This is miraculous news showing the gay switch is in the head. Now we can narrow the focus and flip the (*)(*)(*)(*) thing off. I always knew it was a mental disease, just like Pedophilia.
(Thanks to rstones199) Now do yourself a favor and watch the Star Trek Next Generation episode, "The Outsider".
I have to admit this is a crazy story. I did some research, and this has actually happened several times in both men and women. Even found one case of a gay to straight example. The thing most of you are probably ignoring is that doctors have theorized that the brain's neurological pathways often re-route themselves after serious incidents. They may cause a blind person to see, or a sighted person to go blind. Several other instances show re-written elements for hand dominance (left or right handed), memory, some find them unable to do things that the did very well before and some find themselves able to do things they were poor at. The brain is largely unknown in how it works. If anything this proves that being a homosexual is controlled by the brain, not by "what someone wants". There goes that argument. I feel bad for the girlfriend but in the end he is happy. http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/tbi.htm http://www.headinjury.com/brainmap.htm http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-Our-Brains-Make-Memories.html http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Woman-struggles-to-regain-memory-after-serious-2196036.php http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/11/481/pdf/yancosek.pdf
Of course. The only question left is: How (exactly) does the "brain" get that way? Reasonable and credible mental health experts already agree, that people don't "choose" to their sexual-orientation.
It would likely have been far more tragic, if the two were married with children. Still, there is a possibility that love/friendship could win out (in some way).
I just spent about ten minutes searching for it, including two complete episode lists...it does not exist.
It could be called The Outcast. That is the only episode that seems to come close. According to Wiki, the episode plot is: I cannot find an episode called 'The Outsider' either.
That's the one. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708815/ "While aiding an androgynous race who lost a couple of members in an unmapped region of space, Riker falls for one of them, which can lead to trouble if detected, since the alien race does not endorse gender specificity."
The thing I find suspicious is that he changed not only his orientation but his whole appearance and demeanor. There's actually a gay rugby club in my town and last I heard they were pretty good. Most of the players look far more like the guy in the before picture than the one in the after.
I am familiar with it...but that doesn't tell the whole story. The Genai's laws force them to suppress gender identity...though many exhibit it, male or, in the case of Soren (Riker's romantic interest), female.
Here is what the APA says. I admit there are numerous personal opinions about human sexuality; even so, the opinions of reputable experts will be more helpful than the mere opinions of a few folks posting within an internet forum. If nothing else, the thoughts formed/stated have face far more 'scrutiny' than the words any one of us would post in these fora. To me, this is just an exercise, and activity. When I'm serious, I go to the experts (pro/con), digest many of their opinions, views and science... then make up my own mind. On top of that, I talk to and get to know people on all sides of the issues and add my own personal experiences. So yes, making sense of all this (regardless of one's moral views or personal values) takes time/effort. And Sly, what you're saying is garbage to 'me'; I hope others realize and accept what I'm saying (ultimately) is reasonable.
What this case tells us is that the brain is a complex organ, and one that attempts to adapt in instances of injury. It does not tell us anything about how same-sex orientation arises in people who have not experienced such injuries, and doesn't even begin to imply that it can be "cured". What it does hint at is the possibility that brain structure plays a role in orientation. The question then becomes how the brain structure of people who are same-sex oriented differs from those of opposite-sex orientation. Some research already indicates that such differences exist, but proving their relation to orientation is another matter, as is understanding how those differences in brain structure arise. It appears the differences are profound enough to likely be innate. So while this case is intriguing, it doesn't affirm what Slyhunter or others who harbor a similar anti-gay bias might wish us to believe about it.
What will happen if one day medical science finds proof that it's a gene defect or mental disorder? Then what?