ABSTRACT
IntroductionNature or nurture? Is human behavi r dictated by biology or determined by our environment? Nowhere in this country today is this question more hotly debated than with respect to sexual orientation. Is our sexual orientation inherent, or is it influenced by our social environment and therefore something that is learned? Some people claim that sexual orientation is a choice and learned through environmental influences. This belief, infused with the belief that the only morally right choice is heterosexuality, has and continues to spawn hate and violence toward homosexuals. This position has political dimensions as well, as reflected in the U.S. government’s handling of homosexuals in the military through a policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Furthermore, gay people work, pay taxes, and can serve in the military and die defending this country, but in most states cannot marry the person they love.
