Heterosexual Male Identity Development

The concept of heterosexual identity development has only recently begun to gain attention in the field of psychology. This serves as an important advancement for the profession because it disrupts the common societal assumption that the identity category of heterosexuality is uniform and “natural.” Furthermore, placing the lens on heterosexual male identity development is particularly relevant to psychology and gender because of the powerful ways in which sexuality and gender are entangled in our heteropatriarchal society.

For the purpose of clarification, it is important to note that the terms sexual orientation and sexual identity are distinct constructs despite the fact that they have historically been used interchangeably. First, sexual orientation is narrower and refers specifically to an individual’s attraction and/or behavioral inclinations toward one or more ...