Sexual Orientation and Personality

Abstract The relation between sexual orientation and personality was examined in a meta-analysis with a total sample of 2,724 heterosexual men, 799 gay men, 157 bisexual men, 5,053 heterosexual women, 697 lesbian women, and 317 bisexual women. Self-ascribed masculinity-femininity (Self-M-F) and gender-related interests showed the largest heterosexual-homosexual differences (respective ds = .60 and 1.28 for men, and −1.28 and −1.46 for women) and the largest sex differences (respective ds = 2.83 and 2.65). Instrumentality and expressiveness showed much smaller heterosexual-homosexual and sex differences. Big Five traits showed a number of small-to-moderate heterosexual-homosexual and sex differences. Bisexual men were much more like gay men than like heterosexual men in their Self-M-F and gender-related interests, whereas bisexual women were intermediate between lesbian and heterosexual women. Homosexual participants were more variable on some gender-related traits than same-sex heterosexuals were. The gender inversion hypothesis—that gay men's traits tend to be somewhat feminized and that lesbians' traits tend to be somewhat masculinized—received considerable support. Results are discussed in terms of biological and psychosocial theories of gender and sexual orientation.

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