Homosexual Outcome of Discordant Gender Identity/Role in Childhood

Abstract

Prospective, longitudinal studies of childhood sexuality are rare. Few people are able to commit themselves to a longitudinal study and remain budgeted long enough to complete it. In addition, the sexual taboo of our society is particularly antithetical to the recognition of sexuality in childhood, let alone the study of it. Until recently, if a problem of gender identity showed up in a boy’s development, the usual medical tradition was to prophesy that he would grow out of it at puberty. This tradition is completely contradicted by the evidence of retrospective studies of the developmental antecedents of homosexuality, bisexuality, transvestism, and transsexualism, all of which typically have a history dating back to prepuberty.