Abortions based on sexual orientation

[Froge]

So once scientists can figure out how to determine a child's sexual orientation while it's still in the womb, do you think doctors can start giving out abortions based on whether or not the parents agree with their child's sexual orientation?

[Slanderous]

X3

[Wooderson]

Well technically, you can get an abortion for any reason at the moment, so I suppose there is no way to stop people from doing it in that kind of situation anyway, unless you changed how the abortion system worked.

Would be interesting for radical religious people though, not sure if their views towards abortion would change... Probably not.

[i3670]

So homosexuality is genetical?

Edit: Or is this purely theoretical?

[MrBehemoth]

I strongly believe that sexual orientation is not genetic, at least not entirely. It surely must be influenced by developmental psychology and societal factors at least as much as by genetics, if not more.

This could be controversial, but I think that the idea that sexual orientation is dictated by genetics is furthered by those who are choosing to believe that people who aren't hetro are born that way: they want to believe that it's random and it's nobody's fault. If someone needs to excuse sexual orientation like that then it can only be inspired by either homophobia or unwarranted shame. It's sad that this therefore misleads people who aren't either homophobic or ashamed. There is no "gay gene" - it's the way a person's mind develops in their early childhood and on throughout their life. Plus, people's sexual orientation or preference can change over time, and that can't be explained by genetics.

Genetics would also have to be able to explain bisexuality and asexuality, not to mention transgender and various other nuances. Sexuality is not a boolean variable.

Anyway, if it was hypothetically possible, the first problem that came to my mind is what if a "bisexual" foetus tests positive for the "gay gene", but then grows up to have a lifelong, monogamous, hetrosexual marriage?

Besides, the idea itself is abhorrent. Anyone who makes that decision (based on orientation) is not fit to be a parent.

[Kman]

there is definitely genetic and cultural/psychological/etc. factors that go into determining ones sexuality and you're kidding yourself if you think its strictly one or the other

[Kreekakon]

Another more difficult, but more interesting question:

What if the doctors were able to early determine if a fetus was going to turn out to be objectively unhealthy? Such as finding out that the child would be missing limbs, or having some very inconvenient disease. Would it still be wrong to abort such a child for consideration to not let both the child, and likely parents suffer?

[Froge]

I wouldn't say that's a more difficult question. If the children of parents lose a limb or contract a lifelong disease, the parents won't stop loving the child. But perfectly healthy children who tell their parents that they're gay often lose their parents' love.

[Streetboat]

there should be just as many restrictions on abortion as there are on sexual orientation

i.e. none

[Kappa048487127]