well i don't know about whether it is genetic or not, i havn't read any statistics on that... but one of the problems if we label it genetic is that now sex offenders and child mollesters are begining to demand the same rights as gays, that its not their choice to have those desires or do those things. now while thats not justification to take rights away from gays, where are we going to draw the line? should we really sacrifice political intelligence for political correctness?
I'm not aware that DNA scientists have discovered the gene for sexual preference in contradiction of genetalia. Last I heard, they hadn't. Understandably, I doubt that they ever will, especially considering that I've yet to hear that they've found the specific gene (or gene combination) for sexual preference in congruence with genetalia.
I've read where some other scientists speculate that sexual preference is determined by the variables of the chemical composition of the amniotic fluid, and that it's the specific composition of the fluid that's responsible for the different growth rates of that place in the brain which appears to fairly consistently differ between homosexuals and heterosexuals. But skeptics site the inconclusive evidence, as to be conclusive, there would need to be a strong link to the cause of the specific chemical composition and proportionately high incidences of homosexuality in regions where the environment would contribute to that specific chemical composition ... and those links are missing.
I know that many people, especially of the (fundamentalist) Christian religion, think that homosexuality is a conscious choice gays/lesbians make in their pre-teens, teens, or early adulthood. But the conscious choice conclusion doesn't jibe with the consistent difference in that brain structure between heterosexuals and homosexuals, as making a choice isn't going to increase or decrease the size of that brain area.
Thus the most promising conclusion as to the cause of homosexuality remains the unconscious dynamic effect of dysfunction in the family-of-origin on the child during the first four years of post-natal life
while the brain is still physically forming. The brain while developing is affected by so very many dynamics in the child's life to shape the child for later life. Considering sexuality is an interpersonal relational behavior, considering that homosexuals and heterosexuals alike claim that they didn't make a choice, that's just how they're driven, and considering that psychologists have drawn so many similar links between so many other behaviors/psychopathologies in later life and the nature of the subject's family life in the first, second, third and fourth years of the subject's life, the natural conclusion is that sexual preference is likewise affected.
Thus sexual preference is likely genetic with respect to genetalia, understandably, and then during the first four years of post-natal life an aberrant development of the brain can create a deviant conflict between drive and genetalia.
Nevertheless, a condition absent of behavior is meaningless with regard to society and law.
Law is all about behavior, not thought or drive.
Thus sex offenders and child molesters are not a problem to society as long as their aberrant deviation remains merely a thought or drive unacted upon.
But the moment such is acted upon, then it is their behavior that is judged.
And yes, "I couldn't help myself" is the sad but sometimes fairly true statement in the matter ... which is why locking people up to prevent repeat offense has merit ... followed by treatment and monitoring to insure they continue to take their medicine and/or remain isolated from likely victims.
No matter how much they couldn't help themselves, that doesn't excuse victimizing someone else.
Ultimately, the etiology of such maladies will also be found in family-of-origin dysfunction, as most currently are.
And though there is only medicinal and psychotherapy coping for the moment, prevention will be found in raising the economic standard of living for all, educating parents on proper raising of children, preventing unwanted conceptions, etc.
Regardless, the act of homosexuality is rightly not to be criminalized among consenting adults.
Nevertheless, marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman as husband and wife, and thus no matter how much gays/lesbians demand marriage, it will remain definitively inappropriate for them.
That is why it behooves us to pass laws to eliminate government and corporate bias (the foundational reason gays/lesbians are clamoring for mariage) against any and all domestic partnerships, treating non-marital domestic parterships equal with marital ones.
