TeenageRepublican, the reason so many people were offended by your post is because you claim that homosexuality is a choice. Or caused by sexual abuse. If you don't think that words have power, why bother posting your opinions on the internet? When you say those kinds of things, other people read them and think about them. So yeah, it makes me and others angry that you are spreading lies and ignorance.
For instance your statement that homosexuality is not natural. That seems obvious right? Same sex relations don't result in conception, right? Well, in science you can't always trust your 'common sense'. Try to seek out understanding. Other posters have already pointed out that homosexuality is genetically determined, displayed in non-human animals and by all definitions, natural.
So what is the purpose of homosexuality then? Some ideas come to mind. Firstly, it's just variation of human sexual behaviour. Just like some people can smell dead ants and some people can't, or some people can roll their tongues and some can't. (Not very good examples I know, as those traits are Mendelian). Sexuality is incredibly, incredibly complicated. It will involve genetics,environment, socialisation and interactions between them. If you look at studies of human sexuality very few people are exclusively heterosexual or exclusively homosexual. (eg the Kinsey study, using the 7 point scale).
Secondly, people who form a pair to raise children, have an advantage over those who don't. Once conception has occured, gender is irrelevant to the raising of the child (well, to be fair a female would be required until weaning, but it wouldn't have to be the mother). This would definitely be an advantage in families where one parent has died/left and there is limited mate choice available. (Remember that we have to think in terms of the Pliocene). Kin selection could also come into play here, helping to raise relations offspring with your same sex partner. We couuld test this hypothesis to see if in circumstances where one sex is over-represented, people will form same-sex pair-bonds more often. For example in prisons, and during war. I think that the Isle of Lesbos and Sparta are historical examples of this.
Anywho, I have gone on too long. My point is: just because you personally believe in something, that doesn't make it so.
