ABSTRACT
This chapter examines more closely female sexuality and homoerotic desire through theoretical considerations and examples from literature and clinical experience. Freud addresses the question of female homosexuality in his article, "The psychogenesis of a case of homosexuality in a woman". This eighteen-year-old girl was brought to analysis by her father because of her romantic love for an older woman. Despite being quite open about her admiration for women, the girl had attempted suicide after being seen in the company of her lover. Freud's interpretation of the case reveals a complexity of identifications, and the patient's object choice seems to offer a resolution at various levels. In some heterosexual women, homosexual fantasy is retained through a competitive attitude towards other women. Psychoanalysis teaches to regard sexuality within the context of a person's psychic experiences.
