Gay\transgender -- not by genetics, not by upbringing, not by choice

On the other hand, consider the actress Cynthia Nixon who recently said that for her the decision to be homosexual was a choice.Now, I can think of several reasons why she would say such a thing and it not be true. But my point is that she is at least making the claim. Thus, we must consider the possibility that, for some people, it may be a choice. The spectrum of human sexuality is wide.For many, it's impossible to imagine how or why anyone would be attracted to someone of the same sex because they themselves are not. Perhaps it's equally difficult for any of us to imagine that sexuality could be a choice because it's not a choice for us.

I agree with everything you said, and add the following:It seems to me that a universe of one comparison of two individuals is a bit small for sweeping conclusions about everyone on the planet.

Funny, the straight, asexual and amoral people I know want the same thing. But some of the transgender people I know want to change.Why shouldn't everyone get what they want? What harm does it to anyone else if someone wants gender reassignment surgery?

Ever heard of Oregon, Montana or Washington?

My understanding is that the standard is stiffer, if you'll pardon the expression. I believe surgery requires months or years of psychological therapy beforehand. Not sure about the multiple witnesses and doctors. And, IIRC, there are several months or years of hormone therapy before surgery.Nobody gets this done on a whim during a three day vacation.

Perhaps if you had not begun by apparently assuming it's done on a lark, or learned a bit more about it before condemning the practice, you might not have had the same reception.

I'd be most curious to hear what definition of "liberal" you are using that would apply to my posts in this thread.

You are mistaken. I have no particular love for homosexuals, transsexuals or "genderqueer," as you so quaintly refer to them. They make me uncomfortable in the extreme and I generally try to avoid them. But I also happen to think they have the same right to the pursuit of whatever makes them happy as anyone else.

Again, not being personally familiar with the phenomenon, I'm only repeating what I've picked up here and there. But my understanding is that often the issue has nothing to do with how society treats them, but with how they view themselves, their own body image.

I imagine it's like just about every other aspect of human psychology and a mix of a lot of things.