Is LGBTQ+ a Choice?

This is another topic that hits really close to home for me. It also hurts me to see that this is even a discussion. I have a very strong opinion on this that is based on personal experience. When I was a teenager I came out to my parents and after that, the worst years of my life followed. I then did copious amounts of research on this issue trying to find some form of clarity or comfort, and what I found helped me understand myself more. My sophomore English class required us to do a semester-long research project as well as a term paper. I, unfortunately, don't have the paper with me anymore, otherwise, I would site my sources. However, what I found is more recent and relevant than other information that I have seen. The first point that I want to make is that homosexuality is not just a human behavior and in fact is found everywhere in nature. So the argument of homosexuality being "unnatural" is completely and utterly false. Over four hundred species of animals display some form of homosexual behavior, from birds to mammals to reptiles to fish, and even some insects. Because it is something that is found so common in nature, it is bizarre that we as a species have developed such a strong bias and hatred for something that isn't hurting anybody. This leads me to my next and most obvious point, why would anyone choose to be gay if they live in a society where it is considered wrong, wicked, or sinful. There are a lot of countries where being gay is a crime, yet gay people still exist in those countries. I personally don't think that I chose to be a part of the LGBT community. It would have saved me a lot of heartache and pain if I could have chosen to be straight. No one makes a conscious choice to love anybody, love just happens. Unfortunately, based on a lot of people's religious beliefs, gay rights are still challenged not only in America but in other countries as well. Things like conversion therapy should not exist and are proven to be harmful to people, especially if they are teenagers. Conversion therapy has also never proven to change the sexual orientation of any patient, just his or her sexual conduct. If it did work, then why is it that each place experiments in its own way, why is there not just one treatment? It is not only harmful to the mental health of the person being treated, but it is taking advantage of religious families who are not well educated on the topic, taking away their time and resources. There are countless organizations like The American Psychiatric Association that state that homosexuality is not a disease and should not be treated as such. There is also a big difference in conduct and attraction. Think of it as food. Sometimes you might feel hungry, and it is ultimately your choice whether or not you eat something, but that doesn't change the fact that you want to eat. The feelings don't just disappear, and if someone is claiming that they were able to change their sexuality, then it wasn't a change, they always found attraction in that option. This topic is very personal to me, and I have seen people get repercussions for something that they did not want to deal with. Thousands of teenagers go homeless each year and a large portion of them are LGBTQ+ people. It's important to be educated on a topic like this, especially if you have biases towards it, oftentimes education changes your point of view.