I am curious about this proposition, epan. How is it that studies have been done determining which heterosexual parents are attempting to raise straight kids vs heterosexual parents who make no such attempt?
I was not suggesting that this has been formally studied. Maybe it has. But let’s try realism for a moment. Until quite recently, that is until the 1970’s and later, there were very strong social forces encouraging heterosexuality and marriage. Those forces still exist today, to a lesser degree. For the most part, it is much easier in our society to live happily and be accepted, if one is straight and married, though this is indeed changing.
In spite of this overwhelming social pressure, the estimates by social scientists of the number of homosexuals has not varied much. There has been a fairly wide range of estimates, because of the nature of self reporting such a phenomenon, but the numbers have always been under 10%. It appears that when statistical methods are applied to survey methods, that estimates tend to zero in the the 4-5% range.
But, when I read your question, I realized that my perception may also be mistaken. We don’t know if homosexuality, as an orientation, will actually increase, or is actually increasing or is decreasing, or remaining unchanged, with the social changes which are occurring right now. I do stand corrected by you, that I was talking off the top of my head. It very well could be that the phenomenon will increase. Personally, I doubt it. It may become more open and accepted socially, but I don’t believe that it will actually increase in numbers. Maybe I am wrong. That is only a guess on my part.
But we do know, that in spite of strong opposing social and moral pressure, homosexuality has persisted over the past recent centuries. We also do know that the behavior have been around since the Old Testament, at least. Parents have not tried to raise gay children. Yet, it has happened anyway. Only God actually knows why. I have this faint perception that the sexual orientation of children raised by gay parents has been studied. If you google it, you might find something. I am not quite sure about that, but it seems to ring a faint bell of recollection sometime in past readings.