General Chat

Hi all I'm doing a piece of work at uni on Nature Vs Nurture in sexuality. Nature being that people are born with the sexuality they have.That it is genetic and pre-determined. Nurture being socially constructed and goes hand in hand with how we are raised as children. What does everybody think. If anybody wants to PM me with their own experiences it would be a massive help. Sue (who's too old for all this study!!) xx

Hi Sue I went through all this last year when I was at college. The majority of us decided that it's half and half. You can see certain traits in families that must come from their genes but also look at how people fair if they don't have loving parents. Good luck with your course, what are you taking? Janet

Hi Janet Im in my 3rd year of a 4 year B A hons in Social Work. Specialising in Child Protection. I have never done anything as hard in my life lol . Some of the younger ones on the course manage to fit in a life as well ha ha Oh well off to do some more studying. Sue xx

have you tried a google scholar search for 'infant sex-reassign'? one case of this that springs to mind is the John/Joan case that looked at how a boy (Bruce Reimer) accepted their role as a girl (Brenda) he was given female sex hormones during puberty but always felt out of place and identified with his twin brother dispite being brought up as a girl. This case featured on Horizon in 2000 and 2004. his story is told on:- http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/reimer/ UPDATE Forgot to say the poor boy had a tragic end

Thanks Lunar will have a look now Cheers hun Sue xx

Sue I will PM you tomorow as I have interesting stuff as regards me and my family, Caz xxxxxxx

Hi Caz thanks alot. Hi David a social constructionist theory would say that if it is not biological then it is through choice that people are LGB (due to social factors). I can't see how this is possible as society could not make me be lesbian. I didn't choose to be heterosexual...I just am. I just wanted someone who was either LGB to let me know what they thought...and if they wanted to keep their sexuality private then to PM me instead of putting on the board. Sue xx

How is the word 'sexuality' interpreted? Does it refer to feminine/masculine or nympho/nun? maggie

I have never had the slightest doubt, not even in my teenage angst years, that I am heterosexual. However, I was brought up in a very traditional family atmosphere - men were the boss, women were fluffy simpering creatures. The few homosexuals I know well, all knew from a very early age that they preferred their own sex. And all had a father who was in some way absent from the family home. Several of these men attempted to follow the 'normal' life pattern, married, and had children. They all said that they could not go on 'living a lie' - so I doubt if anyone chooses to be homosexual. Most of these men were adults whilst it was still illegal, punishable by imprisonment in this country. My own view is that one's sexuality is determined at birth. OC

Hi Sue definately nature,nurture just helps a person learn to drive the personality they had from birth.(bit like a car) You need to handle the slow gentle plodders quite differently to the gimme it now and do it quickly. Anybody with a number of children will have seen this in there babies,one family will often have numerous different variations on the theme sexuality I believe is predetermined also I have a number of seperate family trees going back a few hundred years but my hodges family have a far greater number of same sex couples than any of the others. There is also a lot of heresay evidence from many of the elderly folk in the family taking me back to around 1900 regarding members of the older generation and there companions Regards Tania Currie

I also believe that one's sexuality is there from birth. Growing up in the 60s I remember in my school there were 3 particular boys who were so obviously 'different' from other boys (and I might had all had fathers around). I moved schools but years later encountered these 3 boys in different social situations. They had all 'come out' as being gay and were all in stable relationships .