Is Homosexuality a Result of Nature or Nurture?

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The argument of nature v. nurture in regards to homosexuality is a topic of intense debate. Those for it, in this case the side of nature will be addressed in ‘for the argument’, defend their reasoning fiercely and there seem to be a significantly larger amount of them. Those against it, in this case the side of nurture will addressed in ‘against the argument’, also defend their reasoning with ferocity but there are significantly less of them. This paper will discuss both sides of the argument, citing peer-reviewed journals/articles, and discussing evidence used to support each side. In each case the evidence will be thoroughly discussed and in the conclusion the evidence will be summarized and my opinion will be stated in the conclusion. As stated in many other papers about this subject, the purpose of this paper is not to prove if homosexuality is right or wrong, but to establish a thorough and unbiased understanding about the biological and/or social source of homosexuality.
For the Argument
The first serious attempt to explain sexual orientation by means other than a person’s social interaction or religious influence was be Von Kraft-Ebbing. His argument, in its most basic form, was that it was ‘inborn’ (Ellis & Ames, 1987, 234). As we gained more knowledge on the endocrine system in the 20th century two men, Magnus Hirschfeld and Auguste Florel speculated that hormone imbalances could result in homosexuality. Genetic factors began to be considered in the 1940s. Since then there have been numerous studies attempting to prove the genetic predisposition to homosexuality. The earliest experiment in biological research began in 1938 with the research of Alfred Kinsey. Kinsey was studying human sexuality with the goal of discoverin...

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...sexuality–heterosexuality. Psychological Bulletin, 101(2), 233-258.
Homosexuality: biologically or environmentally constructed. (n.d.). Homosexuality: biologically or environmentally constructed. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/Research/HNatureProposalsArticles/Homosexuality.biologicall.html
Johnson, R. (2003). Homosexuality: Nature or Nurture. AllPsych Online. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from http://allpsych.com/journal/homosexuality.
Knight, R. (n.d.). Born or Bred? Science Does Not Support the Claim That Homosexuality Is Genetic. Homosexuality and Islam, 1-13.
Pickering, R. (n.d.). CMF publications. Christian Medical Fellowship, 19-28.
ProCon.org (2011) Peer-Reviewed Studies on the Origin of Sexual Orientation Since 1990. ProConorg Headlines. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from http://borngay.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000006

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