When it comes to LGBTIQ+ rights Northern Ireland still has a long way to go, it’s the only part of Great Britain that has not passed marriage equality legislation.

The BBC program The Top Table sees teenagers debating the big issues of the day. The show also films it’s casting sessions and posts the debates to YouTube.

A recent session saw young people arguing over whether or not people are born gay. While several participants reveal that they are gay and confident that their sexuality is not something that they chose or the result of a particular upbringing.

One participant however is adamant that same-sex attracted people made a decision to be gay. “My personal belief is you’re not born gay – it’s a personal choice, it’s a lifestyle that people choose to be.”

“You were born straight it was a lifestyle choice” the young man tells the LGBTIQ participants in the group.

One of the gay members of the group asks “Why would we choose to wake up and think ‘Oh I’m going to put myself through this’, the tears of waking up every night and thinking ‘How am I going to come out? How am I going to get there, How am I going to get through the depression, suicide, anxiety and everything?'”

The young man who argues the people choose to be gay responds that he doesn’t believe people choose to be depressed, but being gay is a lifestyle choice.

Watch the clip below.

OIP Staff