Sexual Orientation, Objective Height, and Self-Reported Height.

Area of Science:

• Human sexuality
• Anthropometry
• Psychology

Background:

• Previous research using self-reported height indicated shorter stature in androphilic individuals compared to gynephilic individuals.
• The reasons for these observed height differences, whether biological or psychosocial (e.g., self-report distortion), remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the existence of objective height differences between individuals of varying sexual orientations.
• To determine if self-reported height inaccuracies contribute to perceived height differences related to sexual orientation.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 863 participants recruited from a Canadian university, its surrounding areas, and LGBT events across Canada.
• Participants provided both self-reported height and had their height objectively measured.
• Statistical analyses were conducted to compare height differences across sexual orientation groups, controlling for self-reported data.

Main Results:

• Androphilic men were found to be objectively shorter on average than gynephilic men.
• No statistically significant objective height differences were observed between gynephilic, ambiphilic, and androphilic women.
• Self-reported height did not correlate with sexual orientation when objective height was statistically controlled.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first objective evidence of a height difference between androphilic and gynephilic men.
• Findings suggest that prior studies relying on self-reported height captured a portion of a true objective height disparity in men.
• The results have implications for understanding the biological underpinnings of male sexual orientation development.