[Kahonek]

"I'd be interested in seeing the data on that"

You might check out Bell's 1981 book "Sexual Preference: Its Development in Men and Women." A lot of things have changed since then, but it's a pretty good read for a layperson. Among the findings are that most gay people know their orientation before engaging in sex, and that most of them have their first sexual encounter with someone roughly their own age (although the rate of first sex with an older partner is higher among gay men than among straight men).

There are a great many forces influencing sexual orientation and its disclosure, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions in this area. For instance, while there is a trend toward greater disclosure of homosexuality (or perhaps even greater rates of homosexuality) recently, and kids are having sex at younger ages, there is an even greater tendency for gay people to acknowledge their sexual orientation before engaging in sex these days (perhaps because they understand the issue better).

[ArGee]

I'd have a hard time believing that the results are credible. If they were, such a conclusion from 1981 would have far more profound impact on the current debate. I did a quick Google search and could only find a few quotes from the book on some pro-gay Web sites, no serious discussion of what is done there. However, there are FReepers who keep up with the responses to various studies far better than I, so I am going to ask them for their opinions.

Guys - what's the consensus on Bell 1981? Feel free to ask others who might know.

Shalom.