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Chapter 2 (continued)
Abuse
“Homosexuals have been hurt, unjustly and unfairly, most at the hands of the people from whom they should have received the most help. This hurt is fueling their anger.”17(Tape 1)
Although this section is written specifically for victims of sexual abuse, much of the information contained here can apply to anyone who has been victimized in any way—physically, verbally, or emotionally—whether by family, peers, acquaintances, or strangers. The feelings of loss, the problems with relationships, the self recriminations, and the various ways of responding and compensating may be experienced by almost anyone who has endured abusive treatment. At the same time, many symptoms that are attributed in this section to sexual abuse may also be found in persons who have not been victims of abuse. Simply having some of these symptoms does not mean that a person was sexually abused. This section focuses entirely on sexual abuse because of the availability of information and because of its commonness among people dealing with homosexuality. However, it must be remembered that emotional, verbal, and physical abuse may also contribute to the development of homosexuality.
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