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There was that guy that hit his head, went into a coma and woke up gay. So it's possible.
Homosexuality, specifically pederastry, was a foundational institution in Rome. This would not have been possible if everyone was either born straight or gay. A significant portion of the gay population were not born day, and a significant portion of the straight population could be gay if the right social pressures existed to compel them to do so. Sexual preference really is largely just that, a preference.
Based on what I read in Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are, being gay seems to be an innate property. The actual mechanism is so complex that we’ve only started to scratch the surface, so we’re still waiting for the results. There may as also by a way to turn gray, but as far as most gay people are concerned, it’s innate.
While most people want to believe their traits are innate, the fact is Rome wouldn't have been able to function the way it did if this were true. The existence of Rome and its sex as an institution empirically disproves the hypothesis.
I'm sure there were some men in Rome that were disgusted by the prospect of sex with men and either did it anyway as a duty or found every excuse not to, and I'm sure there were men that salivated at the idea from an early age. But by and large most of the men's sexuality was malleable. This is certainly also the case today, there are probably some people strongly predisposed to one or the other from birth, but for most people sexuality is largely conditioning.
Please quote sources if you are stating stuff like this as a fact.
No.
Then please stop wasting everyone's time.
I think you misunderstand the concept of evidence, particularly empirical evidence.
Probably mixed up empirical and imperial. Happens all the time when dealing with those silly Romans!
😄
Well enlighten me then.
i know nothing about that coma story, but a near death experience could certainly push someone out of the closet.
as far as I'm concerned, sexuality is as innate as every other preference. what food someone likes, what music someone likes, etc.
I think most folks are bi, but a lot of people push homosexual thoughts down because of social pressures, whether they know it or not.
Kinsey scale and such i think.
Well there are acquired tastes...
I think most folks are bi...
Yeah, that's what I'm saying, but I'm adding that the opposite can happen also, as did in Rome, and that for some homosexual people is happening due to social pressures in their immediate environment.
Pedarasty was practiced in Greece, and Romans viewed it as a distinctly Greek activity. It was never a foundational institution of Rome.
OK, Cicero, but I'm pretty sure nobody mentioned Rome..
This is so strange. There was a comment that said pedarasty was a foundational institution in Rome that I replied to, but I can’t seem to find the comment or the other replies to it.
I’m 100% certain I hit reply on that comment and not the one my comment is showing as a child of. Furthermore, I can’t even find your or my comments on the main post. Just your reply in my inbox.
I wonder if this is my lemmy app’s problem or a lemmy server problem. Anyways, sorry for the confusion!
No worries, these things happen lol
This seems to be a software problem. Maybe because someone deleted their comment?