In the second case, the homosexual other is visually present...

In the second case, the homosexual other is visually present (in the locker room), but there is no tactile contact. Any homosexual re sponse on the part of the informant is a fantasized response. There always seemed to be a satisfaction gained from the boys undressing in each other's presence. There was for myself a stimulating sexual awareness in seeing the naked bodies. This awareness was a kind of "choked up" feeling. It was more inquisitive than sexual.

Both heterosexual and homosexual encounters are interspersed in early childhood. Unlike the case above where the experience was "more inquisitive than sexual," in the case to follow the homosexual experience was "more like scientific research." It is clear that the demarcation between what is erotic behavior and what is not is not segregated in the mind of the child as it is in the mind of an adult observer. For this reason children often feel that adults over-react to childhood sex play.

As a child I (a boy) experienced several incidents of homosexual exhibitions, many heterosexual exhibitions, and several instances of heterosexual play. This exploratory stage was experienced chiefly between the ages of four to seven.
A secluded spot would be secured for purposes of observing and touching the opposite sex's genitals. This happened repeatedly with two girls, one older and one younger.
Initiation for each experience seemed to be about fifty percent my effort.... At the age of six or seven my friend (a boy) and I had a great curiosity for exploring the anus. It almost seemed more like scientific research.

The following homosexual encounter involves oral-genital contact, but even with such intimate contact the encounter cannot be described as erotic, at least not for the informant who is a year younger than the aggressor.
My friend, a boy age five, was giving me (boy four years of age) a lesson in human anatomy (that is, sexual anatomy) and my curiosity and respect for him put a strong sense of importancy on what we were engaged in. I didn't remember then (and don't now) ever having consciously paid much thought to my genitals before, so this was quite new to me.
Our discussion involved visual and tactile encounter as we had unzipped our pants and upon his direction compared penises in size, shape, and color.

I remember the tactile experimentation quite well. He wanted to touch his mouth to my genitals (just before this I had climbed down from the trailer and urinated). I allowed him oral-genital contact, and he came up spitting and exclaiming that it tasted awful.
In homosexual encounters, a young child, usually a boy, is not infrequently propositioned by an older boy as in the case above. A boy aged seven may suggest sexual activity which his partner (a boy aged four) is unwilling to cooperate in, as in the following case. This results in exhibition on the part of the older boy with obvious satisfaction for himself and at least interest on the part of the younger boy.

Several times when I was young it seemed as if exhibition of my body in the presence of another boy would be exciting. I remember one situation in particular, with a boy three years younger than I; I was about seven years old at the time.
We were both wearing swimming suits, but were walking together at some distance from the beach. I openly fondled myself to the point of erection, and then displayed my penis to the younger boy. Then I urged him to pull down his suit also, but for some reason he refused. Yet he was not at all subtle at looking at my erect penis.