The Seduction Myth

Some people believe that young women and men become homosexual because they have been seduced by older homosexual people or because they have been "turned" by someone else—particularly a well-liked and respected teacher who is homosexual. Contrary to these myths, research indicates that sexual orientation is most often estab­lished before school age and that most homosexual people have their first sexual expe­riences with someone close to their own age (Bell et al., 1981). In addition, most gays and lesbians have identified themselves as homosexual prior to their first same-sex contact (Calzo et al., 2011).