Can a straight man turn gay

Exposure to continuous or fluid theories of sexual orientation leads some heterosexuals to embrace less-exclusive heterosexual orientations. Or are some gay and lesbian people really closeted bisexuals? Maybe Anne Heche and some of the respondents in my study are being pressured to "pick one sex, dammit, and stick with it!" Is that what's happening?

Does it really matter?

If we truly believe that it is acceptable to have sexual and romantic relationships with the same sex, then it shouldn't matter whether or not sexual orientation is changeable.

But experiences throughout life can affect how those predispositions unfold. Sexual Fluidity in Male and Females. Although the brain can change and adapt throughout life, research has not confirmed that this can undo the deep biological patterns, most of which were formed before birth, that shape sexual orientation.

Sexual Orientation Exists on a Spectrum

For decades, society tried to divide human attraction into neat boxes — straight, gay, or bisexual.

Major psychological associations around the world condemn such practices, noting that while they do not work, they also often lead to anxiety, depression, and shame. First of all, men in other cultures, including non-Western societies and those of ancient Greece, have been known to participate in a transitory period of ritualistic homosexuality at some point during their lives.

If it is really OK, we should be as accepting of a person who has a relationship with a man and then a woman as we would of someone who usually eats vanilla ice cream and then decides to start eating pistachio. No one should be shamed for discovering, questioning, evolving, or embracing who they are.

References

1. Balthazart, J.

   (2017). The orientation itself doesn’t change — the expression of it does.

   The Role of Relationships and Self-Discovery

   Romantic and emotional connections often awaken aspects of attraction we hadn’t previously noticed.

   

   A long time ago, Kinsey told us that bisexuality is much more prevalent than we think. Our environments, relationships, and emotional growth all play roles in how we navigate the spectrum of sexuality.

   We’re born with biological blueprints — shaped by genetics, hormones, and early brain development — that influence who we’re drawn to.

   Then afraid. It involved tears, therapy, and difficult conversations. People of all sexual orientations (even those who don't claim one) need to find ways to live in a world that stigmatizes same-sex attractions and relationships, and those of us called upon to support and assist these people need to understand this if we are to be helpful.