Born This Way Blog

A Los Angeles based blogger by the name of Paul V. has created an interesting, sort of, online photo essay.  The Born This Way Blog is a space where gay men and women are encouraged to post childhood photos and stories of themselves. The goal is to show that they were born this way.
"People need to realize that 20 and 30 years ago they were just awkward kids who were struggling in their junior high and high schools. Even if they didn't know they were -- quote -- 'gay' at the time, they knew they were different," he says.

Jennifer Smith of CNN has more: Link

Comments (12)

Newest 5
Newest 5 Comments

@Randall - Yes, of course BTWB makes the claim that gay people are born gay. I never suggested otherwise. (As you point out... it's in the name of the blog.) All I'm saying is simply that they do not advance this claim as a justification for gay equality.

Now, your free will argument:

Yes, we have free will. Yes, people who do not control their actions are a menace. But we're talking about instinct here, not actions. And whereas I have control over my actions, most of my instincts are indeed preprogrammed.

I can't just decide not to feel pain, not to get hungry, not to get scared. That's hardwired - I was born that way, I can't help it. Does conceeding that point mean surrendering free will? Of course not. I can choose to steel myself against pain, I can choose to fast, I can be brave in the face of fear. The instinct is preprogrammed, but I decide what to do about it. THAT is free will.

Sexual orientation is the same way. I've been gay my whole life - no matter what I do, I find myself attracted to men and not attracted to women. Am I ruled by these instincts? Again, no. My decision to obey those instincts is both conscious and deliberate. I could pursue women if I so chose, whether I'm attracted to them or not. But even if I did that, I'd still be gay. And since I can think of no reason to follow that path, I don't.

See what I mean?
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@Limbo

Well, I believe that self-evalution is a big problem in all areas of our culture, and the difference between productivity and being mired in self-absorption. We've lost sight of our ability to evolve in this regard, and instead embrace egotism and self-indulgence. With some very serious consequences.

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@Randall - It's not crap. We must first realize we are not free, and that our thoughts, feelings, emotions etc... are contingent on domains of self-evaluation. We go through a radical deconstruction of our character, reigning in the determinants. It is in-fact, through determinism, that one becomes free. But freedom of this sort is gifted/earned. All this contingency and self-evaluation is Babylon, Maya, Hell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuiKJ0rRTAo&feature=related
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Born this way, does make the argument that they were 'born that way.'

They were not. The idea that you have no free will and are preprogrammed to do whatever you want is crap. If you don't think you have any more control over yourself than an animal than you should be put in a cage, which is usually what we do to people who do not control themselves.

I believe that 'grew this way' would be more appropriate. Gays became gay because thats what made them happy. I don't think they are crazy or victums of abuse or mentally deficient, I think they are living the way that makes them happy, just like I live the way that makes me happy.
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I did try to read the discussion here, but it was long and boring.

Being "born this way" helps to take some of the pressure off of playing the blame game - whose fault it is that you turned out the way you did. And people tend to try and discover why someone didn't turn out "normal".

I would compare it to alcoholism and AA's theory that you have no control over your "disease" of alcoholism. Once you accept the fact that you are who you are, you give up trying to change your sexual preference to fit in.
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It is grip of a combined keyhole/crosscut saw. The keyhole saw is separable by pulling the „trigger“ and moving the grip upwards leaving the lower part of the grip with teh crosscut blade behind, unfortunately the blades are missing...

in case i won i would like „If You're Not Part of the Solution...“ S Ladies fit
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It is an old circumcision hammer. Designed for the nervous mohel-in-training, it would be cocked and placed over the knife and the... ahem... target. When the release was activated, the hammer would strike the top edge of the knife, making the cut quickly and neatly, only rarely resulting in emasculation or the removal of a finger.

Brainier than the Average Bear, XXL.
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One of the first prototypes for Orin Scrivello, DDS, manipulating/mutilating, air/water syringes. Too bad it couldn't be used to clean the meat out of Audrey 2's mouth.

Med, women's, navy, hippo potty mouth.
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I think it's an ancient version of the light-saber. What you can see here in the picture is the light-saber's handle. You pull the trigger and the laser beams goes out from the top.:D

Run Ewok Run! T-shirt size male S Color Serene Green
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It's a locking faucet handle. It locks to either keep the water from running, or maybe it's for hot water so you wouln't accidentally burn yourself?

Spectroscopists Do It Until It Hertz - XL
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Well, the manufacturer's mark reads "Southern Beauty - Reg US Pat Off". Based on that, I'd tend to think it's some sort of cosmetic tool, but I can't come up with any sort of cosmetic use for it. The trigger obviously actuates the steel piston in the handle. Best guess, it's a stamp machine, since a piece of paper or thing leather is about the largest thing you could fit into the bottom slot. Though if that's the case, Patria wins since she guessed an embosser, and that's pretty much the same thing.
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An old Harbinger hook. And in case I'm butchering the spelling, one of those hook time things you see hikers and climber wear around their belt to hold water bottles.

What happens at nana's xl blue.
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It's a piece of late 1800's early doomsday weapon. This piece, made up of 2 interlocking guns attaches to other pieces to create an automatic cannon to make enemies of the Confederacy. Fortunately, a witty, wise cracking lawman named Jim West thwarted the evil plot. To prevent the weapon from ever falling into the wrong hands, the President ordered it dismantled and its pieces scattered across the country.

What happens at nana's xl blue.
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This is a paper-clip designed by the Totally Over-Engineered Design Company. Their other inventions include the Thermonuclear Coffee-maker and the 250hp clothes-peg

Heart Deco S
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It is a saw handle, useful for handling saws. Before its invention, using saws was very dangerous to the fingers, so people used trained beavers. This little invention put hundreds of beaver trainers out of work, and they congregated in Wisconson, drinking from dusk to midnight, then going out on 'Beaver-runs,' causing untold destruction. Finally, the Wisconson National Guard was called out and the hooliganism ended. Wisconsin is now known for its calmness and cheese.

Tshirt, Green, XL half the people you know are below average.
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It is the only alien gift-artefact form the Rosswell incident not captured by the US government but still privately owned...

you can see the figure of an alien depicted at the section of the artefact that seems to be a kind of andle or grip.. The alien has two eyes no nose a mouth and a telekinetic organ in the middle of the forehead (and therefore needs no hands.)

The L-shaped ornament points to the home planet (or to the position of the orbiting mother ship), and the spaceship ornament on the left upper sind indicates the alien's spaceship withe the aureola of the alien spaceship pilot...

The only aspect still under examination is the alien spaceship registration number "105" at the radome of the spaceship ornament..

Or it is just Ford Prefect's "electronic thumb" from the "hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy"...

I want to believe ... alien version 2XL.. Ladies fit
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It's a controller for for a circa 1889 Wii, then known as a Nintendo Hokkai Patented Lucky Pucky Plucker.

This isn't the life I ordered size M
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