Sexual Orientation (homosexuality, sexuality, Roman)

[Pah]

http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publicati...hefacts.html#p

Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth:

Sexual orientation is one component of a person's identity, which is made up of many other components, such as culture, ethnicity, gender, and personality traits. Sexual orientation is an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual, or affectional attraction that a person feels toward another person. Sexual orientation falls along a continuum. In other words, someone does not have to be exclusively homosexual or heterosexual, but can feel varying degrees of attraction for both genders. Sexual orientation develops across a person's lifetime—different people realize at different points in their lives that they are heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

Basically, orientation is what "turns you on" and has nothing to do with behavior.

[nutshell]

Originally Posted by Pah

http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publicati...hefacts.html#p

Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth:

Basically, orientation is what "turns you on" and has nothing to do with behavior.

I've heard of this. In one study, they measured sexual orientation in men by measuring the enlarging of the penis when the men watched heterosexual porn vs. homosexual porn.

One interesting finding of the study was that the more a man vehmently and verbally opposed homosexuality the more likely his penis would enlarge while watching homosexual porn. The study believed the fierce opposition was actually a cover-up for true hidden desires.

So, based on the study, the men may have been oriented to homosexuality, but were exhibiting heterosexual behavior.

[YamiB.]

I'm wondering what the debate is supposed to be about this. It's simple fact that orientation is who you're attracted to, not who you have sex with.

I had heard about that study. I have met people who were bitterly anti-homosexual and turned out to have at least some homosexual urges. I know when I was younger I acted anti-homosexual until I came to terms with my sexuality.

On a little note, I'm glad they brought up bisexuals. They often get left out of discussions relating to sexuality.

[bigvindaloo]

Originally Posted by Pah

http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publicati...hefacts.html#p

Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth:

Basically, orientation is what "turns you on" and has nothing to do with behavior.

Orientation is a learned pattern by this definition. The orienting response on the other hand is an innate mechanism for focusing attention. It is impossible to dissociate orientation as defined from behaviour, reinforcement and associative learning. Taking either a strict nature or nurture position in defining sexual orientation is probably wrong. It is undoubtedly developmental in character, requiring an interaction between the two meaning it is unlikely to be simply unlearned by therapy etc. The quote mentions developing sexual orientation is a lifelong process subject to change. I suspect this is probably spot on the money.