Femininity, masculinity, and sexual orientation: some cross-cultural comparisons

Predominantly homosexual males from Australia (n = 163), Sweden (n = 176) and Finland (n = 149) were compared on the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and on various measures of partner preference in order to establish the relationship between degree of homosexuality in terms of Kinsey Scale position and gender identity. Results suggest that while there is no relationship between femininity and degree of homosexuality, masculinity is inversely related depending on the degree of sex role stereotyping and anti-homosexual attitudes of the society the subjects live in. Such findings suggest that deviant gender identity is a function not of homosexuality as such but of societal attitudes which may reinforce a homosexual role.