently overlooked by the popular media. But, by design, male was meant for female, and vice versa. "

there you go, scientific proof. and i can get more if you want. By relizing that it's a choice, then it definatly does seem like a trend. How ever,like most trends, it may not, and it doesn't, occur everywhere.[/QUOTE]

So, you're telling me that I chose to be bi? Excuse me, but, no. Homosexuality is NOT like religion or cosmetics or clothing. You don't choose it. I mean, unless you're one of those people who just want the damn attention. You don't know what the hell you're talking about.

[Dagger]

[QUOTE=Lunox][color=dimgray]
James wrote in the previous post that no matter what size of population you have, about 10% will be homosexual. I'm wondering if this is applicable to the populations of the ancient world and past civilizations. All I know is that there are some past cultures that had sex between men as the norm, but has the 10% thing been constant?[/color][/QUOTE]
First off: I adore your new banner & avatar. :love:

Secondly, I don't think your question can ever be answered (unless we get a couple of genius statisticians to go back through time, and even then there'd be problems). But it's worth noting that going by what James said, cultural values or what's deemed societally acceptable shouldn't have an affect on the actual percentage. What they would affect is the number of people who come out to others or even understand that they're gay.

I'm guessing that you have ancient Greece in mind when you refer to "past cultures"--but even if you don't, it's an interesting example to bring up, so I'm going to pounce on it anyway.

It would be misleading for someone to state that ancient Greece (as well as samurai culture, as a previous poster mentioned) had sex between men as the norm, as that oversimplifies the issue. Physical relationships between older, experienced men and younger men were encouraged as being intellectually beneficial, but this was in large part because it was believed that women were so inferior that one couldn't possibly cultivate one's mind through a relationship with a female.

However, it would be a little strange for a pair of lovers to stay together even after the younger one aged; marriage and procreation were as important there as anywhere else. So the true norm was bisexuality; they didn't have the same concepts of gayness and straightness as we do. That doesn't mean there weren't people who were 100% gay or lesbian, attracted solely to members of the same sex, but on the whole, the ancient Greeks had a much more fluid mindset in regards to sexuality.

Getting off that tangent, I think that everyone referring to high school trends need to keep in mind that they [i]are[/i] talking about high school... a place where almost everyone is trying to prematurely define him/herself, and some people will start cutting and **** for attention. Is it so shocking that others might say that they're bi without really meaning it? Particularly females--it shouldn't come as a big surprise, when lesbianism is supposed to be so attractive to hetero guys. Unfortunately, this leads to viewpoints like the OP's.

I guess I'll have to join everyone in just referring to my personal experiences, but even in the uber-liberal place where I live, the world isn't quite so friendly that people go around claiming to be gay just for the heck of it. Bisexuality might get called into question more easily (which is in itself unfortunate), but I've yet to meet someone who would attempt to fake being gay.

~Dagger~

[Grunt Salesman]

Nekosama's "scientific proof" is hardly scientific, and most definitely not proof. My suggestion for future reference is to thoroughly research a topic and provide clear, concise information before claiming that your research has "proven" your opinion.

[different ki]

There might be a good reason why homosexuality seems to be getting more common. There has been one or two animal studies in which the incidence of homosexuality increased when the population got too crowded. It might be one of nature's ways of preventing overpopulation.

Besides, Alfred Kinsey - the only one who ever did any serious research into homosexuality - found that sexual orientation is a scale, not necessarily an either/or thing. People can score anywhere from 0 (exclusively heterosexual) to 6 (exclusively homosexual) on the scale. The reason why so many people think it's only one way or the other is because early gay activists phrased it that way to try to please religious people... Becausel if there is even a little bit of choice involved in homosexuality then homosexuals must be sinners (of course according to the Bible all people are sinners, but certain people like to ignore that). Now that so many people don't believe in the Bible anyway, and we know that the religious types will not be happy no matter what we do, it doesn't matter so much whether sexual orientation a choice or not. So it's not surprising that more people are coming out as bisexual.

[eleanor]

[QUOTE=Dagger]First off: I adore your new banner & avatar. :love:

I'm guessing that you have ancient Greece in mind when you refer to "past cultures"--but even if you don't, it's an interesting example to bring up, so I'm going to pounce on it anyway.

It would be misleading for someone to state that ancient Greece (as well as samurai culture, as a previous poster mentioned) had sex between men as the norm, as that oversimplifies the issue. Physical relationships between older, experienced men and younger men were encouraged as being intellectually beneficial, but this was in large part because it was believed that women were so inferior that one couldn't possibly cultivate one's mind through a relationship with a female.

However, it would be a little strange for a pair of lovers to stay together even after the younger one aged; marriage and procreation were as important there as anywhere else. So the true norm was bisexuality; they didn't have the same concepts of gayness and straightness as we do. That doesn't mean there weren't people who were 100% gay or lesbian, attracted solely to members of the same sex, but on the whole, the ancient Greeks had a much more fluid mindset in regards to sexuality.

~Dagger~[/QUOTE]

[color=dimgray] :] I love L.

Ancient Greece was one of the cultures I was thinking of when I wrote about the gay sex thing, and yeah, what I said was a big oversimplication. My history teacher once described the homosexuality of Ancient Greek culture as an "exalted form of friendship and idea of women being inferior". Although I also think that another part of it was because the Ancient Greeks had a love for physical beauty.

And so I thought off onto another tangent. >_>

Why does homo/bisexuality exist? If indeed it is a biological/genetic thing, why did it ever occur? Homosexuality has been traced back to ancient times, at which I don't think overpopulation could have been a huge issue. Taking this into consideration, I also know that most reports of homosexuality in history are between men, and that the first roots of it were found in religion, such as paganism and other polytheistic religions.

The idea of homosexuality/bisexuality being altogether wrong and a sin was started after the fall of the Roman civilization and when Catholicism/Christianity began to sweep western Europe. Right now I don't know how to connect the two things I've brought up, other than maybe it had to do with polytheism vs. monotheism.

And I can never throw away the idea that homosexuality is something gained from (traumatic?) life experiences. Examples including Father-Son relationships and nature vs. nurture, or any other sort of experience. [/color]