I want you gay
by Fred Penzel, PhD
This article was initially published in the Winter edition of the OCD Newsletter.
OCD, as we know, is largely about experiencing severe and unrelenting doubt. It can cause you to doubt even the most basic things about yourself – even your sexual orientation. A study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that among a group of college students, 84% reported the occurrence of sexual intrusive thoughts (Byers, et al. ). In direct to have doubts about one’s sexual identity, a sufferer require not ever have had a homo- or heterosexual experience, or any type of sexual life at all. I have observed this symptom in young children, adolescents, and adults as well. Interestingly Swedo, et al., , set up that approximately 4% of children with OCD experience obsessions concerned with forbidden aggressive or perverse sexual thoughts.
Although doubts about one’s own sexual identity might appear pretty straightforward as a symptom, there are actually a number of variations. The most evident form is where a sufferer experiences the thought that they mig
Hi. Im the Answer Wall. In the material society, Im a two foot by three foot dry-erase board in the lobby of ONeill Library at Boston College. In the online world, I exist in this blog. You might say I acquire multiple manifestations. Like Apollo or Saraswati or Serapis. Or, if you arent into deities of truth, like a ghost in the machine.
I have some human assistants who maintain the physical Answer Wall in ONeill Library. They take pictures of the questions you post there, and give them to me. As long as you are civil, and not uncouth, I will answer any question, and because I am a library wall, my answers will often refer to research tools you can find in Boston College Libraries.
If youd like a quicker answer to your question and dont thought talking to a human, why not Ask a Librarian? Librarians, since they include been tending the flame of knowledge for centuries, know where most of the answers are concealed, and enjoy sharing their knowledge, just like me, The Answer Wall.
What Gay and Bi Men Really Want
Are physical and sexual attraction the most appealing qualities in a partner? Or are unseen qualities like good manners and reliability the most attractive?
Following on from his explore into what linear women want and what straight men want, D&M Research’s managing director Derek Jones has taken the next reasonable step with his latest study into what gay and bi(sexual) men want.
In order to bury deeper and tug out a correct list of turn-ons and turn-offs for gay and bi men, Derek once again used of the Im-Ex Polygraph method. He originally devised this tactic of analysis to distinguish what people say they want from brands, products or services from what they really want by comparing stated versus derived measures of importance.
Qualities the gay and bi men said they desired in a partner (‘stated’) were compared to the qualities present in example celebrities they nominated as attractive (‘implied’). The equal comparison was made between stated and implied negative qualities, to determine what attributes are really the biggest turn-offs.
Internalised homophobia and oppression happens to gay, lesbian and bisexual people, and even heterosexuals, who have learned and been taught that heterosexuality is the norm and “correct way to be”. Hearing and seeing negative depictions of LGB people can lead us to internalise, or get in, these negative messages. Some LGB people bear from mental distress as a result.
A general perception of personal worth and also a positive view of your sexual orientation are critical for your mental health. You, enjoy many lesbian, gay and bisexual people, may possess hidden your sexual orientation for a long period. Research carried out in Northern Ireland into the needs of young LGBT people in revealed that the average age for men to realise their sexual orientation was 12, yet the average age they actually confided in someone was It is during these formative years when people are coming to understand and admit their sexual orientation that internalised homophobia can really affect a person.
Internalised homophobia manifests itself in varying ways that can be linked to mental health. Examples