Are gay people born or made?

Did your staff see the Guardian article in February, about 3,000 neurologists from around the world who met in Lisbon to settle a debate that has raged for decades: are gay people born or made? Did your staff see the channel 4 television programme where a gay doctor went undercover to explore how people offer ‘cures’ to change people from gay to straight? What do your staff think?

‘Sexual orientation is not a matter of choice, it is primarily neurobiological at birth.’ This was the overarching statement made by Jerome Goldstein, director of the San Francisco Clinical Research Centre, addressing 3,000 neurologists from around the world at the 21st meeting of the European Neurological Society in Lisbon last month.

In doing so he was attempting to settle a debate that has raged for decades: are gay people born or made? Is there a ‘gene’ for ‘gayness’? It is a puzzle because homosexuality poses a biological conundrum; since there is no obvious evolutionary advantage to same-sex relationships, how might such a gene have evolved? From an evolutionary perspective, same-sex relationships should be selected out. And yet, same-sex relationships are common  in the animal kingdom. Birds do it, bees probably do it and fleas may do it, too. Among the many examples are penguins, who have been known to form lifelong same-sex bonds, dolphins and bonobos, which are fully bisexual apes. 

The UK Royal College of Psychiatrists as recently as February 2010, felt compelled to issue a statement to ‘clarify that homosexuality is not a psychiatric disorder,’ adding: ‘There is no sound scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Furthermore, so-called treatments of homosexuality create a setting in which prejudice and discrimination flourish.’ The move was prompted by a survey of 1,400 psychiatrists and therapists, which found more than one in six had offered to help turn gay people straight, or reduce their gay or lesbian feelings. Professor Michael King, of the University College Medical School, who led the study published in BMC Psychiatry, said at the time: ‘We didn't expect it to be happening at this rate and we are really rather concerned... It is distressing and harmful and there is absolutely no evidence it works.’

This month, ‘Cure me, I’m gay’ on Channel 4 showed a gay doctor, Dr Christian Jesson, going undercover to find out about so called ‘cures’ for being gay in the UK and USA. I found this quite difficult to watch, in part because I find the idea that ‘gayness’ can be cured is offensive, and in part I found the response from some Christians unhelpful. Unfortunately, viewers might be left with the impression that all Christians hold these views, which is simply not the case. There are differences of opinion on how some versus in the Bible should be interpreted, but there is common ground in everyone of the Christian faith finding homophobic bullying offensive. For example, I hold a different interpretation of some versus in scripture that relate to homosexuality, to Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. But we both agree that homophobic bullying is unaceptable. The Archbishop has said, for example: 'We oppose homophobia very strongly…human beings have incredible dignity and value in themselves [and] means we have to stand - and do stand – very, very strongly against any kind of homophobia’.

My interpretation of scripture is similar to the Rev Steve Chalke. In my January 2013 news update, I discussed an article published by Steve, founder of Oasis and leader of Oasis Church Waterloo, in Christianity magazine. Entitled ‘a matter of integrity’, Steve says that the Bible paints a far more inclusive picture than many acknowledge. As well as the article in Christianity magazine, he has written an extended version that explores the issues and theology in greater depth. The story was picked up by the national media. The article was extremely helpful in encouraging a dialogue about this issue in the Christian community.

You can read the article that appeared in Christianity magazine here

You can read the extended version here

You can read my article in my January 2013 equality news update here