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Date Written: 9/11/10 Last Updated: 10/1/13

Note: This does not address the methodology for reestablishing gender identity and nurturing healthy heterosexuality, but it may give clues on where counselors can start with those who wish to eliminate same sex attractions.

Where does same sex attraction come from?  Information on this subject is very difficult to come by.  Here is a list of the causes that I am aware of:

1. Alienation from the father in early childhood, because the father was perceived as hostile or distant, violent or alcoholic, (Apperson 1968; Bene 1965; Bieber 1962; Fisher 1996; Pillard 1988; Sipova 1983)
   
2. Mother was overprotective (boys), (Bieber, T. 1971; Bieber 1962; Snortum 1969)
   
3. Mother was needy and demanding (boys), (Fitzgibbons 1999)
   
4. Mother emotionally unavailable (girls), (Bradley 1997; Eisenbud 1982)
   
5. Parents failed to encourage same–sex identification, (Zucker 1995)
   
6. Lack of rough and tumble play (boys), (Friedman 1980; Hadden 1967a)
   
7. Failure to identify with same/sex peers, (Hockenberry 1987; Whitman 1977)
   
8. Dislike of team sports (boys), (Thompson 1973)
   
9. Lack of hand/eye coordination and resultant teasing by peers (boys), (Bailey 1993; Fitzgibbons 1999; Newman 1976)
   
10. Sexual abuse or rape, (Beitchman 1991; Bradley 1997; Engel 1981; Finkelhor 1984; Gundlach 1967)
    
11. Social phobia or extreme shyness, (Golwyn 1993)
    
12. Parental loss through death or divorce, (Zucker 1995)
    
13. Separation from parent during critical developmental stages. (Zucker 1995)

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I am still looking for information on the cause of same sex attraction in adults.  Here is what I have so far:

1. Pathological narcissism
   
2. Profound Loneliness
   
3. Profound distrust of the opposite sex
   
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   TAGS: homosexuality