Middlesex University Research Repository An open access repository of Middlesex University research http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk Wagner, Thomas (2019) Psychoanalysis and male homosexuality. Masters thesis, Middlesex University. [Thesis] Final accepted version (with author’s formatting) This version is available at: https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/29896/ Copyright: Middlesex University Research Repository makes the University’s research available electronically. Copyright and moral rights to this work are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners unless otherwise stated. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. 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See also repository copyright: re-use policy: http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/policies.html#copy Psychoanalysis and Male Homosexuality Thomas Wagner M00399511 MSc by Research (Psychoanalysis) Centre for Psychoanalysis Psychology Department Middlesex University London A thesis submitted to Middlesex University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MSc by Research. Submission Date: October 2019 ABSTRACT This thesis explores the status of homosexuality, within the history of psychoanalysis, and the effects of that status in the development of contemporary talking therapies. Focusing on homosexuality in men, the research in this study examines Freud’s theories and concepts, as the foundation of this thesis. This paper is divided into four chapters. The first chapter is a reading of Freud and his psychogenesis of homosexuality. The second chapter is an analysis of three American analysts, who interpreted Freud’s theory of the Oedipus complex in a very particular way to make it fit for their purpose. According to these analysts homosexuality, in their view, is an illness in need of a cure. Their aim is to convert homosexuality into heterosexuality by conducting analysis on their homosexual analysands. Throughout this chapter I will be reinterpreting a case study of reparative therapy. The third chapter is a critical analysis of Richard Isay’s radical views of homosexuality. Chapter three will also introduce gay affirmative therapy; a therapy, which is aimed to help one come to terms with their homosexuality. In the fourth chapter I will critically analyse and compare a case study of reparative and gay affirmative therapy. My intentions of analysing these two case studies are to illustrate that: while they differ in their analytic approach, they share some similarities. The purpose of analysing these two therapies is that many homosexuals today undergo reparative or gay affirmative therapy. Freud’s conclusion, that homosexuality or heterosexuality is an outcome of the Oedipus complex, will play an important role in the discussion of reparative and gay affirmative therapy. His perceptions of how psychoanalysis should be conducted throughout analysis will also emphasis how far reparative and gay affirmative therapies have developed since from classical Freudian psychoanalysis. i ACKNOWLEGEMENT I want to express my appreciation to Dr. Anne Worthington for her consistent academic support and guidance throughout my thesis. One simply could not wish for a better and friendlier supervisor. I want to give my gratefulness to my best friend Shivali Singh and my sister Deborah Kamalach, who have the greatest qualities and a good sense of humour one can wish to find in a person. Finally, I take this opportunity to express my thankfulness from my deep heart to my beloved husband Patrick Wagner for his love and continuous support throughout all my studies at University. ii Table of Contents ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. I ACKNOWLEGEMENT ................................................................................................................. II INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 OUTLINE OF THE CHAPTERS ........................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER ONE: FREUD’S PSYCHOGENISES OF HOMOSEXUALITY ........................................... 8 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 9 FREUD’S THREE ESSAYS ON THE THEORY OF SEXUALITY ................................................................ 10 FREUD’S LEONARDO ................................................................................................................ 13 THE OEDIPUS COMPLEX / KENNETH LEWES ................................................................................. 18 FREUD’S PSYCHOGENESIS OF HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE 1930S ......................................................... 22 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER TWO: USING REPERATIVE THERAPY TO TREAT HOMOSEXUALITY .................... 27 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 28 FROM FREUD TO REPARATION .................................................................................................. 30 SANDOR RADO ........................................................................................................................ 32 IRVING BIEBER ....................................................................................................................... 35 SOCARIDES ............................................................................................................................. 37 SOCARIDES’ CRUSADE ............................................................................................................... 39 NARTH ................................................................................................................................ 41 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................... 45 CHAPTER THREE: USING A GAY AFFIRMATIVE APPROACH TO HELP HOMOSEXUALS FIND SELF-ACCEPTANCE ................................................................................................................. 48 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 49 ISAY’S SELF-ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................. 51 ISAY’S VIEW ON ‘THE PSYCHOGENESIS OF HOMOSEXUALITY’ ........................................................... 57 GAY AFFIRMATIVE THERAPY ..................................................................................................... 59 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................... 63 CHAPTER FOUR: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS IN REPARATIVE THERAPY AND GAY AFFIRMATIVE THERAPY ................................................................................................................................ 66 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 67 A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF REPARATIVE THERAPY AND GAY AFFIRMATIVE THERAPY ............................ 69 THE CASE STUDY OF “CHARLIE” (CHARLES) – THE SEARCH OF THE MASCULINE SELF (REPARATIVE THERAPY) ............................................................................................................................. 72 THE CASE STUDY OF PAUL (GAY AFFIRMATIVE THERAPY) ............................................................. 78 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................... 82 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 85 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 89 iii INTRODUCTION 1 This thesis investigates the status of homosexuality, within the history of psychoanalysis, and the effects of that status in the development of contemporary talking therapies. Considering homosexuality as pathological and curable, or labelling