Hmm... Had some sort of comment to make about something or other, but the sheer stupidity of this video has me boggled at the moment... Perhaps also because I don't want to associate eating chocolate ice cream with tossing salad, thanks. (If you don't get it, good for you.) Most of my closest friends back at school have discussed some of the following with me (with a few notable exceptions) but I'm beginning to sense a few things we didn't consider...
This was all just some offhand conversation we had while hanging out in our apartment (yea, we're geeks, we randomly talk about such things... maybe we were watching Tyra or something...)
Part of psychology is determining how much of human behavior is innate and how much is learned, as well as how we express or act on our innate desires and instincts based on what society teaches us is the normal way to act on them. So my roommate and fellow psych geek and I were talking about Kinsey and such, and "designer genes" and the whole "create-a-baby" genetic mapping/cloning thing that's been growing in some areas of genetic counseling. Both of us personally believe that science has given substantial evidence that homosexuality in both men and women is largely a natural, genetically coded, innate biological occurrence (made "abnormal" by societal views and lack of diverse and thorough research). And thus, that argument leads to the argument of the probability of finding a "gay gene" or specific brain pattern mapping... and the biopsychosociological repercussions of such a discovery... If it would cause scientists and doctors to try to "cure" them - which is, we agreed, rather unethical, as it is not a medical illness or any sort of disease in any way shape or form-- or... well... If parents could change the sexual orientation of their unborn child... would they? (I decided that if I were crazy enough to have a kid in the first place, and found out they would be gay, I wouldn't change a thing. Doesn't matter to me. Though I think I'd very much like to have a gay son... [Part of discussion was the social aspects of being a gay man or gay women. Women are still discriminated against, but overall are more accepted than gay men...] She said she would love it too, but if given the choice would probably "make him straight," to protect him... It's really sad to think about it, but I guess it could save his life in some ways... While many people are more accepting nowadays, there are still so many who say and do the most hurtful things, often in the name of religion. They've bullied, tortured, killed... Protested at funerals. Would I want to make my son's life harder than it has to be? And then part of me wants to just scream "it shouldn't matter!" Why should that even matter in my [hypothetical] decision? It should never, but it does... We shouldn't create people to suit the rest of society, but mold society to fit us... Why should anyone have to suffer for who they are? For who they love?) Would the discovery of the actual gene (since they've found chromosomal consistencies already) help or hinder social progress for equality? Would it simply be written off as some sort of curable illness? And I realized today, while surfing a (completely unrelated) forum, that if we look at sexuality as being innate and genetic... isn't it then also possible that evolution would eventually just...?!?? Biology is funny like that...
[Granted this argument today came to light in the midst of a watching Ugandan meeting of uneducated ultra-conservative religious anti-sodomy, anti-fisting "Eat da POO POO" hate speech proponents (Ooooh, believe me, I couldn't make that up... It's on youtube.) Apparently accepting homosexuality is accepting people eating each other's shit [excuse the vulgarity]. Oh dear... That and the fact that the guy is up on stage in a robe giving a very enthusiastic play-by-play of gay scat fetish porn-- before he tells the kids to leave the room-- and saying that it's what all gay people do... "This is what he wants to bring to Africa, as a "human right," to eat the poo poo around our children!!!" and the people scream and boo... I mean really, wouldn't anyone who sat through 2 Girls, 1 Cup feel the same way? ...And then when you ask them if they're against women, because women sometimes eat poop and vomit and share things they shouldn't? [rolls eyes] Also, this is sadly on the same continent where it is a widely held belief in many remote areas that raping a lesbian "cures" her, and raping a virgin cures AIDs... (The majority of all reports worldwide occur in Africa, along with the world's highest incidence of rape, including child-rape and molestation... Primarily because of these myths... which does nothing to "cure" AIDS, just spreads it.) So... yea... We really should up that whole modern sex-ed thing over there as well, as it's been a SERIOUS issue for quite some time now. Though we can blame 16th century European "sex-ed" for that, as it was their idea in the first place... Ugh...]
But anyway... Scientifically speaking, all variations both within and between are genetic mutations of sorts. Those variations help an organism to survive long enough to reproduce, passing on those genes... But if the organism doesn't pass on their genes, then their genetic line dies out... So scientifically, that hypothesis ("dying out") should fully be supported. However, studies show that perhaps there is some other sort of adaptation taking place here, perhaps kin selection - basically, by helping to raise raise siblings' or relatives' kids, or adoption... Either way, that's actually a lot cooler than it sounds, because it's like evidence of fast evolution. (Usually it takes thousands of years, while these "adaptations" are relatively instant.) There's a reason why you are the way you are (which we have solid evidence for in terms of skin colors and facial features, and now we're getting evidence for other aspects of life). Point here is, there's been quite a bit of research on this subject, especially evolution in recent years, and we're still researching and learning as we go. I think a wonderful aspect of all of this research is the fact that the vast majority helps to destigmatize and re-normalize natural human behavior. There are so many behaviors and thought patterns that have been criminalized over the course of history, thanks to fear, ignorance, and intolerance. We don't know all that there is to know about humanity. We're still learning about ourselves and our world... But at least we've progressed. At least, enough to not go around ranting and screaming- "DON'T EAT THE POO POO!!!" in church. There's still a long way to go, but someday...
[In case you somehow seriously misunderstood something, in no way am I using this as an argument against homosexuality - I would NEVER. I am a firm believer in loving whomever you want to (though let's stay within the species and absolutely no children). Love knows no bounds, remember? Besides, where would I get my yaoi/BL fix then?? I'd need a whole new desktop picture! (squee-worthy LxLight this month...) Who would I shop with?? Who am I supposed to talk to about how hot Hugh Jackman looked in that last movie??? Speaking of which, when is his next movie? *v*)]
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