ABSTRACT
Life is a lesson of love and intimacy for children as well as adults. The losses
that come to us through the course of our lives influence our capacity for
intimacy. Childhood development, family systems, social constructs, and
internalization of cultural indoctrination have an impact upon gender issues
that begin in childhood and reach fulfillment through one’s sexual orientation
and gender identity. Loss related to gender identity, sexual orientation, and
sexual stereotyping can ultimately converge to create low self-esteem, difficulty
in relationships, inability to see a future, and lack of protection of the adult
world-all of which influence one’s capacity for intimacy.
