The Concept of Latent Homosexuality

This Article examines the concept of latency as used in psychological theory with particular reference to the concept of latent homosexuality. Latency implies a) dormancy—that is, the presence of fully developed and matured functions in an inactive state, and b) potentiality—the presence of possible, but undeveloped, functions. Freud uses “latency” almost exclusively in the sense of dormancy. This raises many questions about the value and validity of the concept and the necessity either for revising it or discarding it. Recent developments in psychoanalytic theory by Alexander, Rado, Horney, and Sullivan emphasize the necessity of such a revision. In their views, the concept of latent homosexuality is both fruitless and misleading. The attempt here is to examine the validity of the concept from a philosophical, as well as scientific, point of view.

Latent homosexuality is a concept which is widely used in the behavioral sciences. Although it was formulated on the basis of a disputed theory of sexual development in man, it was amply documented by Freud's clinical experience. It would be superfluous to present the wealth of clinical data that was interpreted as evidence of the existence of latent homosexual tendencies and drives in each sex. However, psychoanalytic students and behavioral scientists have in the past thirty years raised serious questions about the “bisexual” theory of sexual development, and the theory of homosexual development as described by Freud. Alternative hypotheses also have been presented to explain the phenomenon subsumed under the concept of latent homosexuality. Thus it seems timely and appropriate to examine this concept and its value as an heuristic and explanatory formulation in behavioral theory. I propose to review this concept from a philosophical point of view, as well as from a practical and therapeutic viewpoint.

In any science, concepts must be periodically reviewed in the face of continuing progress. This notion is stated