If being gay is a choice then y do so many "gay" people liv ther lives sufering from discrimnation and hatred?

Im a catholic who is straight and i happen to belive that its alright for someone to be . The only question i have is that if all these people claim that being gay is a choice, then why do so many people choose to suffer because of that. I read an article about gay iraqis being beaten and murdered for being gay. AND what im trying to figure out is that if being gay is a choice, then why do these people go on living their lives knowing they could be hated for their "choice"