In the past, the LGBTQ community has insisted that homosexuals are born gay. In other words, it was not something they chose but rather it’s who they are. Some even proclaim that God made them that way. This idea seems to have served two purposes; avoiding personal responsibility and gaining political clout for the move toward complete legal equality. The danger of the notion that people are born gay is that it tends to eliminate the possibility of change. The reasoning goes like this; you can’t change the color of your sexual identity any more than you can change the color of your skin.

The slogan “Born this Way” caught on quickly and became a “rallying cry” for the gay rights movement. There’s now a movie by the same title that depicts two young homosexuals in Cameroon in their struggle to find acceptance in a “homophobic” world. Lady Gaga’s album, “Born This Way” was dubbed the Gay Anthem by Elton John. In 2012 the “Born This Way” foundation was created to promote “the wellness of young people and empowering them to create a kinder and braver world.”

However, in recent years the notion that people’s sexuality is genetically fixed has been challenged by new studies. Lisa Diamond is a lesbian feminist who authored the award winning “Sexual Fluidity” in 2009. In an interview in New Scientist she stated, “It’s time to get past ‘born this way.’ Her research contradicts the “born this way” mantra and cites some interesting facts that impact how the issue is being addressed in our culture.

1. Change is possible.

While most Christians will not appreciate Diamond’s assertion that heterosexuality is not static, it does reopen the door for change. It works both ways. If a heterosexual can change to homosexual, a homosexual can change to heterosexual. The insistence that change is impossible often assigns people to hopelessness and despair. I wonder how many homosexual suicides have been prompted by the lie that being gay was something that could never be escaped. Many young gays have admitted to feeling trapped in a lifestyle they did not choose, and because they saw no way out they chose to end their lives. Thus, the acceptance of “sexual fluidity” is an encouraging sign since it holds out the possibility of real change.

2. Conversion Therapy is Attacked

Conversion Therapy covers a wide range of technics employed to change a person’s sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. Some of these technics are psychological and rooted in the principles of psychoanalysis while others are of a more spiritual nature. Most of what people hear about conversion therapy is extremely negative. Generally, it’s labeled a dangerous pseudoscience that has been “discredited as unethical and ineffective.” California’s bill AB 2943 specifically addresses conversion therapy. The bill lists a number of prohibited acts including “Advertising, offering to engage in, or engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with an individual.” Opponents of the bill argue that if it passes the Bible could become a banned book. AB 2943 is basically a gag order and is expected to easily pass into California law. Sadly, any gay, lesbian, or transgender person in that state who desires to change will now find avenues for help severely limited, and ironically, this in one of the most pro-choice states in the union.

3. God is Sovereign

You may have heard the statement, “people never change.” In a sense that is true. We’re all sinners from birth and because our hearts are “deceitful and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9) sexual fluidity often flows outside of God’s prescribed boundaries. There is nothing we can do to change our own hearts. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.” (Jeremiah 13:23)

The good news is that while people never change, people can be changed. The message Christians are to take to the world is a message of change through the power of the gospel. A sovereign God has made provision through the cross of Jesus Christ whereby sinners can receive a new heart. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

The good news is that while people never change, people can be changed.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth and clearly stated that “the sexually immoral, idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality…will not inherit the kingdom of God.” But then he went on to say, “Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

I’m a sinner. I was born this way and so were you. We cannot change that, but we know who can. It’s now time for the church to reach out with renewed determination to the gay community with a message of hope. It’s way time to get past “born this way” and proclaim new life through Jesus Christ.