Considerations for a Psychoanalytic Theory of Gender Identity and Sexual Desire: The Case of Intersex

Abstract

By reviewing the existing psychoanalytic literature on intersex I want to suggest that therapeutic emphasis tends to be placed on maintaining a stable gender identity and psychoanalysts largely accept the designation of gender as defined by the medical teams determination. I will suggest that the preoccupation with defining the intersexed individuals true sex limits the degree to which intersex individuals are encouraged to explore other issues. I will further suggest that this emphasis on stable gender identity is linked with a valuation of heterosexuality over homosexuality. The emphasis of psychoanalytic theory on maturation presumes that gender identification that does not correspond to at-birth gender designation and desire that is not opposite-gender directed necessarily reflects developmental issues. There is consistent concern in the medical literature that an unstable gender identity will precipitate homosexual desire (see Zucker and Bradley 1995; Zucker et al 1996; Slijper et al. 1998). (excerpt)