How does one become…

How do you become heterosexual, gay, lesbian or bisexual? Before, people believed that it was the devil who seduced people to “sexual sins”. Therefore, all forms which diverged from the heterosexual norm were prohibited: people were persecuted and murdered because of their sexual orientation. The Nazi regime put homosexuals in concentration camps, where many died. Recently, two youngsters were hanged in Iran due to “fornication” (illegitimate intercourse).

There is no completely clear answer as to how people come to their sexual orientation – just many theories. Nobody asks heterosexual men and women “why are you straight?” This is perhaps because heterosexuality is perceived as “normal”. Yet, who decides what’s “normal?” There are countries and cultures where homosexuality is as “normal” as heterosexuality. In some ancient cultures, people who loved members of their own sex were considered divine emissaries, becoming shamans and priests.

One thing’s for sure: nobody can be seduced into homosexuality. It is wrong to believe that an “evil man” or an “evil woman” makes the son or the daughter gay. In some countries, homosexuality is rejected as western decadence. But even in these cultures, homosexuality has existed at all times.