SpringerLink
Log in

The Historically Contingent, Culturally Specific, and Contested Nature of Sexual Identities

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Queer Theory and Psychology

Abstract

In this chapter on sexuality, we examine three foundational postulations from queer theory. The first postulation is that the historical construction of sexuality, and same-sex desire in particular, tends to be based on binary thinking that positions same-sex desire as either universal (a “universalizing” view of same-sex sexuality) or as a disposition common to a minority of the population (a “minoritizing” view of same-sex sexuality). In contrast, queer theory moves away from a binary view of sexuality to conceptualize it as fluid. The second postulation is that people’s sexuality is shaped by interlocking forms of oppression such as colonialism, racism, sexism, and class oppression. The intersections of interlocking forms of oppression configure sexual identities and desires in unique ways. The third postulation is the rejection of a hierarchy of sexual practices and a focus on the proliferation of sexual categories to disrupt that hierarchy. We juxtapose these three key ideas with a review of critical psychology research, showing how psychological studies moved from a universalizing to a minoritizing view of same-sex desire, with a recent turn back towards the universalizing approach. We describe psychological contributions on the manner in which LGBTQ identities are different among people of color compared to white people as well as research that examines the influence of neoliberal ideology on sexual agency. We explore recent psychological studies related to BDSM and kink, polyamory, and asexuality. Assessing the convergence and divergence between psychology and queer thought leads us to critique the notion that a proliferation of sexual identities is necessarily libratory; instead, we argue for a more intersectional approach to sexual identities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
EUR 29.95
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
EUR 96.29
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
EUR 128.39
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
EUR 128.39
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aguero, J. E., Bloch, L., & Byrne, D. (1984). The relationships among sexual beliefs, attitudes, experience, and homophobia. Journal of Homosexuality, 10(1–2), 95–107. https://doi.org/10.1300/j082v10n01_07

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, M., & Pillard, R. (1991a, December 17). Are some people born gay? New York Times, 21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, J. M., & Pillard, R. C. (1991b). A genetic study of male sexual orientation. Archives of General Psychiatry, 48(12), 1089–1096. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1991.01810360053008

  • Bailey, J. M., Vasey, P. L., Diamond, L. M., Breedlove, S. M., Vilain, E., & Epprecht, M. (2016). Sexual orientation, controversy, and science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(2), 45–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100616637616

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Balzer Carr, B., Ben Hagai, E., & Zurbriggen, E. L. (2017). Queering Bem: Theoretical intersections between Sandra Bem’s scholarship and queer theory. Sex Roles, 76, 655–668. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0546-1

  • Barker, M.-J., & Gill, R. (2012). Sexual subjectification and Bitchy Jones’s Diary. Psychology and Sexuality, 3(1), 26–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2011.627693

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, R. (2007). Playgrounds and new territories: The potential of BDSM to queer genders. In D. Langdridge & M. Barker (Eds.), Safe, sane, and consensual: Contemporary perspectives on sado-masochism (pp. 177–194). Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste (R. Nice, Trans.). Harvard University Press. (Original work published 1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bay-Cheng, L. Y. (2015). The agency line: A neoliberal metric for appraising young women’s sexuality. Sex Roles, 73, 279–291. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0452-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bay-Cheng, L. Y., & Eliseo-Arras, R. K. (2008). The making of unwanted sex: Gendered and neoliberal norms in college women’s unwanted sexual experiences. Journal of Sex Research, 45(4), 386–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490802398381

  • Bay-Cheng, L. Y., & Bruns, A. E. (2016). Yes, but: Young women’s views of unwanted sex at the intersection of gender and class. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 40(4), 504–517. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684316653902

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bay-Cheng, L. Y., & Goodkind, S. A. (2016). Sex and the single (neoliberal) girl: Perspectives on being single among socioeconomically diverse young women. Sex Roles, 74(5–6), 181–194. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0565-y

  • Bay-Cheng, L. Y., Fitz, C. C., Alizaga, N. M., & Zucker, A. N. (2015). Tracking homo oeconomicus: Development of the Neoliberal Beliefs Inventory. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 3(1), 71–88. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v3i1.366

  • Ben Hagai, E., Annechino, R., Young, N., & Antin, T. (2020). Intersecting sexual identities, oppressions, and social justice work: Comparing LGBTQ Baby Boomers to Millennials who came of age after the 1980s AIDS epidemic. Journal of Social Issues, 76, 971–992. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bogaert, A. F. (2004). Asexuality: Prevalence and associated factors in a national probability sample. Journal of Sex Research, 41(3), 279–287. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490409552235

  • Bogaert, A. F. (2006). Toward a conceptual understanding of asexuality. Review of General Psychology, 10(3), 241–250. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.10.3.241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowleg, L. (2008). When Black+ lesbian+ woman≠ Black lesbian woman: The methodological challenges of qualitative and quantitative intersectionality research. Sex Roles, 59(5), 312–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9400-z

  • Bowleg, L. (2012). The problem with the phrase women and minorities: Intersectionality—an important theoretical framework for public health. American Journal of Public Health, 102(7), 1267–1273. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2012.300750

  • Bowleg, L., Huang, J., Brooks, K., Black, A., & Burkholder, G. (2003). Triple jeopardy and beyond: Multiple minority stress and resilience among Black lesbians. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 7(4), 87–108. https://doi.org/10.1300/J155v07n04_06

  • Bowleg, L., Burkholder, G., Teti, M., & Craig, M. L. (2008). The complexities of outness: Psychosocial predictors of coming out to others among Black lesbian and bisexual women. Journal of LGBT Health Research, 4(4), 153–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/15574090903167422

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bowleg, L., Teti, M., Malebranche, D. J., & Tschann, J. M. (2013). “It’s an uphill battle everyday”: Intersectionality, low-income Black heterosexual men, and implications for HIV prevention research and interventions. Psychology of men & masculinity, 14(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028392

  • Brewster, M. E., Soderstrom, B., Esposito, J., Breslow, A., Sawyer, J., Geiger, E., … Cheng, J. (2017). A content analysis of scholarship on consensual nonmonogamies: Methodological roadmaps, current themes, and directions for future research. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 6(1), 32–47. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000074

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brim, M. (2020). Poor queer studies: Confronting elitism in the university. Duke University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brotto, L. A., & Yule, M. A. (2011). Physiological and subjective sexual arousal in self-identified asexual women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40(4), 699–712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-010-9671-7

  • Brotto, L. A., & Yule, M. (2017). Asexuality: Sexual orientation, paraphilia, sexual dysfunction, or none of the above? Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46(3), 619–627. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0802-7

  • Brotto, L. A., Knudson, G., Inskip, J., Rhodes, K., & Erskine, Y. (2010). Asexuality: A mixed methods approach. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39, 599–618. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9434-x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burleigh, T. J., Rubel, A. N., & Meegan, D. V. (2017). Wanting ‘the whole loaf’: Zero-sum thinking about love is associated with prejudice against consensual non-monogamists. Psychology & Sexuality, 8(1–2), 24–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2016.1269020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Califia, P. (2000). Public sex: The culture of radical sex. Cleis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chasin, C. D. (2015). Making sense in and of the asexual community: Navigating relationships and identities in a context of resistance. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 25, 167–180. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, C. J. (1997). Punks, bulldaggers, and welfare queens: The radical potential of queer politics. GLQ: A Journal of Gay and Lesbian Studies, 3, 437–465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, C. J. (1999). The boundaries of blackness: AIDS and the breakdown of black politics. University of Chicago Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, P. H. (2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Combahee River Collective. (2014). A black feminist statement. Women’s Studies Quarterly, 42(3–4), 271–280. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24365010 (Original work published 1978)

  • Conger, J. J. (1975). Proceedings of the American Psychological Association, Incorporated, for the year 1974: Minutes of the annual meeting of Council of Representatives. American Psychologist, 30(6), 620–651.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cowan, T., & LeBlanc, A. (2018). Feelings under dynamic description: The asexual spectrum and new ways of being. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 38(1), 29–41. https://doi.org/10.1037/teo0000076

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crenshaw, K. W. (2006). Map** the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics and violence against women of color. Kvinder, Køn & Forskning, (2–3), 7–20. https://doi.org/10.7146/kkf.v0i2-3.28090

  • Diamond, L. M. (2004). Emerging perspectives on distinctions between romantic love and sexual desire. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(3), 116–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.00287.x

  • Diamond, L. M. (2008). Female bisexuality from adolescence to adulthood: Results from a 10-year longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology, 44(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.44.1.5

  • Diamond, L. M. (2016). Sexual fluidity in male and females. Current Sexual Health Reports, 8(4), 249–256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-016-0092-z

  • Diamond, L. M. (2018). Contemporary theory in the study of intimacy, desire, and sexuality. In N. K. Dess, J. Marecek, & L. C. Bell (Eds.), Gender, sex, and sexualities: Psychological perspectives (pp. 271–294). Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duggan, L. (2002). The new homonormativity: The sexual politics of neoliberalism. In R. Castronovo & D. D. Nelson (Eds.), Materializing democracy: Toward a revitalized cultural politics (pp. 175–194). Duke University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eng, D. L., Halberstam, H., & Munoz, J. E. (2005). Introduction: What’s queer about queer studies now? Social Text, 23(3–4), 2–18. https://doi.org/10.1215/01642472-23-3-4_84-85-1

  • Ferguson, R. A. (2004). Aberrations in black: Toward a queer of color critique. University of Minnesota Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1978). The history of sexuality Volume 1: An Introduction. (R. Hurley, Trans.). Pantheon. (Original work published 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1997). Friendship as a way of life. In P. Rabinow (Ed.), Michel Foucault: Ethics subjectivity and truth (pp. 135–140). Penguin. (Original work published 1981)

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (2003). Sex, power, and the politics of identity. In P. Rabinow & N. Rose, (Eds.). The essential Foucault: Selections from essential works of Foucault 1954–1984 (pp. 163–173). Penguin. (Original work published 1984)

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. (2017). Three essays on the theory of sexuality: The 1905 edition (U. Kistner, Trans.). Verso Books. (Original work published 1905)

    Google Scholar 

  • Frias-Navarro, D., Monterde-i-Bort, H., Pascual-Soler, M., & Badenes-Ribera, L. (2015). Etiology of homosexuality and attitudes toward same-sex parenting: A randomized study. The Journal of Sex Research, 52(2), 151–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2013.802757

  • Friedman, R. C., & Downey, J. I. (1998). Psychoanalysis and the model of homosexuality as psychopathology: A historical overview. The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 58(3), 249–270. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022583223820

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gazzola, S. B., & Morrison, M. A. (2012). Asexuality: An emergent sexual orientation. Sexual Minority Research in the New Millennium, 21, 31–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldfeder, M., & Sheff, E. (2013). Children of polyamorous families: A first empirical look. Journal of Law and Social Deviance, 5, 150–243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gressgård, R. (2013). Asexuality: From pathology to identity and beyond. Psychology and Sexuality, 4(2), 179–192. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2013.774166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grzanka, P. R., & Miles, J. R. (2016). The problem with the phrase “Intersecting Identities”: LGBT affirmative therapy, intersectionality, and neoliberalism. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 13(4), 371–389. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-016-0240-2

  • Haider-Markel, D. P., & Joslyn, M. R. (2005). Attributions and the regulation of marriage: Considering the parallels between race and homosexuality. PS: Political Science & Politics, 38(2), 233–239. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1049096505056362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haider-Markel, D. P., & Joslyn, M. R. (2008). Beliefs about the origins of homosexuality and support for gay rights: An empirical test of attribution theory. Public Opinion Quarterly, 72(2), 291–310. https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfn015

  • Halperin, D. (1995). Saint Foucault: Towards a gay hagiography. Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haritaworn, J., Lin, C., & Klesse, C. (2006). Poly/logue: A critical introduction to polyamory. Sexualities, 9(5), 515–529. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460706069963

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hazan, C., & Zeifman, D. (1999). Pair bonds as attachments: Evaluating the evidence. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (pp. 336–354). Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hegarty, P. (2017). A recent history of lesbian and gay psychology: From homophobia to LGBT. Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hegarty, P., & Golden, A. M. (2008). Attributional beliefs about the controllability of stigmatized traits: Antecedents or justifications of prejudice? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38(4), 1023–1044. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00337.x

  • Herek, G. M. (2010). Sexual orientation differences as deficits: Science and stigma in the history of American psychology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(6), 693–699. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691610388770

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herek, G. M., & Capitanio, J. P. (1996). “Some of my best friends”: Intergroup contact, concealable stigma, and heterosexuals’ attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22(4), 412–424. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167296224007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herek, G. M., & Glunt, E. K. (1993). Interpersonal contact and heterosexuals’ attitudes toward gay men: Results from a national survey. Journal of Sex Research, 30(3), 239–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499309551707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hooker, E. (1957). The adjustment of the male overt homosexual. Journal of Projective Techniques, 21(1), 18–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/08853126.1957.10380742

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, F., Sepekoff, B., & Wolf, T. J. (1985). Sexual orientation. Journal of Homosexuality, 11(1–2), 35–49. https://doi.org/10.1300/j082v11n01_04

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Langdridge, D., & Butt, T. (2004). A hermeneutic phenomenological investigation of the construction of sadomasochistic identities. Sexualities, 7(1), 31–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460704040137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LeVay, S. (1991). A difference in hypothalamic structure between heterosexual and homosexual men. Science, 253(5023), 1034–1037. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1887219

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • LeVay, S. (2016). Gay, straight, and the reason why: The science of sexual orientation. Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • LeVay, S., & Hamer, D. H. (1994). Evidence for a biological influence in male homosexuality. Scientific American, 270(5), 44–49. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0594-44

  • McCormack, M. (2018). Mostly straight men [Special issue]. Sexualities, 21(1–2), 3–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer-Bahlburg, H. F. L., Dolezal, C., Baker, S. W., & New, M. I. (2008). Sexual orientation in women with classical or non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia as a function of degree of prenatal androgen excess. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37(1), 85–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9265-1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, E. M., & Thompson, E. M. (2011). Processes of sexual orientation questioning among heterosexual women. Journal of Sex Research, 48(1), 16–28. http://dx.doi.org.oca.ucsc.edu/10.1080/00224490903370594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morin, S. F. (1977). Heterosexual bias in psychological research on lesbianism and male homosexuality. American Psychologist, 32(8), 629–637. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.32.8.629

  • Morin, S. F., & Rothblum, E. D. (1991). Removing the stigma: Fifteen years of progress. American Psychologist, 46(9), 947–949.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, T. G., Beaulieu, D., Brockman, M., & Beaglaoich, C. Ó. (2013). A comparison of polyamorous and monoamorous persons: Are there differences in indices of relationship well-being and sociosexuality? Psychology and Sexuality, 4(1), 75–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2011.631571

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644. (2015). https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-556_3204.pdf

  • Overstreet, N. M., Rosenthal, L., & Case, K. A. (2020). Intersectionality as a radical framework for transforming our disciplines, social issues, and the world. Journal of Social Issues, 76(4), 779–795. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12414

  • Pettigrew, T. F., & Tropp, L. R. (2006). A meta-analytic test of intergroup contact theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(5), 751–783. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.5.751

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poston, D. L., Jr., & Baumle, A. K. (2010). Patterns of asexuality in the United States. Demographic Research, 23(18), 509–530. https://doi.org/10.4054/demres.2010.23.18

  • Prause, N., & Graham, C. A. (2007). Asexuality: Classification and characterization. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 36, 341–356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-006-9142-3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie, A., & Barker, M. (2005). Feminist SM: A contradiction in terms or a way of challenging traditional gendered dynamics through sexual practice? Lesbian and Gay Psychology Review, 6(3), 227–239. http://oro.open.ac.uk/17262/

  • Ritchie, A., & Barker, M. (2006). ‘There aren’t words for what we do or how we feel so we have to make them up’: Constructing polyamorous languages in a culture of compulsory monogamy. Sexualities, 9(5), 584–601. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460706069987

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rothblum, E. D. (1994). Transforming lesbian sexuality. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18(4), 627–641. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1994.tb01051.x

  • Rothblum, E. D., & Brehony, K. A. (Eds.). (1993). Boston marriages: Romantic but asexual relationships among contemporary lesbians. University of Massachusetts Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothblum, E. D., Heimann, K., & Carpenter, K. (2019). The lives of asexual individuals outside of sexual and romantic relationships: Education, occupation, religion and community. Psychology & Sexuality, 10(1), 83–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2018.1552186

  • Rubin, G. (1984). Thinking sex: Notes for a radical theory of the politics of sexuality. In C. S. Vance (Ed.), Pleasure and danger: Exploring female sexuality (pp. 267–319). Routledge and Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Savin-Williams, R. C. (2017). Mostly straight: Sexual fluidity among men. Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Savin-Williams, R. C., & Vrangalova, Z. (2013). Mostly heterosexual as a distinct sexual orientation group: A systematic review of the empirical evidence. Developmental Review, 33(1), 58–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2013.01.001

  • Schneider, W., & Lewis, I. A. (1984). The straight story on homosexuality and gay rights. Public Opinion, 7(1), 16–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sedgwick, E. K. (1990). Epistemology of the closet. University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Séguin, L. J., Blais, M., Goyer, M., Adam, B. D., Lavoie, F., Rodrigue, C., & Magontier, C. (2017). Examining relationship quality across three types of relationship agreements. Sexualities, 20(1–2), 86–104. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460716649337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seidman, S. (Ed.). (1996). Queer theory/sociology. Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheff, E., & Hammers, C. (2011). The privilege of perversities: Race, class and education among polyamorists and kinksters. Psychology and Sexuality, 2(3), 198–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2010.537674

  • Smith, S. J., Axelton, A. M., & Saucier, D. A. (2009). The effects of contact on sexual prejudice: A meta-analysis. Sex Roles, 61(3–4), 178–191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-009-9627-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Socarides, C. W. (1968). A provisional theory of aetiology in male homosexuality: A case of preoedipal origin. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 49(1), 27–37.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sprott, R. A., & Hadcock, B. B. (2017). Bisexuality, pansexuality, queer identity, and kink identity. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 33(1–2), 214–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681994.2017.1347616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, N. (2003). A critical introduction to queer theory. New York University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swank, E., & Raiz, L. (2010). Predicting the support of same-sex relationship rights among social work students. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 22(1–2), 149–164. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720903332552

  • Taylor, G. W., & Ussher, J. M. (2001). Making sense of S&M: A discourse analytic account. Sexualities, 4(3), 293–314. https://doi.org/10.1177/136346001004003002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, E. M., & Morgan, E. M. (2008). “Mostly straight” young women: Variations in sexual behavior and identity development. Developmental Psychology, 44(1), 15–21. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.44.1.15

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Valadez, A. M., Rohde, J., Tessler, J., & Beals, K. (2020). Perceived stigmatization and disclosure among individuals in consensually nonmonogamous relationships. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 20(1), 143–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Anders, S. M. (2015). Beyond sexual orientation: Integrating gender/sex and diverse sexualities via sexual configurations theory. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44(5), 1177–1213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0490-8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watters, A. T. (1986). Heterosexual bias in psychological research on lesbianism and male homosexuality (1979-1983), utilizing the bibliographic and taxonomic system of Morin (1977). Journal of Homosexuality, 13(1), 35–58. https://doi.org/10.1300/j082v13n01_03

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weber, S. (2012). What’s wrong with be(com)ing queer? Biological determinism as discursive queer hegemony. Sexualities, 15(5–6), 679–701. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460712446275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiner, B. (1985). An attributional theory of achievement motivation and emotion. Psychological Review, 92(4), 548–573. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295x.92.4.548

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weitzman, G., Davidson, J., & Phillips, R. A., Jr. (2010). What psychology professionals should know about polyamory. National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, E. (2010). What’s queer about non-monogamy now? In M. Barker & D. Langdridge (Eds.), Understanding non-monogamies (pp. 243–254). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Worthington, R. L., Savoy, H. B., Dillon, F. R., & Vernaglia, E. R. (2002). Heterosexual identity development. Counseling Psychologist, 30(4), 496–531. https://doi.org/10.1177/00100002030004002

  • Worthington, R. L., Dillon, F. R., & Becker-Schutte, A. M. (2005). Development, reliability, and validity of the Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale for Heterosexuals (LGB-KASH). Journal of Counseling Psychology 52(1), 104–118. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.1.104

  • Wosick-Correa, K. (2010). Agreements, rules and agentic fidelity in polyamorous relationships. Psychology and Sexuality, 1(1), 44–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419891003634471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yost, M. R. (2007). Sexual fantasies of S/M practitioners: The impact of gender and S/M role on fantasy content. In D. Langdridge & M. Barker (Eds.), Safe, sane and consensual: Contemporary perspectives on sadomasochism (pp. 135–154). Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. California State University, Fullerton, California, CA, USA

    Ella Ben Hagai

  2. University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

    Eileen L. Zurbriggen

Authors
  1. Ella Ben Hagai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eileen L. Zurbriggen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ben Hagai, E., Zurbriggen, E.L. (2022). The Historically Contingent, Culturally Specific, and Contested Nature of Sexual Identities. In: Queer Theory and Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84891-0_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation