A cross-cultural assessment of early cross-gender behavior and familial factors in male homosexuality.

The data presented here are based on interviews of nonclinical homosexual and heterosexual males of comparable social backgrounds in four societies: the United States, Guatemala, Brazil, and the Philippines. Responses to two lines of questioning are analyzed--items having to do with early cross-gender behavior and items having to do with familial factors commonly assumed to be conducive to homosexual orientation. Consistent patterns of early cross-gender behaviors are found in the homosexual groups in all four societies. Inconsistent results are found with respect to the items having to do with familial factors. It is concluded that (1) early cross-gender behavior is an intrinsic characteristic of male homosexuals, wherever they may be found, and (2) familial factors frequently regarded as conducive to homosexuality are probably not causative at all but rather are culturally variable reactions to emerging homosexuality.