Final answer:
Cass's model suggests a linear progression in the sexual identity development of gay and lesbian individuals. Awareness of sexual orientation typically occurs in early adolescence. Sexuality is associated with a person's capacity for sexual feelings and encompasses various orientations.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Cass, the identity development of gay and lesbian individuals follows a linear progression. This model of sexual identity development suggests that individuals move through a series of stages that start with the confusion about one's sexual orientation and lead to the integration of the sexual orientation into one's life and identity.
Research indicates that individuals are usually aware of their sexual orientation in early adolescence, which is a period where many experience significant emotional, romantic, and physical attractions, even without engaging in sexual activity. This awareness does not depend on socialization or familial experiences, as once thought, but is a personal realization that occurs at different times for different individuals, often impacted by the psychological and societal norms prevailing in their environment.
Sociologists associate sexuality with a person's capacity for sexual feelings, which encompasses a range of orientations including heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality, reflecting the diversity of human sexual experiences.