Just out., December 01, 2012, Page 18, Image 18

VOICES | The Simple Truth
by Scott MacDonald
Sexual Reorientation
We can change any number of things about ourselves if we want to. We are in charge. But what if one day humans can alter their sexual orientation?
The origin of homosexuality in humans has long been
debated. In fact, it wasn’t that long ago (the 1970s) that
the medical community viewed homosexuality as a
form of mental illness. Forty years later, the landscape
of science and society has dramatically changed. Years
of research in genetics, psychology, and sociology have
revealed that we still don’t know conclusively what
causes a person’s sexual orientation.
The debate still rages. Do people choose to be gay or is it genetic from
birth? What about environmental influence or evolution? Is it a combi-
nation of all the above or something completely different? A 2008 study
published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal
found similarities in brain structure between the brains of gay men and
heterosexual women, and lesbian women and heterosexual men. A 1991
study published in Science researched the anterior hypothalamus, which
“participates in the regulation of male-typical sexual behavior.” This
study found that certain cell groups in that area were “more than twice as
large in the heterosexual men as in the homosexual men.” Another study
published in Endocrine Development in 2009 found that, “The presence
of a substantial genetic component in the development of sexual orienta-
tion is apparent from family and twin studies. However, exactly which
genes play a role is not yet clear. Given the complexity of the development
of sexual orientation, it is likely to involve many genes.”
All of this is to say that genetics and biology do influence, but perhaps do
not concretely dictate, our sexual orientation, which undoubtedly leads
to the question – what if we can someday alter our sexual orientation?
And if possible, under what conditions is it morally and ethically respon-
sible to undergo such a change?
It’s a question that many GLBT people, myself included, have wondered.
Like many of us who struggled with our orientation, I tried to “pray the
gay away,” and when that didn’t work I tried to “straighten” my sexuality,
and when that didn’t work, I despaired. What about reparative therapy?
The American Psychological Association stated in 2008, in an informa-
tive pamphlet on sexuality, “All major national mental health organi-
zations have officially expressed concerns about therapies promoted
to modify sexual orientation. To date, there has been no scientifically
adequate research to show that therapy aimed at changing sexual ori-
entation (sometimes called reparative or conversion therapy) is safe or
effective.” People with disabilities and those who are transgender have
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encountered this situation before. If a procedure existed to alter an as-
pect of your being you found incongruous with who you are, should you
accept it? A person who is deaf might be able to hear again with a cochle-
ar implant. A person who is biologically male, but feels they are female,
can change their gender. If a person is born gay, but finds homosexual
attraction repulsive, is it acceptable for them to become straight or are
they rejecting themselves?
The line at which people change for themselves or change because of so-
cietal expectations is barely a line at all. And “change” is the correct term
here; no one is being cured, although, some would certainly view this as
a “cure” for any sexuality or state of being that isn’t hetero-normative.
Sexuality in our society is still viewed in such a black and white manner
that it’s doubtful any person could distinguish between what they think
they want and what society wants them to want.
Such change cannot be taken lightly. Even if we can change, it doesn’t
mean we should, and it certainly doesn’t mean that everyone would. Our
ability to change someday should not undermine the development of a
tolerant society. The “born this way” argument could change into some-
thing far more ugly when we have the ability to change, and yet decline
to do it. Change could be an option; tolerance should not
Science, politics, religion, and conjecture aside, an important point al-
ways seems lost in these discussions. Regardless of how anyone thinks
that we “came to be,” we are still human, and perhaps surprising to some,
just like everyone else. To those who say that we make a choice to be who
we are, what kind of choice is that to make? Why would anyone, in this
day and age, make such a decision that results in others holding them in
outright contempt, in immeasurable hatred? The simple truth is that no
one would.
The choice we do make, to the vexation of others, is to act upon our at-
tractions, feelings, and emotions, which is inherently human. Animals
follow instinct and biological imperatives, but humans don’t always play
by the rules. The capability to think and act, to rationalize and moralize,
to feel and love, is what makes us unique in this world. To deny another’s
sexual orientation is to deny part of their humanity.
And to be hated for an aspect of our being that is beyond our control is
to know hatred in its purest form. §
Scott MacDonald is an award winning young journalist originally from Idaho. He writes
The Simple Truth for Just Out. Reach Scott at Scott@JustOut.com
December 2012