Who cares if it's a choice?

Today in my science teaching methods course, we were talking about controversial topics. We got on the subject of AIDS/HIV and how it is becoming more prevalent in people ages 13-24 because of a lack of knowledge of it and the risks for contracting it. As many people are aware, it is more prevalent in men who have sex with men. OK so now we're on the homosexual topic. My teacher asked us how we would respond to a student who asked, "Why are people gay?" My immediate knee-jerk reaction was to respond with, "Why are people straight?" However the context of the question is that it was asked in an information-seeking manner.

We read this article:
http://www.nabt.org/websites/institution/File/pdfs/american_biology_teacher/2000/062-05-0326.pdf

I challenge everyone reading this blog right now to go to this link and read the study. It is written in pretty plain English and doesn't have too much embedded vocabulary. I think the implications are clearly understood without a biological background. If you think this is bogus, do your own research and comment below your findings refuting this articles claims.

When I get my teaching job, I am going to make a class set of copies of this article and if the question comes up or students are picking on other students for being gay, we're going to read this article not only to dispel any misconceptions but also to practice reading scientific literature.

We also talked about within this context, the difference between advocacy and information. It is important that in giving students information, you are not advocating something. For example, showing students a brain scan  comparison of a meth user vs non-meth user is information but showing them a picture of an extremely emaciated person is advocacy. My job as a science teacher is to give my students the information they need to make informed decisions, not make their decisions for them. If you give them a right and a wrong choice, that's advocacy.

That's what I learned today and whether or not this research sways anyone's opinion who is reading this, I really don't care. I don't care becasue, even if being gay is a choice, who cares? M.Y.O.B. is what I have to say, not to my students but that's how I feel off the record of the classroom. How much does it really affect straight people? Also, if it's a choice, then when did you decide to become straight? When did you tell your parents you were straight? (see how ridiculous those questions are from the other side?)