Sexual Orientations Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning All Rights

Sexual Orientations Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

A Continuum of Sexual Orientations • Specific sexual orientations include whether an individual: – Engages in sexual behavior with men, women, both, or neither – Feels sexual desire for men, women, both, or neither – Falls in love with men, women, both, or neither – Identifies with a specific sexual orientation Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

A Continuum of Sexual Orientations (cont’d. ) • Types of sexual orientations – Homosexual: orientation toward same sex – Bisexual: orientation toward both same and other sex – Heterosexual: orientation toward other sex – Asexual: no sexual attraction toward either sex Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Kinsey’s Continuum of Sexual Orientation Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Sexual Fluidity • Variability in same-sex and other-sex attraction and involvement at different times and different situations throughout the life span – Significantly more women have experimented sexually with the same sex Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Asexuality and Bisexuality • Asexuality: someone who does not experience sexual attraction – Most asexual people have been their whole lives • Bisexuality: people who have the capacity for attraction to more than one sex – More women identify as bisexual than men – Sometimes judged by heterosexual and homosexual individuals – “Performative bisexuality” Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Homosexuality • Common synonym for homosexual is gay – Used to describe homosexual men and women, as well as social and political concerns related to homosexual orientation – May also be used as a negative label • Acronym LGBTQ: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning – Often used in discussions of civil rights for nonheterosexual people Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Determines Sexual Orientation? • Psychosocial theories – Focus on role of life incidences, parenting patterns, or psychological attributes – Theories include: • “By default” myth: unhappy heterosexual experiences cause a person to become homosexual • Seduction myth: young people are seduced and “turned” by older homosexual people • Freud’s theory: childhood experiences and relationships with parents result in homosexual or heterosexual development Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Determines Sexual Orientation? (cont’d. ) • Research into biological factors – Genetic factors • Identical twin studies • Homosexuality and gender nonconformity – Variation in research findings between homosexual men and women • Causes remain a matter of speculation – Implications if biology is destiny • May lead to greater acceptance Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Societal Attitudes Regarding Homosexuality • Cross-cultural attitudes vary greatly – Wide spread acceptance has been revealed – Some societies require their members to engage in homosexual activities – However, basic human rights violations is common around the world • Judeo-Christian attitudes towards sexuality – Conflicting positions Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Societal Attitudes Regarding Homosexuality (cont’d. ) • Shift from sin to sickness: early 1900 s – 1973: American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from list of mental disorders – Gay-affirmative therapy: therapy to help homosexual clients cope with negative societal attitudes – Conversion therapy/sexual reorientation therapy: therapy to help homosexual men and women change their sexual orientation Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Homophobia • Antihomosexual attitudes – Stigmatize and denigrate any behaviors, identities, relationships, and communities that are not heterosexual – Irrational fear or loathing of homosexual feelings in oneself • Hate crimes – Subject to severer sentences than other crimes Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Homophobia (cont’d. ) • Causes of homophobia and hate crimes – Lack of acceptance and valuing – Traditional gender role stereotypes – Extreme manifestation of cultural norms – Suppression of homosexual feelings • Increasing acceptance – Contact has also increased Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

The Gay Rights Movement • Began in 1969 with Stonewall incident – Police raid on gay bar patrons resulted in a riot • Homosexual civil rights: general areas – Decriminalization of private sexual behavior – Antidiscrimination: employment, military, etc. – Legal civil marriage for same-sex couples Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Countries That Allow Gay Marriage Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Public Approval Of Gay Marriage Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Homosexuality and the Media • Effects of increasing exposure – Greater familiarity and understanding – Portrayal of gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals in a more positive light – In 2014 -2015, the five broadcast networks had 32 regular gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender characters; mainstream cable had approximately 64 LGBT recurring characters Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Coming Out • Acknowledging, accepting, and openly expressing one’s homosexuality – Self-acknowledgement – Self-acceptance – Disclosure • Passing: risks and benefits – Telling family – Involvement in the gay community Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Homosexual Relationships in Context • “Lifestyles” are as varied as heterosexuals – Representing all social classes, occupations, races, religions, and political persuasions • Comparison of gay and straight relationships – Similar relationship satisfaction – Differences in handling disagreements – Lesbians have higher partner expectations and more frequency of orgasm Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Homosexual Relationships in Context (cont’d. ) • Differences between gay men and lesbians in sexual attitude and behavior – Lesbians are likely to have had far fewer sexual partners and associate emotional closeness with sex more than gay men • Family life – Many forms exist in contemporary society – Most laws about adoption by homosexual parents are ambiguous Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Summary • A number of psychosocial and biological theories have attempted to explain the development of homosexuality – Sexual orientation, regardless of where it falls on the continuum, seems to form through a composite of factors unique to each person • Cross-cultural attitudes toward homosexuality range from condemnation to acceptance – United States acceptance continues to increase Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.