Gay Straight Alliance clubs

http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/looking-for-allies/Content?oid=2130927

“A 2003 survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network found that:

• 91.5 percent of LGBT students report hearing remarks such as “faggot,” “dyke,” and “that’s so gay” frequently in school;

• 64.3 percent said they feel that schools “are not safe for them to attend because of their sexual orientation;”

• Students who experience significant harassment have lower grades and are twice as likely to report that they will not attend college.

Feeling safe enough to go to school is only one issue. Suicide, prostitution, and drug use are problems for many gay teens. Trying to cope with their sexuality in the face of constant rejection and ridicule is tough for some. And they can’t always rely on adults to protect them.

It’s on this point that GSA’s have found their footing. Nationally, the number of GSA’s has grown from less than 100 in 1990 to about 3,000 in 2003, with an estimated 15 in Monroe County. Repeatedly, advisors from local GSA’s told City Newspaper how important it is for LGBT students to have a place to talk to other students experiencing some of the same problems. Sharing experiences, they said, helps students alleviate their anxieties and depression.”

 

 

 

The Youths Have Spoken!

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/03/11/less-than-half-of-americas-youth-are-straight-new-survey-finds/

 

 

 

This is a really interesting study which can point to several things.

 

There are several theories as to why more and more young adults are not identifying themselves as straight. One of the biggest reasons is because we have so many more labels and identities we can choose from!

Is this because our society and culture is “putting the idea” into children’s heads?

Or is it simply that, well, humans are naturally on Kinsey scale and since our culture is more open minded these ALREADY NON-HETEROSEXUALS feel more comfortable coming out and staying out?

 

-KL

Yes, it’s a choice.

Here’s a pastors viewpoint on sexuality being a choice or biological. -T.L

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-pavlovitz/yes-homosexuality-absolutely-is-a-choice_b_7106800.html

Comedic Opinion on Gay Marriage

Famous comedian Chris Rock gives his take on gay marriage in his hilarious stand-up, “Never Scared,” from 2004. As you listen, think about how modern times have affected certain views homosexuality and marriage in general. Follow the link below. – J.G.

Chris Rock’s “Never Scared”

Why do people believe being gay is a choice?

 

After science has confirmed that homosexuality is clearly not a choice, people still believe otherwise. The question is why? I did some research and besides the religious aspect of people choosing to be gay, I looked in on how bisexuality puts the science in question.

See the the science explains how people are attracted to either male of female, but not both. Lots of people believe that everyone is just a little gay, which makes bisexuality possible for just about anyone, but it’s also very common for some people to choose this.

There are a fair amount of people the “switch teams” if they aren’t happy with one…there for making it a choice right? But either way you have to have some type of attraction to the opposite or same sex to make this decision.

That is something you can’t choose. You can’t choose who you’re attracted to. You can be attracted to both sexes and choose to focus on your attraction to one or in some cases your attraction to both. Some people call this confusion, but being bisexual doesn’t mean you don’t know what you want nor does it mean you can’t be born homosexual. -T.L

A local source and face for the LGBTQ community

http://www.gayalliance.org/

 

 

The Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley also has a great newspaper that I have read and i often see posted in local businesses.

They are also in charge of the SafeZone training that many of our college professors have received.

It will be interesting to see what facts and anecdotes they can share with us.

 

-KL

We’re not the only ones

The ongoing debate on whether homosexuality is a choice or strictly biological will never cease. All that is known is that being attracted to the same sex and discriminating against those who are attracted to the same sex is nothing new. However, science is always new. It is always changing as new discoveries are found.

For example, within the last few decades researchers have discovered over 450 species that sometimes mate with the same sex.

Penguins
According to the Yale Scientific, Humboldt, King, Gentoo and Adelie penguins of the same sex engage in “mating rituals like entwining their necks and vocalizing to one another.”

 

Giraffes

In addition, male giraffes have also been known to participate in homosexual behavior by rubbing their necks together and sometimes engaging in anal penetration.

Other species that have been known to mate with the same sex include bottle nose dolphins, praying mantises, lizards, vultures, Mallard ducks, black swans, Bonobo apes, and dragonflies to name a few.

Of course this poses a brand new question for scientists: does same-sex behavior have evolutionary consequences? We all know Darwin’s theory of evolution. The strongest, smartest and fastest are more likely to survive long enough to reproduce. However, if animals are mating with the same sex, how can their species survive? Current research also shows that same-sex pairing can result in superior care for offspring and other evolutionary advantages like lack of competition and an increase in social bonding that can alleviate stress.

I think its safe to say that the human race has got a pretty good chance of surviving with or without same-sex relationships. After all, we’ve been around for about 6 million years, homosexuality is ancient and we’re still kicking.- J.G.

 

 

Born This Way

The biology of sexuality is is still an on going experiment. While many people believe being gay is a choice, science shows otherwise. This may be the closest we’ve come to figuring out if people are born gay.

There has been many theories since the 60’s on what makes a person gay. It was thought to be hereditary, but that doesn’t make sense considering that heterosexual parents can have a gay baby  and vise versa. So scientist dug a little deeper…

It all happens in the womb while the baby is still a fetus. If the fetus is a boy, a certian level of testosterone is released to make the brain and body more masculine.The testosterone effects the hypothalamus which controls the sexual attraction. If it doesn’t get enough testosterone then there is a higher chance of the child being gay.

Sex epi-marks help this process by making sure women don’t get exposed to too much testosterone and vice versa. Epi-marks, however, are not supposed to be passed down to the nest generation, they should erase themselves.

When they don’t erase, they are passed down to the next generation. If it it passed from father to daughter, mother to son, there is a higher chance of the child being gay. When passed from father to daughter the the epi-marks are allowing more testosterone to pass through  which may cause a female fetus to grow having an attraction to the same sex. While a mother’s epi-marks passing down to her son causes him to be more feminine. The lack of testosterone causes him to be attracted to men.

This is only some of the science behind the biology of sexuality and only some of what our film will discuss. Hopefully this will help people better understand the biology behind sexuality. – T.L

 

Biology & Sexuality

One major argument against the LGBTQ community is that sexuality is a choice; that somehow, who you find yourself attracted to is determined by your morality. Whether it be who you are attracted to or how open you are sexually, according to anti-LGBTQ activists, you should be able to turn it off.

Although science has been tackling this quest for the “Gay Gene” for years now, there has been conclusive data to suggest that a person’s hereditary genes have anything to do with their sexual orientation.

But this does not mean that sexuality is a choice, seeing as there are many aspects of the human body that are hereditary genes but just how the person was put together during prenatal care.

This means that if a gay man has children, religious zealots can rest assured that his “gayness” will not be “passed down” to his children.

Although there is no conclusive research suggesting that a person’s chromosomes will affect their sexuality, there is research that hints towards this. In 2014 a study was published that suggested that gay men share a similar patterns in their genomes on the x chromosome and on the chromosome 8. This study ONLY discusses the origin of sexuality in males, something to note.

The biological study of homosexuality brings together multiple scientific communities and a wide knowledge of science in general, neuroscience, psychology and prenatal development is important when looking at the origins of sexuality.

For our documentary this is good and bad news. This means that we must, yet again, shrink down our umbrella and focus our content even smaller. On the other hand, this gives us options when searching for appropriate voices to speak on the biology of sexuality.

On campus, there are several professors who’s research interests include that of childhood development, social-psychological influences on romantic relationships, etc. who will contain at least basic knowledge or know theories surrounding sexuality. If these sources do not work for us, they will hopefully have connections in the psychology community that will be able to help us find out more about sexuality and where it comes from.- K.L.

Homosexuality: the difference between then and now

What many religious churches deny is that homosexuality was not just tolerated in ancient societies, but sometimes celebrated. Many tribal ancestors of Native Americans, for example, saw it as a gift. From modern research, we now know that homosexuality exist in all cultures. From modern observation, we also know that hatred exist in all cultures. So, when did hatred ruin an ancient practice?

The term “Two-Spirit” has long been replaced by “gay, homosexual” and “fag” and none of the latter are ever accompanied with the word “sacred.”

There is a direct relationship between the degree of open mindedness and the evolving of the human race. We’ve made leaps and bounds in every direction including homosexuality, but we still crash and fall in every direction as well. Homosexuality is a path in which some are most lost, but I am fully convinced that if people just let history present itself, most would understand it is not such a terrible path at all.- J.G.