Homosexuality is a Choice.

I would like to state that as my opponent said, it is my goal to prove that the state of being homosexual is not a choice and purely a natural occurrence. The purpose of this argument was to have someone debate the fact that people choose to be attracted to people of the same gender. "Contention 1" Homosexuality is not a "germ" as my opponent stated and people can not "turn gay". It is true what my opponent says about people saying that they're gay for attention, but that does not mean that they actually are, and were not able to choose to have an attraction to people of the same gender. Homosexuality is not a germ at all, in fact is it genetic. (1) There are many factors which play into sexuality such as having older brothers, having a gay twin and brain activity to name a few. (1) However, there is no exact reason for why people are gay, but, many organisations such as The American Medical Association, The American Psychiatric Association, The American Psychological Association, The American Academy of Paediatrics, and The National Association of Social Workers all state that homosexuality should not be treated as a mental disorder that they oppose attempts at conversion therapy and that sexual orientation is not a choice and can not be changed. (Video 1 [Source 6] from 2:30 to 3:02) "Contention 2" While my opponent has his example of Ricky Martin, my point in this debate is that the state of being homosexual, meaning the physical attraction and not the lifestyle, or love life, is what I'm arguing for. My argument is that people can not choose to what gender they are attracted to. The article that my opponent provides is not fact based, rather, an outing done by Ricky Martin's skin beautician. Therefore, it might not be entirely true. The article also states that, ". .. he was never publicly seen in the company of any potential girlfriend. .. " and does not say that he ever DATED a woman. There is no proof in this article that he chose to charade his sexuality in a falsified relationship or that he's even gay at all. Now, my article (2) is an actual statement from Ricky Martin confirming his sexuality. It also states that the birth of his children convinced him to come out. The children, he had through a surrogate mother. (3) The next article I have (4) talks about (and proves the existence of) his girlfriend, Rebecca De Alba. The relationship was not a charade for the press as the article states and merely Ricky discovering his sexuality as many men do since most have a hard time accepting it. There are also a lot of risks to the process which force people further into the closet and keep people from admitting it, which may be why Martin didn't come out. (5) I for one had two relationships with girls before I came out, both very long lasting, but there was no physical attraction to them and they ended up being friendships rather than dates. It does not mean that the person chose or chose not to be gay. Attacks: My first round argument was to state that this belief in homosexuality being a choice is a problem, not to state a case. 1: ". .. there are others that take the choice to be homosexual. .. " People can not make a choice to be homosexual or not. It is a biological occurrence and is not a choice that people can make. (See "Contention 1" and "Video 2:30 to 3:02") 2: "Who are we to judge by saying that it is not a choice for everyone? Everyone is different, you can't judge for them. " Actually, if you ask a homosexual, they will state that they did not have a choice to be gay or not. Besides, who would want to choose a life where they encounter hatred, violence, bigotry, and judgement all directed at them on a daily basis? The only choice that homosexuals have is to be out or not and I am not arguing that. I am arguing that homosexuals have no choice in their attraction to members of the same sex. If the viewers of this debate would like some examples, please feel free to view Video 2 (Source 7), or Video 3 (Source 8), or Video 4 (Source 9). All of these videos are from actual gay people (or bisexual) speaking out against the ignorance of people assuming "gay is a choice". I would say the same thing these people say and I have always been gay. It was never a choice whatsoever. I await my opponents response. 1. . http://lakeweedatarrowhead.net... 2. . http://www.tmz.com... 3. . http://www.tmz.com... 4. . http://justthedish.blogspot.com... 5. . http://gayteens.about.com... 6. . http://www.youtube.com... 7. . http://www.youtube.com... 8. . http://www.youtube.com... 9. . http://www.youtube.com...