THE FREUDIAN CONSTRUCTION OF SEXUALITY - THE GAY FOUNDATIONS OF HETEROSEXUALITY AND STRAIGHT HOMOPHOBIA

In developing his theory of male sexual preference, Freud asserted tha t heterosexual as well as homosexual preferences required explanation, that neither could be assumed to be innate. His theory of the oedipal complex, however, held that the heterosexual outcome was the ''normal '' resolution, while the homosexual outcome represented arrested sexua l development. In the normal resolution the boy identifies as a male w ith the father, gives up the mother as a love object, and later substi tutes another woman of his choice for the mother. The author of the fo llowing article, following the theorizing of Laplanche, claims that th ere is an unavoidable homosexual component or residue in the heterosex ual resolution which is implicit in Freudian theory. In the resolution of the complex the boy has the choice of both parents as love objects or as persons with whom to identify. In the heterosexual resolution t he boy identifies with the father as a rival for the mother's affectio n. But love and identification are not entirely discrete processes. Th e identification with the father involves love for the father. The het erosexual resolution of the oedipal conflict is bought at the price of the homosexual resolution which, however, is not completely surrender ed. The homophobia of heterosexual males, the author asserts, is the r esult of the remnants of homosexuality in the heterosexual resolution of the oedipal conflict.