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Most scientists today agree that sexual orientation is most likely predisposed at birth or established by a very early age and can be the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and biological factors.

Recently there has been considerable evidence to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality.

It is important to recognize that there are probably many reasons for a person's sexual orientation and the reasons may be different for different people.
 

Do you think that you choose to have feelings of same-sex or opposite-sex attraction? Did you choose your sex at birth? Sexuality and gender identity are not choices any more than being left-handed or having brown eyes or being heterosexual are choices. They are a part of who you are. The choice is in deciding how to live your life.

Human beings cannot choose to be either gay or straight. Sexual orientation emerges for most people in early adolescence without any prior sexual experience. It is not a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed.

Historians tell us that homosexuality has existed since the earliest of human societies. Anthropologists report that lesbians and gay men have been part of every culture, that in many cultures bisexuality is the norm, and that in some societies homosexuality is very common. Gay’s and lesbians are represented in every socioeconomic class, educational level, and race.

It is often said that homosexual behavior is not natural because the purpose of sex should be reproduction. In addition to the fact that most heterosexual encounters are not intended to produce children, homosexual relationships, like heterosexual relationships, consist of much more than just sexual encounters.

A homosexual identity involves both an emotional commitment to people of the same gender and membership in a community.
 

Research conducted by the Kinsey Institute in the 1940’s and 1950’s suggests that approximately 10% of the population is gay or lesbian. Though some researchers believe this estimate to be too high or too low, it is safe to assume that gay’s and lesbians constitute a significant minority group.

Even though we may not be aware of their sexual orientation, most of us know someone who is gay or lesbian. The vast majority of gays and lesbians remain "in the closet," only revealing their sexual orientation to a few trusted friends.
 

No. The following is a partial list of organizations representing over 477,000 health and mental health professionals that have all taken the position that “homosexuality is not a mental disorder and thus, there is no need for a cure.”

• The American Academy of Pediatrics

• The American Counseling Association

• The American Psychiatric Association

• The American Psychological Association

• The American School Health Association

• The National Association of School Psychologists

• The National Association of Social Workers