Psychosexual development of gay men from the perspectives of classical and neuropsychoanalytic drive theory

“My sexual development had to happen behind a closed door because

I had this secret to keep.”

Even though Freud wrote in his letter to “An American Mother” that homosexuality “was nothing to be ashamed of,” for many gay, bisexual, lesbian, or queer people, shame is a significant and persistent struggle. Shame is a deeply painful experience of self-consciousness in the presence of others where a person feels exposed, worthless, and wanting to hide. As shame persists, it impairs the ability to elaborate sexual drives or find a way to integrate sexual desires with another. Sexual drives and desire become something to be outlawed and are made into an illegitimate experience for the gay person. This presentation draws on doctoral research investigating the psychosexual development of a small cohort of gay men from a psychoanalytic and neuropsychoanalytic perspective, as they have to navigate developmental imperatives whilst experiencing a hostile environment and the subsequent shame and its implications.

About the Presenter

Francois Rabie is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Cape Town, where he works with a broad group of adult patients. He is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist training candidate with the South African Psychoanalytical Initiative (SAPI) and is presently completing his PhD, which investigates the psychosexual development of gay men from a psychoanalytic and neuropsychoanalytic perspective. He has lectured and supervised within the psychology departments at the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, and the University of Johannesburg. He has initiated psychoanalytic reading groups for students at the first two mentioned universities and shares his expertise with the broader public by writing and speaking in the media.