Genetically, you can determine skin color, eye color, a propensity for being fat, or thin, sickly or strong.

Choosing a 'mate', a religious affiliation, which football team to root for... those are choices. They are not a product of nature - more a product of nurture, education, value systems, and beliefs.

The fact is: primates (including humans) and dolphins are the only creatures that knowingly have sex for pleasure - all other creatures have sex to procreate. Being straight or gay may be genetic, but so far, science has been unable to find the gene that proves it. As long as it takes a male and a female to have a baby (the old fashioned way), I'll believe that being gay is a behavio...

Genetically, you can determine skin color, eye color, a propensity for being fat, or thin, sickly or strong.

Choosing a 'mate', a religious affiliation, which football team to root for... those are choices. They are not a product of nature - more a product of nurture, education, value systems, and beliefs.

The fact is: primates (including humans) and dolphins are the only creatures that knowingly have sex for pleasure - all other creatures have sex to procreate. Being straight or gay may be genetic, but so far, science has been unable to find the gene that proves it. As long as it takes a male and a female to have a baby (the old fashioned way), I'll believe that being gay is a behavior choice.

Also, Huckabee is a PASTOR - his views are his own and he should be allowed to express them without ridicule.

@Ilsadago1

The Gay Animal Kingdom, Seed Magazine, June 7, 2006

"...sexual selection can't explain the homosexuality that's been documented in over 450 different vertebrate species. This means that same-sex sexuality—long disparaged as a quirk of human culture—is a normal, and probably necessary, fact of life."

The paper article lists over 450 species that engage in homosexual behavior, from insect to mammal.

An excerpt:

"Giraffes have all-male orgies. So do bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, gray whales, and West Indian manatees. Japanese macaques, on the other hand, are ardent lesbians; the fem...

@Ilsadago1

The Gay Animal Kingdom, Seed Magazine, June 7, 2006

"...sexual selection can't explain the homosexuality that's been documented in over 450 different vertebrate species. This means that same-sex sexuality—long disparaged as a quirk of human culture—is a normal, and probably necessary, fact of life."

The paper article lists over 450 species that engage in homosexual behavior, from insect to mammal.

An excerpt:

"Giraffes have all-male orgies. So do bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, gray whales, and West Indian manatees. Japanese macaques, on the other hand, are ardent lesbians; the females enthusiastically mount each other. Bonobos, one of our closest primate relatives, are similar, except that their lesbian sexual encounters occur every two hours. Male bonobos engage in "penis fencing," which leads, surprisingly enough, to ejaculation. They also give each other genital massages."

@Ilsadago1

Then if giraffes have all male orgies, how to explain all those little giraffes?

Are you suggesting that because there are little giraffes, male orgies do not exist? Homosexual behavior and heterosexual behavior are not mutually exclusive. The existence of one does not preclude the existence of the other.

The genetic impulse to pass on one's genes does not support a genetic link to homosexuality.

Ah! If this is the basis of your thinking you would be assuming incorrectly that the purpose for every sex act is to make babies. But in retrospect, I think you know this cannot be true.

(If you would be correct, there would be no such thing as contrace...

@Ilsadago1

Then if giraffes have all male orgies, how to explain all those little giraffes?

Are you suggesting that because there are little giraffes, male orgies do not exist? Homosexual behavior and heterosexual behavior are not mutually exclusive. The existence of one does not preclude the existence of the other.

The genetic impulse to pass on one's genes does not support a genetic link to homosexuality.

Ah! If this is the basis of your thinking you would be assuming incorrectly that the purpose for every sex act is to make babies. But in retrospect, I think you know this cannot be true.

(If you would be correct, there would be no such thing as contraception, rape, abortion, lust, etc..)

Among other things, we have sex for pleasure. In that respect, it is not a matter of making a baby, but who turns us on.

Ilsadago1, you seem to be assuming that the giraffes practice homossexual behavior to the exclusion of heterosexual behavior. Zoologists have observed cases of both incidental homosexuality in combination with hetero behavior as well as a far fewer rate of exclusively same-sex pairings. You seem to be of the opinion that 100% heterosexuality is a requirement for propagation of a species.If you can prove otherwise, I shall bow to your expertise in zoology, ethology and genetics.

Also, Huckabee is a PASTOR - his views are his own and he should be allowed to express them without ridicule.

Since when does being a pastor make one all-knowing and exempt from ridicule? Am I requ...

Ilsadago1, you seem to be assuming that the giraffes practice homossexual behavior to the exclusion of heterosexual behavior. Zoologists have observed cases of both incidental homosexuality in combination with hetero behavior as well as a far fewer rate of exclusively same-sex pairings. You seem to be of the opinion that 100% heterosexuality is a requirement for propagation of a species.If you can prove otherwise, I shall bow to your expertise in zoology, ethology and genetics.

Also, Huckabee is a PASTOR - his views are his own and he should be allowed to express them without ridicule.

Since when does being a pastor make one all-knowing and exempt from ridicule? Am I required to respect the opinions of Fred Phelps? Of Jack Harvey? Don`t you think Pat Robertson deserves ridicule when he says something like, “I have a zero tolerance for sanctimonious morons who try to scare people.”?

If you`re a Christian, the precepts of your faith tell you than humans are flawed and perfection lies only in deity. By placing a ”PASTOR” above reproach, you are equating him to the divine and are thus guilty of blasphemy. I am thoroughly tempted to paraphrase to you TVLand`s 23r greatest TV quote of all time, but I won`t.

As for having a 'crush' on a boy at age 5? It wasn't a sexual attraction, you just liked him more than most of the girls.

Gosh, how incredibly fortunate that you're here to tell me what I was actually feeling. How silly of me to think that I might be the best (or even ONLY) expert on what my feelings are.

Let me put this flatly: you're wrong. It was a crush, not a friendship. I liked him differently from how I liked my other friends, not just more. It was the same kind of feeling as when I got a crush on a boy at age 9, and when I got a crush on the French exchange student in my math class when I was 15.

As for the "genetic impulse to pass along one's gen...

As for having a 'crush' on a boy at age 5? It wasn't a sexual attraction, you just liked him more than most of the girls.

Gosh, how incredibly fortunate that you're here to tell me what I was actually feeling. How silly of me to think that I might be the best (or even ONLY) expert on what my feelings are.

Let me put this flatly: you're wrong. It was a crush, not a friendship. I liked him differently from how I liked my other friends, not just more. It was the same kind of feeling as when I got a crush on a boy at age 9, and when I got a crush on the French exchange student in my math class when I was 15.

As for the "genetic impulse to pass along one's genes" – bzzzt! Wrong on that one, too. I can't speak for others and don't have the time to look up the stats, but it only takes one counterexample to refute a claim, so: I do not have children. I do not want children. I have never wanted children – in fact, I've never felt anything stronger than an intellectual "I guess I'll probably have kids, because that's what people generally do." But an impulse? An urge? A desire? A yearning? A craving? A wanting? "Baby fever"? "The ticking of the biological clock"? Nope, completely unfamiliar with any of those.

Jeremiah Wright is a pastor. Al Sharpton is a pastor. Are you sure you want to say that being a pastor renders a person beyond criticism?

Jeez people! I didn't mean to totally offend everyone with my humble opinions!

Of course there is homosexual behavior. Is it amenable to the evolution of a species? No. You can't pass your genes on if you don't procreate. Does every single creature WANT to procreate? No. But if no one did, we wouldn't be here. Animals wouldn't be here. YOU wouldn't be here!

Anyone read Darwin? The survival of the fittest? Mates are chosen, via attraction, to perpetuate desirable genetic traits. Being attracted to every person (hetero or homosexually) does not happen. Be it chemistry, pheromones, genetics or just plain hornyness, most people discriminate. 'Liking' someone and wanting to 'mat...

Jeez people! I didn't mean to totally offend everyone with my humble opinions!

Of course there is homosexual behavior. Is it amenable to the evolution of a species? No. You can't pass your genes on if you don't procreate. Does every single creature WANT to procreate? No. But if no one did, we wouldn't be here. Animals wouldn't be here. YOU wouldn't be here!

Anyone read Darwin? The survival of the fittest? Mates are chosen, via attraction, to perpetuate desirable genetic traits. Being attracted to every person (hetero or homosexually) does not happen. Be it chemistry, pheromones, genetics or just plain hornyness, most people discriminate. 'Liking' someone and wanting to 'mate' with someone are two different things.

And if you go back and re-read my comment about Huckabee, I was only stating what all of you want: To be allowed your opinions without being ridiculed.
Which is exactly NOT the way it seems to be around here. I don't ridicule - I state my opinions. That's all.