Can a child be gay from birth?

Author and psychologist JoAnn Deak, PhD, answers all your questions about if your child can be gay from birth. Watch this video to learn everything you need to know about your child's sexual orientation.
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Can a child be gay from birth?

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When I'm talking with groups of parents about gender differences, I normally talk about gender differences in the brain, but gender differences in general. And a question that always comes up has to do with being gay. And I think parents sometimes feel some guilt or that they did something in the growing up years to lead this person into a direction of sexual orientation that is different from the mainstream. So I launch into right away the research that we have. This is my quick way of saying it: In utero, when the fetus is about 9 weeks old, it starts producing its own estrogen and testosterone. If it's a boy baby, a bunch of testosterone, some estrogen. If it's a girl baby, a bunch of estrogen and some testosterone. If that parody testosterone estrogen, narrows a bit for a boy, he becomes a 20 percenter; he just may think in some ways like a girl. If it gets closer, less testosterone and/or more estrogen, it goes into the lower part of the brain where gender orientation is, and it affects sexuality and homosexuality is there. If it gets close to parody, hermaphroditic body parts externally, internally, or both. So basically, almost all homosexuality is a done deal done by chemicals and somewhat by chromosomes, but a good deal by chemicals in utero during pregnancy unrelated to what a woman does or doesn't do.

Author and psychologist JoAnn Deak, PhD, answers all your questions about if your child can be gay from birth. Watch this video to learn everything you need to know about your child's sexual orientation.

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JoAnn Deak, PhD

Psychologist & Author

JoAnn Deak, PhD, has spent more than 30 years as an educator and psychologist, helping children develop into confident and competent adults. The latter half of that period has also focused on working with adults, parents and teachers in their roles as guides or ‘neurosculptors’ of children. On her website is a quote that best describes her perspective on her work: “every interaction a child has, during the course of a day, influences the adult that child will become.”

Parents and educators at schools from New York to Hawaii, as well as such organizations as the National Association of School Psychologists, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Association of International Schools, the American Montessori Society and the International Baccalaureate Association, have heralded Dr. Deak’s ability to demystify complex issues of child development, learning, identify formation and brain research.

Dr. Deak has been an advisor to Outward Bound, a past chair of the National Committee for Girls and Women in Independent Schools, on the advisory board for the Center on Research for Girls (Laurel School), for the Seattle Girls’ School, Bromley Brook School, the Red Oak School, Power Play and GOAL. She consults with organizations and schools across the United States. Most recently, she has worked internationally with schools, organizations, associations and parent groups in every continent (except Antarctica!) She has been awarded the Woman of Achievement Award by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, was given the first Female Educator of the Year Award by Orchard House School, and the Outstanding Partner for Girls Award from Clemson University. She has been named the Visiting Scholar in New Zealand, the Visiting Scholar for Montessori Children’s House and has been the Resident Scholar for the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute in Colorado Springs for the past five years.

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