Female Homosexuality

Typically, women experiencing SSA differ from their male counterparts by being more able to conceal the anomaly and more likely to seek a life-long, faithful, and reciprocating partner. Two women can often live together without arousing suspicions of homosexuality, and similarly may kiss or embrace in public without attracting attention. If discovered, moreover, the disorder is treated more indulgently by popular opinion.

Among women there seems to be less stress on physical expression than among men. In some cases two women will remain romantic and deeply involved for many years with no more than hugging or kissing. Ordinarily, a woman with SSA is not identifiable by appearance or mannerisms; neither does she differ hormonally or anatomically from heterosexual women. No more do masculine traits make her - as society would consider her - a "lesbian" than do feminine traits make a man "gay." It is possible, however, that a woman may be less aware of her homosexual tendencies than a man, simply because women tend to express their emotions in a more diffused way and are not subject to genital arousal with the same localized intensity as men. One can overemphasize the role-playing of both homosexual men and women in their genital activity: generally both tend to be active and passive, interchanging roles.

(Source: Same Sex Attraction: Catholic Teaching and Pastoral Practice by Fr. John F. Harvey, O.S.F.S.)