Riddle Me This...

     According to a vast amount of individuals who do not, never have, or seemingly never will identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, homosexuality is a sinful choice that will eventually lead to a life of misery and despair. However, the average individual who identifies as either gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender will emphatically state that the sexual orientation of a human being cannot be altered or influenced by any means. Though there are various opinions pertaining to whether or not homosexuality is a choice, it is safe to assume that both sides agree on the idea that an individual cannot choose who they fall in love with. With that said, riddle me this homophobes, if it is true that an individual cannot choose who they fall in love with, how and why would it be possible to choose that particular individual's gender? If anyone feels as though they have a definitive answer to this, they are more than welcome to post their response in the comment section below.

No Means No (Not Just In the English Language)!

     So the primary issue that this particular post will cover is one of which the average human being (regardless of one's sexual preference) has most likely dealt with at least once in their everyday life. Many individuals can relate to the seemingly random yet bother-some scenario when (typically) a guy that is far from intriguing or attractive will attempt to engage someone in conversation in an effort to obtain their phone number, and in many cases, a possible hook-up. Now that the base scenario is established, there seems to be only one question to ask: "Why is it that when someone is attempting to be generous with a guy's feelings and politely decline, it gives the guy even more incentive to annoy that individual even further?" If and when either a man or a woman (again, regardless of their sexual preference) is doing their best to not be rude and inconsiderate by saying "no," it seems as if in the guy's mind, "no" means "yes," which could only be the furthest thing from the truth.
     Often times, guys will attempt to act as if they were disinterested in someone who had just rejected them in order to avoid the feeling of embarrassment; however, there are a chosen few who cannot seem to take no for an answer, and continue to believe that they have a chance to hook-up with their individual of interest. In some instances, not taking "no" for an answer can be considered to be somewhat persistent, as well as displaying a certain level of determination; however, for a man to continuously pester an individual who has blatantly proven a strong disinterest in them is simply pathetic on many levels. There is no adequately explored reason for a man to pursue a one-night stand with a random individual that not only has no interest in him, but an individual that they know absolutely nothing about, let alone a relationship.
     The average individual on the receiving end of the harassment typically hopes that a consistent stream of declining will eventually put an end to the advances. While in some instances this may work, others may eventually succumb to the harassment as a means of pacification due to a lack of success with the previously stated solution. However, this particular "solution" could actually cause much more harm than good since there is virtually no definitive way to determine what a persistent harasser  may be capable of in terms of the recipient's well-being. Unfortunately, there are numerous negative outcomes that can occur if one were to resort to the pacifier "solution" as a means to end the harassment such as abduction and/or rape, which could lead to the possibility of STDs/STIs; some of which are incurable. In some instances, this "solution" could end in death. With that said, it is extremely important for individuals of all genders and sexual orientations to know for certain that no one has the right to forcibly impose their will on others, and the simple fact that the word "no" truly means "no."