Originally posted by GaryT977
I'm sorry if I offended you. It certainly wasn't meant that way. One of the drawbacks of internet forums is that you can't see the person who is talking, so you can't always get an accurate picture of that persons' intent. I was, in fact, trying to deconstruct the myth of the 'sexual preference'.
You see, people having been using the 'sexual preference' or 'chosen lifestyle' argument to discriminate against gays and lesbians for a long time. By intimating that we 'choose' that lifestyle, they are saying we don't deserve protection from discrimination.
The point I was making is that being gay or lesbian is not a choice. We deny it to ourselves for a time, because while growing up, all you hear is how bad, or evil, or deviant being gay is.
The only 'choice' we have about being gay is when we finally decide to admit, or 'come out', to ourselves. Some people go through their entire lives, get married and have kids before they can come to terms with it. Some have the courage to do it while still in their teens.
In my case, I grew up a skinny geek, with three of the letters in my name spelling 'gay', and taking alot of guff. I knew I was gay when I was in my teens, but I dated girls and played the game until I finally came out to myself at 24. You see, the last thing I wanted to admit to myself was that all the people who had teased and taunted and worse were right. In the end, they were.
Again, I sincerely apologize if I offended you or anyone else. It's counter-productive to get angry rather than educate.