Having had the same sort of thought, I believe what I was reacting to was the feeling that this idea seemed just slightly too convenient to be the result of ent

Having had the same sort of thought, I believe what I was reacting to was the feeling that this idea seemed just slightly too convenient to be the result of entirely open-ended inquiry. But then again I have seen the terrible devastation that was brought upon some less fortunate friends when they realised they were gay: teenagers driven into isolation (and, once, suicide) by their former "friends"; beloved members of their respective communities and/or families having to start from scratch, just because those communities happened to be "conservative". I'm having a hard time believing anybody would choose such suffering with anything approaching a sensible definition of the term "free choice". It's also important to remember that "born that way" is mostly just the headline of a more complex story of how sexuality is understood, one that even progressive activists wouldn't oppose. This sees homo/hetero-sexuality not as a binary choice, but as a spectrum. There's a set point you're born with. Then there's an overlay of culture–just think how much more acceptable it is for women to kiss than it is for men. Finally, there is some wiggle room any individual may experience over the span of their lives, or even just the span of a day given the right intoxicating substances. This doesn't contradict the idea of inborn sexual orientation, because (see above) cultural and experiential factors are almost definitely not able to overcome biology for many. But it may help to overcome any cognitive dissonance you feel.