Beck 1 Human sexuality has been one of society’s most interesting, controversial, debated, and misunderstood topics. It has been the topic of numerous books, essays, documentaries, websites, and television magazine segments. More specifically, homosexuality is probably the most misunderstood aspect of human sexuality. This is mainly due to lack of education, exposure, or just a general close mindedness. Homosexual tendencies are genetically caused, but acting on these tendencies is a choice caused by a number of factors, different for different people. In order to fully understand the issues discussed in this essay, it is necessary to define some terms that will be used frequently. Heterosexual, or straight, refers to people whose sexual and romantic feelings are for the opposite gender. Homosexual, or gay, refers to people whose sexual and romantic feelings are for the same gender. A person whose sexual and romantic feelings are for both genders is referred to as bisexual. The term lesbian is used to refer to a female who is homosexual. Homophobia refers to society’s misunderstanding, ignorance or fear of gay, lesbian, or bisexual people. (PFLAG, 4)I firmly believe that a person’s sexuality is caused by the genetic makeup of that person. Homosexual tendencies, like eye color, skin tone, and height, are determined by your genetic makeup. A young child does not wake up one Beck 2morning and decide that orange is his or her favorite color. For that same reason, an adolescent, or anyone does not wake up one morning and decide that they are attracted to a member of the opposite sex. A study in 1991 done by Michael Bailey, a Northwestern University psychologist, and Richard Pillard, a psychiatrist at the Boston University school of medicine helped to prove the genetic basis of homosexuality. In researched published in 1991 in the Archives of General Psychiatry, [Bailey and Pillard] repor...
