There is much controversy regarding the appropriate analytic stance taken with gay and lesbian patients. Some analysts advocate neutrality, while others question the possibility and, even, desirability of attaining it. Other analysts propose a directive-suggestive stance, actively supporting heterosexual activity while prohibiting homosexual “acting out.” Recent writings promote a supportive posture, actively validating the homosexual experience. The way the analyst listens also affects the analytic posture. Some analysts believe that developmental theory shapes the way the analyst understands and interprets material presented in sessions, interfering with the evenly hovering attention Freud advocated. Recent theories focusing on aspects of homosexual development are helping to broaden the way analysts listen. The supervisory relationship can also facilitate or hinder the therapist's ability to address anxieties and blind spots in dealing with patients with dissimilar (or similar) gender preferences.