Gender-related traits of heterosexual and homosexual men and women

Archives of Sexual Behavior,  February, 2002  by Richard A. Lippa

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Richard A. Lippa (1)

Recent research suggests that, in certain ways, gay men are more feminine than heterosexual men, and lesbians are more masculine than heterosexual women (Dunne, Bailey, Kirk, & Martin, 2000; Haslam, 1997; Lippa, 2000; Pillard, 1991). Gay men and lesbians differ from same-sex heterosexuals most strongly on measures that assess the male- versus female-typicality of hobbies, interests, and occupational preferences (Bailey, Finkel, Blackwelder, & Bailey, 1996; Lippa, 2000; Lippa & Arad, 1997; Lippa & Tan, 2001). They sometimes also differ strongly on self-ascribed masculinity and femininity, that is, on conscious, self-reported gender-related identity (Lippa, 2000). Finally, gay ...