Matt Wilcox

Blandford
UWRT 1103
12 October 2015
Proposal
I chose to research and attempt to understand the topic of homosexuality. I
am a straight male, and could never understand how somebody could be
attracted to someone else of the same sex. This being said, I always assumed
that if someone was a homosexual that it was not their choice nor something
that they could change by will.

I am interested in researching this topic to

discover if there is a cause for homosexuality or if it is pre-programmed into our

DNA from birth. This topic stood out to me more so than others because it is
something that I was curious about prior to this class. I was also always curious
as to how everyday life was different for a homosexual in todays culture/society.
The most important questions that I want answers to are as follows:
1. Is homosexuality caused by our DNA or is it the result of how we are
raised?
2. Is there a way for a homosexual to change their sexuality?
3. What is it like to be a homosexual in todays society?
To uncover the answers to these questions, I plan to research recent scientific
studies related to homosexuality. I have already found studies that focus on the
cause for homosexuality. Some studies suggest that there is a gay gene that is
passed genetically. Other studies point to childhood and how we are raised to be the
cause. I plan to further analyze an article from livescience.com that talks about the
biological origins of homosexuality. The articles states that certain genes increase
the likelihood of homosexuality. Scientists found that homosexual parents tend to

Matt Wilcox
Blandford
UWRT 1103
12 October 2015
have homosexual children, though they are unsure whether it is genetic or the
behavior that is passed down to children.
Whether or not Homosexuality is a choice is a huge controversy. The opinion
is split 50/50, many people argue that it is not a choice and a person sexual
orientation cannot be changed. Others believe that true homosexuality does not
exist and it is merely an altered state of mind. There is no proven cause, only
opinions. I intend on interviewing both a male and female homosexual to gain more
information on whether they can choose to be heterosexual or not. Those who argue
that it is a choice tend to be straight, where as those who believe homosexuality
cannot be changed are generally homosexual.
Gay marriage is another recent conflict that over time has gained more
support. In the past year it has been legalized by the federal government. I plan to
analyze the factors that lead to the support of gay marriage. Religion is a major
aspect when analyzing the support and conflict of gay marriage. Christians have
made a huge effort against the legalization of gay marriage. This is because
Homosexuality is viewed as a sin, and marriage between a man and a woman is
considered sacred. Another element against gay marriage is the result of two same
sex parents on a child. Many believe that homosexual parents are not fit to raise a
family. I plan to dig deeper into this belief to determine whether there is a negative
effect of homosexual parent on children. Last major conflict associated with gay

Matt Wilcox
Blandford
UWRT 1103
12 October 2015
marriage are Legal rights of those within the marriage. Many people argued that it
was unfair that same sex couples could not receive the benefits of marriage.
Since Homosexuality has been a major topic of conflict recently, I will explore
social media in search of major campaigns and general opinions of the topic.
Campaigns such as It gets better went viral and had a major impact on
homosexuals and society as a whole. In addition to social media, celebrities such as
Bruce Jenner has greatly influenced how homosexuality is viewed by the public
today. In a viral interview with Dianne Sawyer, many major themes were discussed,
some of those being gender confusion, discrimination, fear of rejection from loved
ones, and suicidal thoughts caused by sexuality. My goal is to analyze the effect this
has made on how homosexuality is viewed in society.
I am not worried that I will lack information on this subject since it has
been a major conflict in recent years. On the contrary, I do not believe I will
need to narrow my search for my topic is already fairly specific to
homosexuality. I am mainly looking on the causes of homosexuality and how
it is viewed by the general public.