🎙️ The Bold Premise
Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, president of the Ruth Institute and Catholic truth-teller extraordinaire, came on the show to call out a major myth:
🚫 “People are born gay.”
She’s not just throwing opinions around. She’s got the science receipts, the philosophical chops, and the Catholic anthropology to back it all up.
🧬 Science Says… Nope.
Let’s talk DNA 🧬 and identical twins 👯♂️ for a sec:
-The 2019 Human Genome Study found no “gay gene.” Not even a combo of genes that would reliably predict same-sex attraction.
-Identical twins: If being gay were genetic, you’d expect both twins to be gay nearly every time. It’s only about 30%, which basically screams: Not born that way.
So… science has entered the chat. 🧑🔬📉
🧠 Thoughts, Feelings, Behavior… It’s Complicated
Dr. Morse explains that “being gay” isn’t even one clearly defined thing. Researchers ask:
-How do you feel?
-What do you do?
-How do you identify?
Surprise! 🔍 Those answers don’t always match up. So, when someone says, “I’m gay,” that could mean a LOT of different things. It’s not like having blue eyes or being left-handed (despite what the memes say).
🚫 Therapy Bans: What’s Really Going On?
There’s a big push to ban conversion therapy. Dr. Morse points out:
That’s basically the government telling your therapist what they can and can’t say to you in a private room.
Yeah. Let that sink in. 🧠
The argument is that therapy like this is “harmful”, but the data doesn’t support that. What we do have is a bunch of ideologically driven fearmongering.
Meanwhile in the Self-Help Aisle…
Timmerie made a good point here…
In a culture OBSESSED with self-improvement:
📚 “Top 5 Hacks to a Better You!”
💪 “Change your habits, change your life!”
… somehow the one thing you can’t change… is your sexuality? 😵
Make it make sense.
You Are Not Your Feelings
At the heart of this conversation is truth:
💡 You are a rational being with free will.
💡 You are not just a bundle of feelings or attractions.
💡 You were created, body and soul, for a purpose.
YES, you can change. People do. All the time. 🙌
💔 But What About My Friends?
Timmerie brought it home emotionally, too. She’s had close friends identify as gay. She gets the tension: especially for Gen Z, who crave authentic friendship but confuse love with approval.
Loving someone doesn’t mean you have to agree with every choice they make. 💛
Sometimes the most loving thing you can do… is gently share the truth.
And to anyone personally struggling with same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria:
🗣️ “This is not the final word on your identity.”
You are more than your feelings. And you are deeply, deeply loved.
🛑 TL;DR: So, What’s the Takeaway?
-No, you’re not born gay. The science doesn’t support it.
-Conversion Therapy isn’t harmful. In fact, people can and do change.
-Catholic teaching is both true and compassionate.
-You are not alone. You are loved. You are seen. And there is hope.
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