# I try to become Gay for Science. (Warning, long, Gay) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 4, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988 "2005-12-04T04:10:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988/61 "2012-01-16T23:15:30Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > **Siddhartha** , that was brilliant! Truly Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there funny! > > My favorite line was “Being of a very slightly scientific bent, I became determined to turn myself into a homosexual.” Your use of this has passed the point of in joke and moved into the territory of “lame”. Do you not think it’s time for a new catchphrase? I ask as someone weary of reading the current one, you’re free to do as you wish of course. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988/62 "2012-01-16T23:22:09Z")
The problem with this is that you’re starting at 30+ years of age(I’m guessing ok) I think at that point your sexuality is probably pretty set as opposed to an early teen first exploring what turns them on. Second of all I don’t think anyone has shown what exactly influences sexuality, and its likely different for each and every person. The variables here are so complex there is no way to tell. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988/63 "2012-01-16T23:27:21Z")
> [@grude](#): > > The problem with this is that you’re starting at 30+ years of age(I’m guessing ok) I think at that point your sexuality is probably pretty set as opposed to an early teen first exploring what turns them on. > > Second of all I don’t think anyone has shown what exactly influences sexuality, and its likely different for each and every person. The variables here are so complex there is no way to tell. The problem with your theory is that, as far my experience goes, I did not give one second to the thought “am I gay or heterosexual?” at any point of my childhood or puberty, and I was aware of gays and was already very gay-friendly then. Who the heck _decides_ that they are heterosexual? For the record, I find many women attractive, not enough to want to have sex with them though. Whatever that means. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988/64 "2012-01-16T23:43:11Z")
Too bad the OP hasn’t been on in more than a year-love the handle. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988/65 "2012-01-17T00:43:52Z")
Maybe he had email notifications on? _hopeful_ ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988/66 "2012-01-17T00:57:24Z")
And we never got 7-10. I feel cheated. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988/67 "2012-01-17T01:12:34Z")
Missed this one the first time around, so I’m also glad for the bump. And it is a bit prophetic also. From the fab OP > [@](#): > > Nevertheless, it raises an interesting question, one that seems very easy to answer. Is homosexuality learned? If it is, then a heterosexual may consciously become gay. However, try as I might, I’ve found no heterosexuals willing to take the leap and “become gay.” I certainly thought that, among the community of those insisting that homosexuality is learned, that a hearty few may have tried for the sake of science. Imagine my surprise to find no studies or experimentation (at least, no recorded nor admitted experimentation) from these august fellows. Certainly they wouldn’t make these broad generalizations, thought I, without some field research. Surely Pat Robertson tried to become gay to show that it was possible. But such was not the case. Written of course before a number of Republican congressmen and family-friendly preachers became gay for the benefit of science. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988/68 "2012-01-17T01:55:05Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > The problem with your theory is that, as far my experience goes, I did not give one second to the thought “am I gay or heterosexual?” . I was responding to the I now realize very old OP, I don’t think his experiment means much one way or the other. Not that I think you could intentionally influence sexuality anyway. I think its a rare person that doesn’t even question their sexuality and what turns them on, wonder about gender roles and sexual identity as a teenager. It isn’t a binary question you face and decide on, hell I have seen more than one guy proclaim he is not gay or bisexual, hes just a straight guy that has sex with men sometimes. So where does that particular sexual identity fall in the binary? ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988/69 "2012-01-17T11:04:33Z")
> [@grude](#): > > It isn’t a binary question you face and decide on, hell I have seen more than one guy proclaim he is not gay or bisexual, hes just a straight guy that has sex with men sometimes. So where does that particular sexual identity fall in the binary? Depends on who you talk to. There is a body of people who insist that if you have any sort of sexual encounter with your own sex in the course of your life that makes you bi sexual, even if was only once and fleeting and you never want to do it again. I don’t personally agree, but the section of men you mention interest me because I’m left wondering whether they are bi sexual but don’t want to give up the sexual identity of heterosexual because it’s the socially preferred one, or because they genuinely don’t really have much interest in men but will indulge in same sex experience sometimes. I’ve listened to men call into Dan Savage’s podcast and grapple with this issue, and he seems quite happy to term them “straight but likes cock every now and again”. I don’t see why that description can’t fit, and personally I don’t feel the need to tell other people their own personal sexual label is wrong if they’re not actively deceiving other people in their behaviour (like “straight” married men who sleep with other men more than their wife, for example). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988/70 "2012-01-17T11:28:22Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > Your use of this has passed the point of in joke and moved into the territory of “lame”. Do you not think it’s time for a new catchphrase? I ask as someone weary of reading the current one, you’re free to do as you wish of course. In deference to the current thread I nominate “I wanna dip my _BALLS_ in it!”. You’ll be begging for the quarry thing back within three days, I assure you. But I agree with your on-topic post above - you can easily get hung up on the labels sometimes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-try-to-become-gay-for-science-warning-long-gay/333988.md?page=3)