US billboard claims ‘nobody is born gay’
By Josh Haggis
A US billboard has claimed that being gay is a choice.
The advertisement – currently on Interstate 95 in Virginia – was paid for by US religious group Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays’, who argue that “nobody is born gay,” and say that it is possible to change the gender of a person someone is sexually attractive to.
Check out the billboard below:
The advertisement claims that twin research has shown that being gay is a choice – which directly contradicts scientific evidence from a twin study released last month (November) that found that sexuality is determined by genetics. Find out more here.
The American Psychological Association have released a statement condemning the billboard’s message, arguing that the viewpoint has been “rejected by all the major mental health professions.”
“Some religion-based organizations … have invested significant resources in the promotion of sexual orientation conversion therapy and ex-gay ministries to educators and young people in conferences, in advertising, and in the media,” they explained.
“The most important fact about these ‘therapies’ is that they are based on a view of homosexuality that has been rejected by all the major mental health professions,” they added.
Responding to the criticism, the group behind the billboard released a statement saying: “We find it interesting that the attacks against the billboard and ex-gay community have nothing to do with the facts.”
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