Your friend Enrique has a co-worker that he thinks is gay. Enrique said that he thought that his co-worker was gay because the co-worker's mother must have been domineering, and his co-worker could become heterosexual if he really wanted

Question

What can you tell Enrique about the myths surrounding the causes of homosexuality and the role of biology in determining sexual orientation?
What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A good answer will be similar to the following:
Enrique should know that research has shown that a number of the myths that people have about sexual orientation are wrong. The myths include the belief that sons become gay when they are reared by a domineering mother and a weak father, that girls become lesbians because their fathers are their primary role models, that children who are reared by homosexual parents usually become homosexual themselves, and that homosexual adults were seduced by an older, same-sex person when they were children. In fact, many scientists now believe that biology plays an important role in determining sexual orientation by influencing heredity and hormones. Another idea is that genes and hormones lead to temperaments that affect children's preference for same- and opposite-sex activities. Children who do not enjoy gender typical activities may develop a different gender identity. In other words, Enrique's co-worker probably won't be able to change his sexual orientation by simply "wanting to" any more than he could change the color of his eyes.