AN ANSWER

"Doesn't science tell us that homosexuals are 'born that way'?"

"Just the Facts" [ a pamphlet issued by a coalition including the National Education Association and American Psychological Association] implies that there is a distinct population of gay, lesbian and bisexual students who were "born that way" and cannot change. But there is no evidence that shows that homosexuality is simply "genetic."

"Gay gene" researcher Dr. Dean Hamer (himself a gay man) was asked by Scientific American if homosexuality was rooted solely in biology. He replied:

"Absolutely not. From twin studies, we already know that half or more of the variability in sexual orientation is not inherited.

Brain researcher and gay activist Dr. Simon LeVay--whose study of the hypothalamus in homosexuals made international headlines--now admits:

"At this point, the most widely held opinion [on causation of homosexuality] is that multiple factors play a role."

Concludes psychiatrist Jeffrey Satinover:

"There is no evidence that shows that homosexuality is genetic--and none of the research itself claims there is. Only the press and certain researchers do, when speaking in sound bites to the public."

Contrary to the "born that way" myth, scientific evidence links homosexuality to social and parental influences--including certain family patterns, same-sex peer problems, childhood molestation, and peer labeling--combined in varying degrees with biological predisposition in some people.

Because homosexuality is not simply genetic, it is subject to modification through counseling or psychotherapy.