No One Is Born Gay Essay

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Stirling McKelvie
Dr. Ellerbe
SOC2090-001; Social Problems
16 September 2016
Course Relevance Paper #2
Is Sexuality a Choice or Not?
Intro
Jane Ward, a queer feminist, wrote the article “No One is Born Gay (or Straight): Here are 5 Reasons Why.” In this article, she dismisses scientific claims as to whether a person is born with the sexual orientation they identify with. Ward explores cultural norms, providing insight into her own life, and breaks stereotypes to prove that no one is inherently born with sexual preferences. In addition, she compares a society of the past to ours today to prove that bias plays a role in how we view orientation. This paper will demonstrate how this article ties to the Functionalist Perspective of Chapter 5.
Chapter 5 Relevance According to the Functionalist Perspective explained in chapter 5, we live in a heteronormative society and it is a standard to be straight. Therefore we are conditioned into that particular sexuality, which Ward also states in her article. This article also relates to this section because it pertains to the idea of social order and its values. Our society perpetuates heterosexual relationships through social and …show more content…

However, after the shock wore off came understanding. I used to think we were born with a sexual orientation and there was no way of changing it. However, I have come to the realization that there is no gene for our sexuality, but rather that we are a product of our environment. I have concluded that just like gender, sexuality is a social construct. Our society and culture molds us into the people that we are today. I feel like people say that they were “born this way” because they do not want to have their feelings or identity invalidated. But because of how heteronormative our society is, no one believes that a straight person is going through a phase solely because it is the just

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