Terms & Definitions:

Sexual Orientation is an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional attraction to another person. It is easily distinguished from other components of sexuality including biological sex, gender identity (the psychological sense of being male or female) and the social gender role (adherence to cultural norms for feminine and masculine behavior). Sexual orientation exists along a continuum that ranges from exclusive homosexuality to exclusive heterosexuality and includes various forms of bisexuality. Bisexual persons can experience sexual, emotional and affectional attraction to both their own sex and the opposite sex. Persons with a homosexual orientation are sometimes referred to as gay (both men and women) or as lesbian (women only). Sexual orientation is different from sexual behavior because it refers to feelings and self-concept. Persons may or may not express their sexual orientation in their behaviors. --The American Psychological Association: www.apa.org/pubinfo/answers.html

Same Sex Attraction (SSA) refers to both men and women, and encompasses those with bisexual as well as homosexual attractions.

Genetically or Biologically DETERMINED means caused by genes or other biological factors alone. Biologically determined is destiny. Skin & eye color are determined by genes alone. They are genetically determined traits.

Genetically or Biologically INFLUENCED means that genes or other biological factors AND environmental factors cause a trait. Biologically influenced is NOT destiny. Obesity is a biologically influenced trait. There is irrefutable evidence of specific genes, prenatal and hormonal factors that contribute to obesity. It is also common knowledge that despite this strong influence diet and exercise can have an enormous positive impact on this condition.

Mainstream Gay Activists now dominate nearly all medical and mental health professional organizations. They promote the belief that SSA is biologically determined, unchangeable, and as healthy as heterosexual attraction. They claim that re-orientation therapy is never successful and wholly unethical. Telling someone with SSA that they can change their orientation is like telling an African American that he can change his skin color.

Non-conformist Gay Activists support gay rights while acknowledging that sexual orientation is not biologically determined and that sexual orientation is fluid. Some of their views appear at www.queerbychoice.com . Camille Paglia is a radical lesbian feminist who has written:

“[Homosexuality] is a challenge to the norm … . Nature exists whether academics like it or not. And in nature, procreation is the single relentless rule. That is the norm. Our sexual bodies were designed for reproduction … . No one is born gay. [Homosexuality] is an adaptation, not an inborn trait … .” “Is the gay identity so fragile that it cannot bear the thought that some people may not wish to be gay? Sexuality is highly fluid, and reversals are theoretically possible. However, habit is refractory, once the sensory pathways have been blazed and deepened by repetition – phenomenon obvious in the struggle with obesity, smoking, alcoholism or drug addiction … helping gays to learn to function heterosexually, if they wish, is a perfectly worthy aim.”

[Paglia, Camille Vamps & Tramps. Vintage Books, NY, 1994, pp. 70,72,76-78,91]

**NB: I do not believe that SSA is a conscious choice. People do not choose their attractions. People do choose whether or not to act on them. Behavior is a choice.