From a genetic mutation to a psychological disorder, hormone imbalance or just simply a choice; the list of theories of the origin of homosexuality goes on and on. One of the latest ideas is that homosexuality is determined in the early stages of development, or possibly a “gay” gene, so to speak, within one’s DNA. This research has been in attempt to prove that homosexuality is determined at birth. However the subject can be thought of in a much simpler way. That being gay isn’t genetic, not something that went array with a chromosome or a gene that is passed from generation to generation but someone’s personal preference, not a choice but an evolution of feelings beginning at a point in one’s life, whether it be it be realized as a child or later in adulthood.

Think about your own life, of your first crush, what they were like, think of the reasons why you liked them. Nobody told you who you must like. Media and the talk of others may have influenced your view of “attractive” but still the feeling was your own. One can not control who they are attracted to, and may not be able to explain why other than, that’s just how they feel. How can a person be genetically programmed at birth to become attracted to a particular type of person when one does not develop these types of feelings years into life? So how can one say that anyone’s preference of a mate is determined at birth? Are one’s favorite colors determined by their genetic make-up? No, it’s a predilection. It may come from experiences where the color was involved that stimulated joy thus making a color the best in a person’s mind.

Some are pursuing research projects attempting to prove the existence of a “gay” gene. For instance Ebru Demir, PhD, Researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and Barry J. Dickson, PhD, Senior Scientist at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, did research on the X chromosome that they said splices in way that causes males to use courtship behavior towards females. They predict that a similar splicing can happen to the X chromosome in a female creating the same time of courtship behavior to other females. Or Brian S. Mustanski, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, stated in a Jan. 27, 2005 proposed that there is not a single gay gene but multiple genes that interact with each other and the environment to “explain sexual orientation.” However there is no definite proof to prove any of these theories or to even back up that homosexuality is genetic. “There is not any evidence that shows that homosexuality is 'genetic', and none of the research itself claims there is” (Jeffrey Satinover, MD, Founder and former Director of the Sterling Institute for Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, wrote in his article "The Gay Gene?") “What is clear, however, is that the scientific attempts to demonstrate that homosexual attraction is biologically determined have failed.” (A. Dean Byrd, PhD, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine, wrote in his May 27, 2001 Salt Lake City Tribune article "The Innate-Immutable Argument Finds No Basis in Science")

Arguing that homosexuality is a sort of flaw in genetics with that is also insinuating homosexuals are a flaw themselves. One can not control their feelings and the way they feel about people, it is more simply the reaction to events and interactions with the other person. Also it doesn’t seem logical that the cause would be genetic when biologically two people of the same sex can not naturally have a child together, talking from a scientific stand point. With that being true why would it then be genetic to form the relationship? It seems more practical that homosexuality is not a condition nor a genetic difference but an evolution of feelings, therefore making it appear not to occur from birth. However if one does want to look at the situation scientifically, then we could venture out to say that changes in the brain during life can result in homosexual behavior, for instance a male brain showing more feminine characteristics. That however is going into another subject, but the issue entirely is still under research. So where do you stand? You just may want to keep in mind, that in the scheme of things does it really matter why one loves the one they do. Remember that whether we know the reason why some people are heterosexual and why some are homosexual, everyone and anyone deserves to be with the person they love.

Bibliography
ProCon.org. "Born Gay ProCon.org." BornGay.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 14 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.
"Is There a "Gay Gene"?" NARTH. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <http://www.narth.com/docs/istheregene.html>.
Palmer, Bill. What Causes Sexual Orientation?: Genetics, Biology, Psychology. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest, 2011. Print.