I want you gay

by Fred Penzel, PhD

This article was initially published in the Winter edition of the OCD Newsletter. 

OCD, as we understand, 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 establish that among a group of college students, 84% reported the occurrence of sexual intrusive thoughts (Byers, et al. ). In command to have doubts about one’s sexual identity, a sufferer need not ever have had a homo- or heterosexual experience, or any type of sexual experience at all. I have observed this symptom in young children, adolescents, and adults as skillfully. Interestingly Swedo, et al., , create that approximately 4% of children with OCD experience obsessions concerned with forbidden aggressive or perverse sexual thoughts.

Although doubts about one’s control sexual identity might seem pretty straightforward as a symptom, there are actually a number of variations. The most obvious form is where a sufferer experiences the reflection that they mig

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 research into what vertical women want and what straight men want, D&M Research’s managing director Derek Jones has taken the next logical step with his latest study into what gay and bi(sexual) men want.

In order to dig deeper and attract out a true 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 method 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 lgbtq+ and bi men said they desired in a partner (‘stated’) were compared to the qualities introduce in example celebrities they nominated as attractive (‘implied’). The same 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 seize in, these negative messages. Some LGB people endure from mental distress as a result.

A general instinct of personal worth and also a positive view of your sexual orientation are critical for your mental health. You, appreciate many lesbian, gay and bisexual people, may include 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

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