Myth: Homosexuality Linked To Sexual Trauma

HOMOSEXUALITY IS CAUSED BY SEXUAL TRAMA

These myths include; no one is born gay, gay people can choose to leave homosexuality whenever he or she feels like it, and people become homosexual because they were sexually abused as children or there was a deficiency in sex-role modeling by their parents. These myths will be shown to be exactly what they are - myths.  

A straight white man will never wake up in the morning with anxious fear that he might have to come out as a straight person later that day. He will never feel the pressure of having to explain his sexuality to his friends, family, and loved ones. Most importantly, he will never wake up and ask himself, “Why me?”. These are all concerns and questions that members of the LGBTQ community face every single day of their lives only because they are an “Other”. They are a minority group that defies the social norms and guidelines of what it means to be a “normal” and “acceptable” member of society.  Therefore, the easiest way of explaining there existence is labeling their identity as a condition. But even more so, a condition that not only developed over time or from circumstances, but a condition that is treatable. However, no study has ever shown that gays, lesbians, bisexuals, or transgendered individuals “developed” their “condition” from sexual abuse early in their lives.  Research has shown that sexual abuse does not appear to be any more prevalent among children who grow up and identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual than in children who grow up and identify as heterosexual. Some studies that have been conducted do show slightly higher percentages of homosexual individuals being victims of sexual abuse, however, other studies show the exact opposite. There are studies that show homosexuality is prevalent in individuals with close relationships with their mothers, and contradicting studies that show it is actually the fathers presence, and even more studies that shows it is the lack of presence by the father. What can be seen here is a relentless attempt to explain what one does not understand. Public belief in the stereotype is what fuels these attempts to explain the “problem” so that we can not only find out the cause, but learn ways to “correct it”.