# Everyone on Earth to get their sexual orientation reversed. Can you handle it? Can the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 16, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349 "2012-06-16T17:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/21 "2012-06-17T01:19:57Z")
I am a heterosexual male who hasn’t had sex with a partner for nigh on 30 years. The OP’s scenario would not effect me in the least bit. I don’t think I would even have to change auto-erotic websites, since I am a cheap bastard who won’t pay for porn. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/22 "2012-06-17T03:01:26Z")
My guess is the result is a population crash, and increasing hostility between the genders culminating in the general massacre and enslavement of women in much of the world. All those man hating women and woman hating men no longer have the edge of their hatred taken off by finding the object of their hatred attractive. “The trouble with the War Between the Sexes is fraternization with the enemy”; well, not any more. In some places the hatred boils over and women are either killed or reduced to the only function the men in such cultures will still care about; wombs for the next generation of men. Elsewhere, men and women become two largely separate societies meeting only to produce children. And yes I think that’s a fair assessment of how people will behave. In my opinion while most people find the opposite sex attractive and may love a particular individual, but in general most people appear to feel a mix of boredom, contempt, hatred or fear for the opposite sex. Most people find the other sex _attractive_, but they don’t seem to actually _like_ or _respect_ them very much. Remove that attraction and human xenophobia will have its way. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/23 "2012-06-17T04:56:59Z")
Encompass the entire world inside an electrified fence? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/24 "2012-06-17T06:09:37Z")
I’m a little confused by the OP. You talk about turning on the rays for some undetermined amount of time, and then turning them off again. And then you ask if we can handle it? Handle what, exactly? The reversal of our orientation and whatever shame/guilt/ psychological trauma we feel in the first place, or whatever shame/guilt/ psychological trauma we feel when the rays are turned off and we go back to our original orientation? I have to wonder how many deeply religious people might kill themselves when they realize they want to do all those things their minister has warned them about their whole lives, or kill the people they’re attracted to. Same question for after the rays are turned off, a rash of murders and suicides would be inevitable, I would think. But if they knew about you and your rays, Skald, those same people would be MUCH happier killing you than themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/25 "2012-06-17T06:14:27Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > My guess is the result is a population crash, and increasing hostility between the genders culminating in the general massacre and enslavement of women in much of the world. All those man hating women and woman hating men no longer have the edge of their hatred taken off by finding the object of their hatred attractive. “The trouble with the War Between the Sexes is fraternization with the enemy”; well, not any more. In some places the hatred boils over and women are either killed or reduced to the only function the men in such cultures will still care about; wombs for the next generation of men. Elsewhere, men and women become two largely separate societies meeting only to produce children. > > And yes I think that’s a fair assessment of how people will behave. In my opinion while most people find the opposite sex attractive and may love a particular individual, but in general most people appear to feel a mix of boredom, contempt, hatred or fear for the opposite sex. Most people find the other sex _attractive_, but they don’t seem to actually _like_ or _respect_ them very much. Remove that attraction and human xenophobia will have its way. I dunno about this. How would the rays affect men who were straight before the rays but really enjoy lesbian porn? Somehow, I am imagining that the time the rays are turned on will be the ultimate Golden Age for gay porn. Perhaps that’s a foolishly optimistic dream. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/26 "2012-06-17T06:30:55Z")
Due to my impotence, I guess I’d be a “bottom”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/27 "2012-06-17T06:45:36Z")
The really interesting thing would be watching everyone’s faces the first few days after this happened. How long would it take before enough people cracked and EVERYONE admitted that their orientation changed? How many closeted gay people suddenly attracted to their SO’s would subsequently be outed when it was realized that everyone’s orientation had changed? ---
**Author:** ![Weeping\_Wyvern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@Weeping\_Wyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeping_Wyvern)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/28 "2012-06-17T16:41:19Z")
I’m guessing that a pretty significant portion of the population would simply refuse to act on their new attractions. Many married people won’t want to commit adultery, and will stay with their spouses even though they have no sexual feelings toward them. And in general, since it has now been irrevocably proven that sexual orientation can be changed, a lot of people, especially those with religious opposition to homosexuality, will just sit tight and wait for a reversal. So unless your ray changes morals as well as orientation, I think its effect will be considerably less than you expect. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/29 "2012-06-17T16:43:34Z")
> [@Weeping\_Wyvern](#): > > …And in general, since it has now been irrevocably proven that sexual orientation can be changed… Changed? How? What is your evidence for this? ---
**Author:** ![Weeping\_Wyvern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@Weeping\_Wyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeping_Wyvern)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/30 "2012-06-17T16:56:18Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Changed? How? What is your evidence for this? I’m not talking about real life, silly. I’m talking about within this scenario, where my “evidence” would be that fact that billions of people have just changed their sexual orientations. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/31 "2012-06-17T16:57:27Z")
> [@Weeping\_Wyvern](#): > > I’m not talking about real life, silly. I’m talking about within this scenario, where my “evidence” would be that fact that billions of people have just changed their sexual orientations. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/32 "2012-06-17T17:05:05Z")
Well, it would screw up my marriage pretty badly. And since I don’t want my marriage to be srewed up, I’d have to vote for “no, I couldn’t handle it”. ---
**Author:** ![Peeta\_Mellark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Peeta\_Mellark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peeta_Mellark)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/33 "2012-06-17T17:13:03Z")
Considering all of the misogyny and crap that goes on now when the majority of men want to, at the very least, put their penises in women, I’m rather horrified at the prospect of all of those misogynists turning into gay men overnight. The most obnoxiously woman-hating guys I’ve known have been the “new gays” who just came out and feel the need to assert this fact by saying nasty, degrading things about women. Luckily, we don’t all go through that phase, but there are enough that if 90% of men on the planet woke up as “new gays” I shudder to think of what women would have to put up with. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/34 "2012-06-17T18:27:21Z")
On the plus side, thousands of priests would stop kiddie diddling and start fantasizing about getting the Pope into bed. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/35 "2012-06-17T18:32:39Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > On the plus side, thousands of priests would stop kiddie diddling and start fantasizing about getting the Pope into bed. No, as per the specs in the OP, they would be dead. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/36 "2012-06-17T21:07:10Z")
> [@fifty-six](#): > > Depending on my mood I consider my self about 25% gay. > > How does the ray effect me? You become about 25% straight, depending on your mood. I was hoping that it would reverse this so I could be cleaner, have better style, and attract more ladies. [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/37 "2012-06-17T21:08:17Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But doesn’t that mean that after you flip the switch, you’ll screw with no one? No, me and mine will be shielded. I don’t see any reason why _I_ should be inconvenienced. > [@Weeping\_Wyvern](#): > > I’m guessing that a pretty significant portion of the population would simply refuse to act on their new attractions. Many married people won’t want to commit adultery, and will stay with their spouses even though they have no sexual feelings toward them. > > And in general, since it has now been irrevocably proven that sexual orientation can be changed, a lot of people, especially those with religious opposition to homosexuality, will just sit tight and wait for a reversal. > > So unless your ray changes morals as well as orientation, I think its effect will be considerably less than you expect. Nah, it’ll still be spreading plenty of misery. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/38 "2012-06-17T22:21:57Z")
Ah-choo! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/39 "2012-06-17T22:47:01Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I dunno about this. How would the rays affect men who were straight before the rays but really enjoy lesbian porn? They’d no doubt enjoy male homosexual porn instead. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349/40 "2012-06-18T05:55:36Z")
How about all us old folks who ain’t gettin none now and won’t be gettin any later? I can’t see a change in preference being a benefit or a curse at my age. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-on-earth-to-get-their-sexual-orientation-reversed-can-you-handle-it-can-the-world/625349.md?page=3)