Poll: Gays and Lesbians Can't Change, but Can They?
In fact, how sexuality is acquired has been a hot political issue for quite some time. As time has passed, Americans have begun preferring genetically centered arguments whose main claim is that, just like fingerprints or eye color, sexuality is a permanent part of a person.
Cnn Opinon Research Corp did the poll. The poll revealed that 56 percent of Americans believe that people are unable to change their sexual orientation even if they desired to do so. News.com.au reports that 42 percent of respondents believed that one's sexual orientation was a result of his or her upbringing and environment. Cnn.com reports that this is the first time since the poll was first conducted ten years ago that the majority of people held an "unchangeable" viewpoint on the issue of homosexuality.
Six years ago on 45 percent of the poll participants believed that gays and homosexuals could not change their sexual orientation. In 1998 only 36% believed the same thing. The poll reveals that an attitude shift is taking place on the gay and lesbian issue. Cnn reports that many gays and lesbians are reporting that more people are accepting homosexuality including those of the state legislature that deny gays the right to marry.
Cnn.com quoted Rev. Mel White, founder and president of faith-based gay rights group Soulfource. Thursday, he said, " The poll is such good news. Over half of America thinks we don't have to be healed from a sickness; suddenly we are OK as we are."
Supporters of gays and the gay rights movement felt relieved at the results of the poll. However, organizations that believe that gays and lesbians do have the ability to change their sexual orientation felt a bit discouraged. Cnn.com quoted Peter Sprigg, vice president for policy for the Family Research Council. He said, " People are believing what they are hearing and it's not the truth. They [gays and lesbians] can change, but it's difficult.
Melissa Fryrear is a gender issues director for Focus on the Family. She believed that the results were unfortunate. She felt this way not only because the results contradicted her beliefs, but they also contradicted her personal experiences. Cnn quoted Fryrear who said, " I know that homosexuality can be overcome because that's the story of my life." Fryyrear believes that the results of the poll were due to media coverage. She said that people who have changed their sexual orientation are underrepresented in the media.
Cnn reports that the poll shows that 36 percent of Americans believe that gays and homosexuals can change their sexual orientation.
Edgeboston.com reports that on Wednesday Cnn launched a special Uncovering America programming dedicated to focusing on issues of diversity including those affecting the glbt community. Paul Zahn covered the complexity of homosexual lifestyles and whether a gay person can be turned straight. There were also reports on the "ex-gay movement," which is a movement in which thousands of conservative Christians believe that homosexuality is a pathology that is developed and that it can be corrected and cured.
Gandossy, Taylor, Gay Man, Former Lesbian on Whether They Can Change, Cnn.com url (http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/personal/06/29/poll.reaction/index.html)
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11 Comments
Post a CommentI always puzzles me why heterosexuals are so interested in homosexual lifestyle. I have never once cared about the heterosexual life style.
Just reading these comments is proof that people can change their behaviors. One comment was "they learned to be attracted to the opposite sex". Homo's and Bi's are need therapy before they start whining about civil rights.
third sex should be respected because they are humans like us. ther should not be descrimination for they showed their courage to stand up and let them shine!!. dont judge a book by its cover
third sex should be respected because they are humans like us. ther should not be descrimination for they showed their courage to stand up and let them shine!!. dont judge a book by its cover
(last bit - I'll summarize)
Basically after trying very hard to be a lesbian for two years - including coming out to my family and being accepted but not being able to have sex with women no matter how much it made sense to me logically. I came away believing that you can't change your sexuality, that you are born that way and even your environment or willingness to change won't make a difference.
(continuation of last comment) After I finished college I decided to try dating women it was partly because I just wasn't getting into relationships with men and another part was that I would have prefered to be able to date women, I felt women would be more caring and more easily able to commit in a relationship, I also thought most young men I was meeting were quite callous and selfish relationship wise, so it just made sense for me to date women. I tried to be a lesbian for two years, I really wanted to be a lesbian, but I just didn't want to do anything with the women beyond kissing - I enjoyed kissing them a lot but once the clothes came off, there was just a lot of stuff missing and a lot of stuff there - I would just stop being turned on. I tried dating more "butch" women who looked more like men or boys, it still didn't work out, but I gave it a good try, I even came out to my family and they were accepting. It was easy for me to find "girlfriends", I could flirt with them easi
I think you have to be born gay to be, I don't think even your environment can make you gay. Since I was old enough to be interested in guys, it seemed my friends were being asked out but I wasn't, I went through high school without dating. Then I went to college, I went to a women's college where the environment was very lesbian friendly, but there were other co-ed colleges nearby so lots of guys came to campus for parties. Throughout college I had one only one brief relationship with a man. I had "crushes" on women but I didn't want to act on them because I thought that might be an influence of the environment. But because of these "crushes" I thought maybe the reason I was dating men more was because I was gay, I decided I would wait to test that when I was out of college in a more neutral environment. After I finished college I decided to try dating women it was partly because I just wasn't getting into relationships with men and another part was that I would have prefered to be ab
Of course it's NOT a choice. Why on earth would anyone actively choose to be persecuted against, beaten up, ridiculed or otherwise made to feel as though they are less a citizen of humanity than others of the hetero persuasion? It's a ridiculous notion to actually believe anyone would choose such an uphill journey for equality and acceptance. If it was a choice, wouldn't everyone have decided to be straight long ago just to avoid the social stigma that has only recently begun to change in public opinion? Coming out of the closet...actually admitting to yourself and then to FAMILY and FRIENDS is often the most difficult actions a gay person makes in life. There is huge fear of the unknown...of rejection of family and friends...fear for personal safety due to ignorant biggoted people. Believe me I know, coming out was the single most difficult (and eventually rewarding) thing I have ever had to do. I was lucky enough to have an amazing and accepting circle of family and friends...
they can't. I've tried with 20 years of help from God and the Church. I wish I could change.
To JL Coolidge's comment...First of all, you don't even know the difference between sexual orientation and sexual behavior. I'd suggest you educate yourself before making ridiculous posts.
Believing that a so called gay or lesbian person cannot change is comparable to believing that a person cannot change any of their acquired behaviours: preferring Pepsi over Coke, Fords over Chevrolets, pork over beef, chicken over fich, red over green, day over night, morality over immorality.