Etiology Of Gayness, Born Gay?

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I associate gayness more with the formation of a psychosocial identity. ...

Aaah ... Erik Erikson.

I have never really been a fan of his "eight stages" theory, as although he concedes that the age periods may vary he always regarded them as sequential which I find a bit too rigid a concept:

Stage 1: Hope (birth - 18 months)

Stage 2: Will (18 months - 3 years): "Can I do it myself or do I have to rely on others?"

Stage 3: Purpose (3 - 6 years): "Am I good or bad?"

Stage 4: Competence (6 - 12 years): "How can I be good and excel?"

Stage 5: Fidelity (12 - 18 years): "Who am I and where am I going?" - bypassed: I was happy to "go" where events took me, which I continued throughout stage 6 until I decided that that I had "gone" enough

Stage 6: Love (19 - 40 years): "Am I loved and wanted or will I live alone?" - bypassed/postponed: I was "wanted" by those around me but "love" wasn't on the agenda as yet

Stage 7: Care (41 - 65 years): "Will I produce something of value to others?" - bypassed: I already had, in my view, in stage 6, and "generativity" wasn't part of my agenda as much as taking time to smell the roses

Stage 8: Wisdom (66 years +): "Have I lived a full life?" - not there yet, but if I died tomorrow (not that I am planning on it) the answer would be "yes, more than most".

I think this lack of "sequence" applies to many gays, although I am the first to admit that I am far from typical, as many gays do not know "who they are" until well after Stage 5 (aged 18) and their "gayness" may not become apparent until later. In some ways, I suppose, the etiology of their gayness takes longer to take its full effect and his whole concept is all a bit too centred around the Norman Rockwell ideal for me.

S'alright - I've figured it out.

After only 12 minutes - I'm impressed!