Born the Way You Are

Mary Smith, Journalist

  Have you heard of the debate if someone is born straight or gay? There is scientific evidence to support that a person is born with their genetic makeup already decided for them.

  When someone is born, they are giving up the biggest sacrifice anyone could in their lifetime because it was not a controllable situation. No one asked to be placed on Earth, especially with the traits you have been given from the womb.

  Sydney Guernsey, a PVHS senior said, “Everyone behaves differently. Gender can have some effects though.” Society makes certain things more acceptable for either gender so this makes them think that their behavior will have no consequences. When someone is born, their brain works a certain way based off of their preferences.

  If a person is born homosexual, their their brain is designed the opposite way than the rest of that gender. For instance, a man’s brain will look more feminine and females will have a more masculine brain. The website, https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2015/jul/24/gay-genes-science-is-on-the-right-track-were-born-this-way-lets-deal-with-it talks about the hormone levels in the brains.

  If your brain is genetically designed the way it is, then the chemical levels and the hypothalamus in the brain is influenced by the design. The Guardian said that genes could themselves nudge one towards a particular sexual orientation or genes may simply interact with other environmental factors. The sexual preference can influence the way you act in normal events and everyday life.

  Cheyenne Machovsky, a junior at PVHS, said, “I believe you find yourself truly once you’re older and actually understand your body and everything else.” Once a person goes through puberty, their brain chemicals change and alter therefore changing their relationship preferences. Testosterone and estrogen are both hormones that can influence a person’s preferences. As a person goes through puberty, these chemicals become stronger and more influential.  

  Since the beginning of time here have been LGBT stars that were scared to come out of the closet in the early 1900’s, including Marilyn Monroe. Due to the religious aspects of our country, people have been bullied if they did not follow what was religiously acceptable. On June 26, 2015 it became a national law that gay marriage was now legal from the Supreme Court. Being homosexual is still taboo in most parts of America, but the higher courts and the law deem it acceptable.

  When a person is born, they are given multiple traits that are decided such as hair color, skin tone, hair texture, and dominant hand. If these are all accepted and not second guessed, why should our society judge the sexuality of others?

   Guernsey also said that she thinks that society as a whole has accepted the LGBT community. The LGBTQ has eight different identities including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, twospirit, intersex, pansexual, and asexual. There are pride parades such as the one held in New York or San Francisco that occur annually. Outsiders can dress up and watch or even participate.

  The pride parades are outside events that celebrate LGBTQ culture and pride. These events, at times, serve as demonstrations for more legal rights such as legal marriage before it was finally approved on June 26, 2015.

  Machovsky also said, “I am accepting of the LGBT community. Everyone deserves to be treated just as equal as any other human being on earth.” Everyone deserves to be treated equally, despite their gender, sexuality, or anything else.

  It was thought that being homosexual is a disease in the brain, but this is a misconception. A disease is defined as a disorder of structure or function that produces specific signs or symptoms that affects a specific location. The chemical and gene makeup of a person is not considered a disease. Some genetic diseases would include Down Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, and Hemophilia. Homosexuality is not a disease.

Being a homosexual is slowly being more accepted by our society as the days go by. This is because of social media and pro-homosexual videos and TV shows including Glee, Doctor Who, and The Flash. Making same-sex marriage legal was a major push that our country needed to truly become a land of the free.