Childhood Predictors of Adult Homosexuality

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Abstract
While most studies of early cross-gender behavior and subsequent sexual orientation are longitudinal and have been done in the United States, this paper is a synthesis and overview of the author's work in Guatemala and Brazil, as well as the United States, from a retrospective perspective. Three aspects of early cross-gender behavior are discussed: 1) The relationship between early cross-gender behavior and adult sexual orientation. It is concluded that adult sexual orientation can be predicted with a considerable degree of accuracy in male homesexuals. Problems connected with such prediction are discussed. 2) Early cross-gender behavior and family structure. It is concluded that the early emergence of feminine behavior in boys is likely to precede the pattern of the hostile father and protective mother, and that the father's hostility results from his disappointment and anger at having a feminine son. 3) The meaning of early cross-gender behavior cross-culturally. It is suggested that patterns of early cross-gender behavior in the United States, Guatemala and Brazil are quite similar and that such patterns may well be universal characteristics of homosexuals wherever they may be found. It is concluded that early cross-gender behavior in homosexuals should not be regarded as pathological but as a rather ordinary occurrence in the life cycle of many homosexuals.