---
title: "Homosexual seduction"
chunk: 1/4
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_seduction"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:17:55.742026+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

Homosexual seduction is the pseudoscientific conspiracy theory which suggests homosexuality is spread through intergenerational sex, and that older homosexuals aim to change the sexual orientation of previously heterosexual youth by seducing them. It is related to the LGBT grooming conspiracy theory, the discredited acquired homosexuality theory, the gay agenda conspiracy theory, and the drag panic phenomenon.
The idea of homosexual seduction, or that sexuality can be changed, has been debunked multiple times in psychological academic discourse. Although scientific research shows that LGBT people do not molest children at higher rates than heterosexuals, anti-LGBT groups have pushed the purported link in popular culture over multiple decades going back to the times before World War II. The allegation that having an LGBT identity is caused by, causes, or otherwise contributes to pedophilia has continued as a matter of ideological faith into the 21st century.
In 2010, 13 US organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), signed an open letter which opposed attempts by anti-LGBT groups to promote this conspiracy theory, in order to "protect the safety and emotional well-being of students", including those who are LGBT. According to Sarah Kate Ellis, head of the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD, this conspiracy theory has already caused an "uptick in violence against the [LGBT] community."

== Scientific background ==
Scientific research has shown that LGBT people do not molest children at higher rates than people who are not LGBT. Scientists do not view sexual orientation as a choice. Although there is not yet complete understanding of the causes of sexual orientation, the evidence supporting biological causes is much stronger than that supporting social factors, and there is little or no evidence supporting the theory that homosexuality can be acquired through social or sexual contact with homosexual adults. Evidence for the impact of the post-natal social environment and early childhood experiences on sexual orientation is also weak, especially for males. In contrast, there is evidence that homosexual attractions precede behavior, usually by a few years.
Research has also shown that people who possess negative attitudes towards homosexuals are more prone to believe that homosexuality is the result of social influences, such as early sexual experiences. Bailey et al. state, "a belief in the recruitment hypothesis has often been associated with strongly negative attitudes toward homosexual people", and those who make this argument generally do not explain an empirical basis for this belief.