I have had many conversations with people discussing the issue of do you think people are born gay or do they just realize it one day and turn gay? I have several gay friends and they have experienced both sides of the debate as well. I can see both sides of the argument but i just wondered what your thoughts were.

This is a really interesting and controversial topic, Heather. I have a few gay friends, as well, and they all have very interesting cases. In one particular case, this guy didn't realize or know that he was gay until he came up to Appalachian a few years ago. He says that he thought that he had to fit into the role in high school of most of the other guys, so he dated girls, but didn't really understand and thought that something was really wrong with him. See, he was attracted to women, but after a while, he realized that he was also attracted to men. Then, he started experimenting and realized that he liked men a lot more to be around in a relationship sense. I won't get any more into it than that... Anyway, he certainly doesn't feel that he was born gay, he just fell into what he decided was the way that he wanted to live his life with his chosen sexuality.

I think that it is difficult to group all gay people into one group. I think that sexuality is something that is very personal and is decided upon by each person. I think that everyone makes their own decisions about how they are going to live their life, and I think that sexuality is included into that life choice. Maybe I'm wrong but this is just my opinion, and this is the way that I "deal with" or try and figure out homosexuality in my own mind.

I couldn't even begin to guess. But I think it is time to stop thinking about the question so much. It is this question that gives homophobics the ammunition to hate. They say it is not natural.. they choose it... if true or not who cares? They are who they are, and should be able to love in any way that they they choose. Why would anyone want to deny that from another human being.