The rise of homosexuality

Gender is the defining factor between masculinity and femininity. The two known genders; Masculine and Feminine genders, also called sex genders, greatly outlines the role of a man or woman in the society. Some task is meant to be done by Women while some can only be done by men. Over the years, intimate and passionate relationships have existed between people of the opposite sex (man and woman), commonly referred to as heterosexual relationships. However, sexual attraction between same-sex people has been on the rise in the society of late. Homosexuality when there is sexual attraction between people of the same gender. Homosexual relationships have given rise to lesbians and gays that is, females and males who engage in romantic relationships respectively.
A question which has raised debate among people is whether homosexuality is a habit or behavior that a person picks up as they grow or it is defined in an individual’s genes. Research has been carried out to help explain how people become gays and lesbians. Christians believe that God created a man and a woman and the two are meant to be joined together in holy matrimony to become one. Many Christians have used such beliefs to refute the claim that there is a relationship between homosexuality and genetics. However, some scientists argue that the relationship exists and this is biologically explained using some chemical modifications (Healy).
The birth of a child is considered a joyous moment for many people in the society. During pregnancy, a mother can tell the gender of the baby through an ultrasound scan. Sex prediction allows a mother and father to prepare for the birth of their child. During sex prediction, doctors use the terms boy or girl to tell expectant parents the sex of their unborn child. Therefore, a baby is either born as a girl or a boy. Some children are born as hermaphrodites that is, they have both the male and the female reproductive organs. Every child has certain characteristics similar to their parents. The inherited characteristics are known as genetics. The DNA molecules contain information regarding a person’s functioning, growth and development, and reproduction.
Homosexuality is a concept which has not gained full acceptance across the globe. It refers to relationships between people of the same gender that is, gays and lesbians. The popularity of homosexuality resulted in the creation of a group known as the LGBT community to fight for the rights of the gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals. As stated earlier, gender is determined at birth or when a pregnant mother undergoes an ultrasound scan. In some parts of the world, homosexuality has been legalized such that the individuals can get married while in other parts of the world, homosexuality is considered an abomination and those found engaging in the act are judged, condemned, or considered outcasts in the society. Most cultures believe that a romantic relationship between a man and a woman is the right thing to do because it is accepted. Children are conceived when a man and a woman come together sexually. People in homosexual relationships cannot conceive children of their own because of their similarity in gender.
Most Arab and Muslim nations do not tolerate homosexuality and those found engaging in the act can even face death penalties. Examples of such countries include Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Iran, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Sharia law is used to explain why homosexuality is not allowed in the societies. On the other hand, countries such as Germany, United States of America, and Scotland are among countries which have not only allowed homosexual relationships but also legalized same-sex marriages. Those in support of homosexuality say that people should be allowed to express their love in ways they deem fit. Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s daughter Canon Mpho Tutu married the love of her life, a woman by the name Marceline van Furth. This shocked many people across the globe because of the high positions Mpho holds in the Anglican Church. Though South Africa is among the countries that have legalized same-sex marriages, the clergy is exempted from is supposed to remain celibate. Mpho was once married to a man and even had children, however, she ended the relationship and went ahead to marry her female partner. This begs the question whether homosexuality is an acquired behavior or whether it is engraved in a person’s DNA.
Caster Semenya was said to have high testosterone levels in her body which made her look like a man. Such sentiments resulted in a debate that some people are born with a gene which makes them gay or lesbians. According to research, there exists a certain gene that homosexual individuals possess and which defines their sexual orientation. This is used to explain why some females possess masculine qualities such as wide muscles or why some females tend to express themselves as men making them sexually attracted to other females. Additionally, the space between the DNA is also said to contribute to homosexuality. The spaces contain molecules which give instruction regarding how strongly an individual should express himself or herself. Epigenetic is also another concept used to determine whether an individual is homosexual. It involves monitoring the changes in a person’s DNA functioning. It helps explain why some male children dress and walk like girls while their male counterparts do the same.
On the other hand, some researchers have come out to refute the claims that there exists a relationship between homosexuality and genetics. It is true that homosexuality is not hereditary because some homosexual individuals come from families where none of the family members is a gay or a lesbian. Parents, siblings, and members of the society contribute to the wellbeing of an individual when growing up. The traits and behavior a person portrays those which are found in the society. Therefore, it is also true that some environmental factors play a role in shaping a person’s behavior and beliefs. If a person is brought up among smokers there is a high likelihood that the individual will become a smoker one day. Here, the environment influences him or her into adopting certain characters. The same can be said about homosexuality. It is a behavior which is acquired as a person grows up. The environment an individual is brought up in contributes largely to the individual becoming a homosexual (Jannini, et al, p. 68). This explains why between twins one of them can be found to be a homosexual while the other is found to be heterosexual. Fraternal birth order defect is one of the environmental factors used to explain homosexuality (Khazan). According to the order defect, a man who has older brothers is likely to become a homosexual and this is because, at the time when the woman was pregnant with the man, her body generated an immune attack on the fetus causing the heterosexual signal in the fetus’s brain not to flick.
A section of the society has refused to accepted homosexual relationships because of their religious standing, and beliefs. Homosexually is considered a factor that has resulted in the moral decay in the society (Jannini, et al). The fact that the act has found its way in the church has angered many people. Same-sex marriages are legalized in some countries making homosexuality an accepted type of romantic relationship. The fact that such relationships have grown to be tolerated socially makes them a normal occurrence in the society. Before countries such as Uganda banned homosexual relationships, research were done to determine whether a relationship exists between genetics and homosexuality. If indeed such a relationship exists then it would be a challenge to ban something which is engraved in people’s DNA. However, most of the studies carried out on the subject failed to link the two and this resulted in a homosexual relationship being banned in the nation.
In conclusion, it remains a mystery whether there is a clear relationship between homosexuality and genetics. One thing is for sure, that the former cannot be inherited; it is either in the genes or it is an acquired behavior. Some nations have gone ahead to legalize same-sex marriages allowing people the freedom to walk around with their partners in public without fear of victimization or ridicule.

Works Cited

Healy, Melissa. "Scientists Find DNA Differences Between Gay Men and Their Straight Twin Brothers." Latimes.com, 8 Oct. 2015, www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-genetic-homosexuality-nature-nurture-20151007-story.html.
Jannini, Emmanuele A., et al. "Genetics of human sexual behavior: where we are, where we are going." Sexual medicine reviews 3.2 (2015): 65-77.
Jannini, Emmanuele A., et al Sarah. "Homosexuality ?may Be Triggered by Environment After Birth'." The Telegraph, 8 Oct. 2015, www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/15/homosexuality-may-be-triggered-by-environment-after-birth/.
Khazan, Olga. "Why Men With Older Brothers Are More Likely to Be Gay." The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/04/gay-brothers/480117/.