I think this in an interesting topic, although agree that the important thing is that people are accepted for who they are.
I don't know if sexuality is nurture or nature or both. I do know that I'm heterosexual, and I don't ever remember coming to that decision. It's just what I am. So I can believe it when homosexual people say the same.
One of my friends who happens to be gay also has an openly gay brother (there are 3 boys & 2 girls in the family). One of the sisters he thinks may be gay, but not out yet. His mother & father were divorced when he was younger. But for several years his mother has been living with a female friend, and all of the kids are positive that they are lesbians. So that's a good argument for nature. But this particular friend believes being gay is a choice. How he came to that choice I never asked, because it doesn't really matter, IMO.
On the other hand, I have a friend who came out his freshman year of college & is adament that it is something you're born with. He had a mad crush on a girl only months before his big announcement, so I don't know if that was a cover or what.?
Then there's my friend who, while he fits the "gay stereotype" well, was straight all through high school & into college. Then he "realized he was gay" and got involved with a guy for a couple months. But he's from a super-religious background, and while home one weekend spoke to his religious leaders about it. (He was having major internal conflict about it). These folks "delivered him from homosexuality" & he's been straight ever since. (Which I personally think is kind of weird & scary, but I'll support him gay or straight). I interpreted his few months being gay as his simply experimenting with his identity, and ultimately deciding/realizing that regardless of what other people may think, he is straight.
I could go on, but my point is that even my personal experiences have shown me that it can be either choice or nature... it does depend on the person. I think the studies with animals are good indicators that it can and does occur naturally.
I come from a rather religious backgroud. My parents are rather horrified by the idea of gay people, and generally avoid them in work or other situations. (Now, they would NEVER be mean, rude, etc. to them, they just like to pretend they don't exist.
). So, they have no idea that my gay friends are gay. They're just my friends, as they should be.
Incidentally, about a week or two ago was the annual Pride Parade here in Columbus. I happen to work downtown, and got to see the festivities. There were people, gay/lesbian/bi/straight out supporting the gay community. Everyone was having a good time. What horrified me, however, were the "chrisitan" people protesting. They weren't just out there handing out flyers and inviting people to church. Oh, no.
They had giant hate banners... the more memorable reading "Got Aids?" & the like. A few of them had megaphones and were screaming awful hate messages at the crowd, calling people derogatory names, saying that AIDS was God's cure for gays, etc.
Most of the crowd ignored them completely, a few made fun of them. No one seemed to take anything seriously. But it was just awful to see that kind of obvious hate & misunderstanding coming from people who claim to be Christians, meaning "like Christ". 'Cause I always took Christ's important messages as "love thy neighbor", etc.
For those of you who do believe that it is a sin, I can respect that as your opinion. I won't try to change it. My opinion is that each individual person knows themself better than anyone else can. What they do is between themselves & God.