Found this via Alltop, and it is an interesting article and a good read. I was especially interested in the difference in self-acceptance and desire to change over time. Younger males, even in today’s world which is far more accepting, are the most likely to want to change their sexual orientation.

Considering the improved attitudes towards homosexuality in today's society, it may be assumed that younger males would be less inclined to covet heterosexuality than those who grew up in a less accepting social climates. However, males aged between 18 and 24 were the most likely to take a pill to change their orientation (37%), this gradually fell to just 13% of those aged 51 to 60.

This got me thinking about the role of social acceptance, and legislative protections for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender men and women. Too often, activists like me are pushing for legislative change which is good, but may not be the only thing needed  for things to improve. There may be an enormous amount of new work that needs to be done surrounding self-dentification and identity.

via LGBT News: Living In The Gaytrix – 74% Of Gay And Bisexual Men Would Refuse A Straight Pill.

3 Comments

  1. Thanks for adding some a thoughtful comment Steve!

  2. Steve Zupcic says:

    Self acceptance and stable self-identity typically develop with age. These are reenforced by things like being in long-term relationships and fully establishing one's identity with a wide variety of social networks; things that by their very age 18-25 year olds have not yet experienced.

    The fact that ONLY 37% of 18-25 year old gay males would want to convert to heterosexuality is surprising. I would think at that highly malleable age a conversion in EITHER direction would probably be somewhat desirable to at least 50% of BOTH heteo and homo males “considering the improved attitudes toward homosexuality.”

    I think that phenomena such as our culture's lengthy period of extended adolescence pushes this period of malleability even further. The grass is always greener on the other side until you finally grow up and find out that it isn't.