Formation of Sexual Identity

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Formation of Sexual Identity

• By Paola Galeano

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Sexual Identity has 2 Different Meanings

• Though some people may look or behave according
  to certain stereotypes, unless people tell us, we
  have no way of knowing their sexual identity
• Not synonymous, however, with sexual orientation
  or preference, but describes how social or
  political influences make people identify
• First describes an identity just based on sexual
  orientation
• -this refers to direction of an individuals
  sexuality which sex or gender that individual
  finds sexually attractive. Most used categories
  are heterosexuality, homosexuality, and
  bisexuality
• Second describes an identity based on sexual
  characteristics (not gender identity)
• -describes the gender with which a person
  identifies (whether one perceives themselves to
  be a man or woman)

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Identity Related to Sexual Orientation

• Describes how a person identifies related to
  their sexual orientation.
• Not everybody will always identify with their
  technical sexual orientation
• Examples
• A married man wants to occasionally have sex with
  men. He may or may not act out on these wishes.
  This would technically make him bisexual, but he
  may still identify himself as a straight man.
• Two asexual people marry. They never have sex or
  want it, but they want the relationship. They may
  sometimes identify as asexual or straight.
• A transman considers his relationship to a cisman
  heterosexual, but both may still identify as gay

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Identity Based on Sexual Characteristics

• Sexual identity is used by psychologists and
  experts of sexology (study of human sexuality) to
  describe the sex with which a person identifies
  or is identified.
• Many scientists have tried to discover the
  biological processes involved in the formation of
  sexual identities, but there is still no settled
  view

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Formation of Sexual Identity

• Ones sexual identity is not likely to be the
  result of any single factor, even though some
  scientists seek causes of sexual identity.
• Some factors related to the final determination
  of sexual identity have not yet been identified,
  although ones sexual orientation is usually
  believed to be established during early
  childhood, before the age of 5
• Sexual identity evolves through a multi-stage
  developmental process, which varies in intensity
  and duration depending on the individual
• Our sexual behavior and how we define ourselves
  (our identity) is usually a choice, and
  sometimes, people dont even define themselves
• Factors
• -Genetic Factors
• -Pre-Natal Factors
• -Post-Natal Factors

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Genetic Factors

• Chromosomes play a large part in determining the
  sexual identity of a child.
• Normally for humans, the configurations are XX
  and XY for female and male respectively, but this
  is not always the case
• There is no gay gene, but the genotype of an
  individual may make his or her sensitivities to
  various sex hormones different from the
  sensitivities of other people
• One's genetic make-up largely determines how one
  will react to environmental factors

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Pre-Natal Factors

• The fetus is nurtured within the mother's womb,
  and the condition of the mother has significant
  influence on the health and development of that
  fetus
• Ex a tumor in the mother's body leads to an
  abnormally high level of testosterone in her
  blood stream, the testosterone level in the fetus
  can be raised and that change can significantly
  influence its development. (an XX fetus can
  develop into a baby with a strong resemblance to
  a normally developed XY boy)

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Post Natal Factors

• the later on in life the sex of an infant is
  reassigned from male to female or vice-versa, the
  greater the confusion and turmoil that child will
  suffer
• Much criticism has been raised against surgical
  reassignment until the individual is able to make
  a decision because the gender identity of the
  individual is generally more important to the
  individual than the technicalities of chromosomal
  sex, and even genitalia
• The causes of transgender and transsexuality are
  not well known, but preliminary evidence suggests
  biological causes
• many specialists agree that the greatest
  importance should be placed upon coming to terms
  with one's internal gender identity

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Vivenne Casss Coming Out Stages

• Stage 1 Identity Confusion
• Who am I?
• Acknowledgment of the sexual element of being
  different is often accompanied with feelings of
  denial, shame, anxiety, and ambivalence
• A lot of emotional turmoil
• Ex A woman faces a conflict between the process
  of socialization, which say that she will
  probably marry and have a family, this may pull
  her toward wanting intimacy with other women

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Stage 2 Identity Comparison

• Rationalization
• "I may be a homosexual, but then again I may be
  bisexual," "Maybe this is just temporary," or,
  "My feelings of attraction are simply for just
  one other person of my own sex and this is a
  special case." "I am the only one in the world
  like this.
• Reducing alienation
• Reacts positively to being "different
• Accepts the "homosexual" meaning of one's
  behavior, but finds a homosexual self-image
  undesirable
• Accepts self as "homosexual" and behavior as
  having homosexual meaning, but views behavioral
  component as undesirable.
• Sees self and behaviors as undesirable and wishes
  to change both.

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Stage 3 Identity Intolerance

• "I probably am a homosexual" stage, the person
  begins to contact other homosexuals to
  counteract feelings of isolation and alienation
• merely tolerates rather than fully accepts a gay
  or lesbian identity. The feeling of not belonging
  with heterosexuals becomes stronger
• If contacts with homosexuals are negative
  (unrewarding), the person devalues the gay
  subculture.
• Positive contacts can have the effect of making
  other gay and lesbian people appear more
  significant and more positive to the person at
  this stage, leading to a more favorable sense of
  self and a greater commitment to a homosexual
  self-identity.

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Stage 4 Identity Acceptance

• There is continued and increased contact with
  other gay and/or lesbian people in this stage,
  where friendships start to form.
• Individual can accept rather than merely tolerate
• Earlier questions of "Who am I?" and "Where do I
  belong?" have been answered
• Individual can also selectively disclose a
  homosexual identity to significant heterosexuals

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Stage 5 Identity Pride

• This is the "These are my people" stage
• Individual feels anger at heterosexuals and
  devalues many of their institutions (e.g.
  marriage, gender-role structures, etc.)
• Individual discloses their identity to more and
  more people and wishes to be immersed in the gay
  or lesbian subculture consuming its literature,
  art, and other forms of culture.
• For some at this stage, the combination of anger
  and pride motivates the person into action
  against perceived homophobia producing an
  "activist."

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Stage 6 Identity Synthesis

• Intense anger at heterosexuals softens
• For some at this stage, the combination of anger
  and pride energizes the person into action
  against perceived homophobia producing an
  "activist.
• A lesbian or gay identity becomes an integral and
  integrated aspect of the individual's complete
  personality structure