Statistics show that 3 percent of men and 2 percent of girls in America are gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Many people are quick to judge before they think if they had an opportunity to choose their sexual orientation. There is scientific research that sexual orientation could be predetermined at birth, and I believe that most of the gay community would agree. Sometimes it takes people longer to come out because they are embarrassed or scared of the reactions of their family or people in their community. But let’s take a closer look into how sexual orientation is truly determined. It is a highly debated topic, is it nature, or nurture.

Scientist have been studying genes and DNA for years, but the “gay” topic has just become more controversial in the last few years. Some scientists believe that sexuality is determined at birth and is much determined like tongue rolling or handiness, although most scientists believe it is a complex interaction between cognitive and biological factors. There is also a theory that homosexuals just have felt different there whole life and never knew how or when to express it. Over 50% of homosexuals stated that they knew they were “different” since the earliest years of knowing what “normal” really was.

But what if all this is false, after all it is just theories. And it could be said that homosexuality is brought out in kids who had a bad home life, were bullied, or even sexually abused. And it is also a scientific fact that preteens and teens don’t experience there first adult erotic feelings or curiosity in experimenting their sexuality until their adolescence. And don’t get a strong sense of their sexuality until then, so how would one know how they felt until then? Some people argue, how could you be born wanting the same sex when you grow up seeing a man and a women together. Or in nature, there are minimal animals that have sexual interaction with the same sex, people argue its natural, its what’s supposed to happen. From the beginning of time a man and a woman are supposed to be together. Another apposing argument is that gay and homosexuality is so publicized that before teens even know what they want, they say they are “gay” or “bi” before they even know what they truly want.

Well here are some stats that show that most homosexuals know they like the same sex before they even have begun sexual experimenting (hopefully). 48% of self-identified gay and bisexual college students became aware of their sexual preference in high school while 26% found their true sexuality in college. 20% of self-identified gay and bisexual men knew that they were gay or bisexual in junior high school, and 17% said they knew in grade school, and 6% of self-identified gay or bisexual women knew that they were gay or bisexual in junior high school, and 11% knew in grade school. But heres question, if about 70% of people lose their viriginity in high school, how would you even know your sexuality before that, after sexuality comes from sexual experiences right, maybe not?

Now you’re probably thinking well this all makes since, but where do I ly in the argument? Well I am in the middle as most scientists. I believe it is a little bit of both nature and nurture. I believe that we are all born “straight”, maybe some a bit stranger than others but still, and through life, maybe a bad home, maybe getting bullied, or maybe even being pressured by family into trying to be something they are not, a change occurs in their brain. Much like schizophrenia, it is a process in the brain that can’t be controlled.

The truth will probably not be completely revealed for several years, as it takes a while to look deep inside the genes, alleles and chromosomes of homosexual person to see if their truly is a genetic link. I just hope the next time you look at someone and choose to judge them, look a little deeper, because maybe it wasn’t there choose; maybe they were just made a little different than me or you.