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Evolution Can Explain Homosexuality
Evolution explains the presence of characteristics by claiming that natural selection ensured that the ones possessing the characteristics survived and passed on their genes and so the frequency of the characteristic increased over time. Homosexual individuals can not pass on their genes, assuming that they have never had heterosexual sex.
 Kirsty08  21 Jul 2008 13:25
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Homosexuality seems to have a genetic base with an environmental trigger at least in a number of societal organisms. And studies have shown in groups of great apes for example, having a certain percentage of viable individuals that don’t breed when population density reaches a certain point, increases the survivability of the group as a whole. And if the group is more likely to survive apes with the intrigued recessive gene for homosexuality are more likely to survive as well. It’s a little counter intuitive, but the interaction between genetics and survivability is often more complex than our usual biggest alpha male passes on more genes, description. Another example is the fact that most non-predatory confrontations (territorial, hierarchical) in the animal kingdom are usually resolved without serious physical harm to either participant. Most animals have a number of almost ritualized behaviors and signals that allow them to compete in a non fatal way. This behavior even though it involves being less aggressive and one animal capitulating means it is more likely that more animals will survive to breed.
 
 finsch  21 Jul 2008 17:25
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Homosexuals have never died out yet and they've been around since the dawn of humanity. Not only that but they're widespread in the animal kingdom and seem to serve as a braking mechanism on overpopulation. Since homosexuality seems to be a point mutation (or mutations) in the genome that can occur in any genetic strain, there's no chance that homosexuality will "die out" due to lack of breeding because it isn't a heritable characteristic to begin with.
 
 Cephus  21 Jul 2008 16:17
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 So homosexuality is a common characteristic that didn't evolve?
by  Kirsty08
 21 Jul 2008 16:20
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Very interesting thought. A lot of homosexuals don't "come out" until later in life, sometimes even after they've had a family and children. This could be one explanation, but I'm of the opinion that most males have homosexual tendencies, however slight. Maybe these tendencies are stronger in some than in others?
 
 Snipex  21 Jul 2008 13:31
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 I agree that a lot of homosexuals do get married and have children, however most homosexuals do not have heterosexual relationships first. It's easier than its ever been for homosexuals to come out so the number of people who first have heterosexual relationships will be decreasing significantly.
So do you believe that homosexuality will 'die out' or do you believe it's an innate characteristic imbedded in human nature and so will always be there?
by  Kirsty08
 21 Jul 2008 13:37
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No.

I do not see reason or rationality as involved in this actually, it is completely incomprehensible that any woman could sexually want another woman. It's just repulsive both from a physical sense as well as the female personality being repugnant.

And how could any man not want that which is his Opposite self: Soft and pliant as opposed to his hard and hairy?
Yin and Yang. What's not to understand here?

Homosexuality makes no rational sense at all.
 
 Scorpion  26 Jul 2008 18:58
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 That's not really what the debate is about. It's about whether evolution offers an explanation for homosexuality, not subjective views on homosexuality in general.
by  Kirsty08
 26 Jul 2008 22:25
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Environment can never, ever, ever, be ruled out of any cause.
 
 mazzio9872  21 Jul 2008 21:18
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