DR. WALLACE: I'm a 16-year-old girl and I'm finally allowed to date, but only boys who are "hand-picked" by my mom. So far, she has "picked" only three boys who attend our church. So far, none of them have asked me out, and it's just as well because even if they did, I would have to say, "No, thank you." None of them are my type, and I don't have anything in common with any of them. My mom thinks they are sweet boys, and she thinks since they go to our church they will be real gentlemen.

I consider myself a very sensible young lady. I'm a good student and have very high moral standards. I feel perfectly capable of choosing my own dates, and I hope that you agree that girls should be allowed to decide which boys they will go out with.

If you agree with me, please print my letter in your column, but if you agree with my mom, never mind printing it since my mom also reads your column and I don't want her to have more support for her point of view. — Nameless, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

NAMELESS: I'm on your side! While I'm a firm believer that parents should know whom their teen is dating and have a right to veto someone they consider untrustworthy, they should not "hand-pick" their child's dates. That's going too far.

Not only do young people have a right to make their own friends — of either sex — they also need to learn how to make wise choices. An overly controlling parent, who insists on making crucial life choices for his or her child, denies the child the opportunity to learn and grow and come naturally to a secure, gradual sense of independence. Too much parental control breeds resentment and often leads to teen decision-making that is aimed primarily at defying parental wishes.

Your mother needs to learn to express her concerns to you about dating, and then trust you to make sensible choices.

I WOULD VOTE FOR A WOMAN TO BE PRESIDENT

DR. WALLACE: My teacher said she would give me an A on this assignment if you would answer my question in your column. Would you vote for a female to be president of the United States? Be honest! — Kelly, Atlanta, Ga.

KELLY: Yes, I would vote for a qualified female presidential candidate if I agreed with her vision for our country. It's possible that both parties could nominate a woman to run in 2016, which would guarantee a female president.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION HAS LOTS OF CONJECTURE

DR. WALLACE: I've been dating Todd for over a year. He lives alone with his mother. His parents are divorced and he has not seen his father in over two years. Yesterday I was talking with Todd's cousin and I asked her where Todd's father was. She told me that he lived in California and that his parents divorced because his father was gay. This really surprised me.

I told my mother about this and she said that the father must have been a latent homosexual (it shows up later in life) and that homosexuality is an inherited trait and that it's possible that Todd could become gay when he is older. Is this really possible? — Nameless, Lowell, Mass.

NAMELESS: I am not an authority on this subject, but my research shows that sexual orientation is not an inherited trait. I'm sure I'll receive mail with some readers who will disagree with me.

Human sexuality causes great debate and, unfortunately, sexual orientation has little scientific fact and lots of unscientific conjecture.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.