> In short I really wouldn't surprised if, at the genetic > level, there's a very fine (and pretty damn malleable) > line between "straight" and "gay".
There can't be... because some of us aren't straight or gay. :) The presence of cultures in which bisexuality was a norm in one fashion or another lead me to believe that there must be a large amount of aculturation involved in determining sexual orientation. Now, the fact that some people are simply never aroused by one gender or the other leads me to believe that it's not unlikely that there may be some genetic basis for preference. I'm not saying there is (or isn't) but I don't think it's unlikely. I suspect more often than not a persons sexual preference / identity is not dominated by a genetic drive but rather the result of having an "in-between" genetic predilection which is then aculturated to become whatever that person's experiences lead them to become. Which would leave the number of people who simply never think about or get aroused by one gender or the other as being the minority of common but aberant cases in a genetic sense. The rest of the homophobic and heterophobic public then either simply never think about / question their sexual identity / preference and as a result never have reason to discover that about themselves, or censor themselves out of anyone else knowing in response to social pressures. I've known several bisexual people actually who fall into that category, both in the straight and gay communities, who censor themeselves in public so they can insinuate themselves into either of the polarized main-stream cultures, because neither of them are really accepting enough of people's personal sexual preferences. I've read several articles from bisexual men in particular talking about how they can't express their interest in women without being ridiculed by their peers. I know the women in the "pink mafia" tend to be very similar. One lesbian couple in Florida stopped talking to Tiff after expressing an interest in developing a relationship with her because she _suggested_ that they _meet_ (not fuck) me for 5 minutes at a coffee shop since I'm her transportation. They told her she obviously didn't understand women's issues and subsequently stopped answering any of her emails. That kind of social pressure doesn't come cheap. :) Even more so than gay people, bisexual people are nearly forced to hide their real identity because while being gay is starting to become accepted in our culture, being bisexual is still perceived in the main-stream even by the gay community as being a horrid, evil aberation. Given that, and given that I know of so many examples of people who do fall into that category (plus Kinsey's studdies) I have to think that I've known probably many other people who are either "curious" and never work up the nerve to explore, or who are simply never close or comfortable enough with me personally to share those censored thoughts with me. So ... I really think that the whole gay vs. straight thing is likely to be an enforced polarization brought on by social pressures (gay people because it's been so hard to become accepted in our culture, straight people because of the reasons that lead gay people to be that way), and in truth for most people to be much more middle-of-the-road as with for example the liberal vs. conservative polarization. Maybe I should stop referring to myself as bisexual and use the term "moderate". :) I'm also under the impression that it's a lot easier to be openly bisexual in some other countries, England as an example, and I have one english friend who I know to be bisexual although he's been in a monogamous relationship for a number of years, who's told me he would tend to agree. s. isaac dealey 434.293.6201 new epoch : isn't it time for a change? add features without fixtures with the onTap open source framework http://www.fusiontap.com http://coldfusion.sys-con.com/author/4806Dealey.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:200080 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
