This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

J. Michael Bailey, PhD; Richard C. Pillard, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991;48(12):1089-1096.

Abstract
• Homosexual male probands with monozygotic cotwins, dizygotic cotwins, or adoptive brothers were recruited using homophile publications. Sexual orientation of relatives was assessed either by asking relatives directly, or when this was impossible, asking the probands. Of the relatives whose sexual orientation could be rated, 52% (29/56) of monozygotic cotwins, 22% (12/54) of dizygotic cotwins, and 11% (6/57) of adoptive brothers were homosexual. Heritabilities were substantial under a wide range of assumptions about the population base rate of homosexuality and ascertainment bias. However, the rate of homosexuality among nontwin biological siblings, as reported by probands, 9.2% (13/142), was significantly lower than would be predicted by a simple genetic hypothesis and other published reports. A proband's self-reported history of childhood gender nonconformity did not predict homosexuality in relatives in any of the three subsamples. Thus, childhood gender nonconformity does not appear to be an indicator of genetic loading for homosexuality. Cotwins from concordant monozygotic pairs were very similar for childhood gender nonconformity.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill (Dr Bailey); and the Family Studies Laboratory, Division of Psychiatry, Boston (Mass) University School of Medicine (Dr Pillard).

Footnotes
Accepted for pubilcation July 31, 1991.

Reprint requests to Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (Dr Bailey).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Narrative and the Cultural Psychology of Identity
Hammack
Pers Soc Psychol Rev 2008;12:222-247.
ABSTRACT  

The Body As Crowbar: Transcending Or Stretching Sex?
Van Lenning
Feminist Theory 2004;5:25-47.
ABSTRACT  

Constructing the 'Gay Gene' in the News: Optimism and Skepticism in the US and British Press
Conrad and Markens
Health (London) 2001;5:373-400.
ABSTRACT  

Gender identity disorder in young people
Di Ceglie
Adv. Psychiatr. Treat. 2000;6:458-466.
FULL TEXT  

Male Homosexuality: Absence of Linkage to Microsatellite Markers at Xq28
Rice et al.
Science 1999;284:665-667.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Ecological and Psychosocial Correlates of Male Homosexuality: A Cross-Cultural Investigation
Barber
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 1998;29:387-401.
ABSTRACT  

Comparison of the auditory systems of heterosexuals and homosexuals: Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions
McFadden and Pasanen
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1998;95:2709-2713.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Sex Reassignment at Birth: Long-term Review and Clinical Implications
Diamond and Sigmundson
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1997;151:298-304.
ABSTRACT  

Homosexuality
Friedman and Downey
NEJM 1994;331:923-930.
FULL TEXT  

The genetic basis of complex human behaviors
Plomin et al.
Science 1994;264:1733-1739.
ABSTRACT  

Male sexual orientation and genetic evidence
Risch et al.
Science 1993;262:2063-2065.
 

Psychoanalysis, Psychobiology, and Homosexuality
Friedman and Downey
J Am Psychoanal Assoc 1993;41:1159-1198.
ABSTRACT  

A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation
Hamer et al.
Science 1993;261:321-327.
ABSTRACT  

Heritable Factors Influence Sexual Orientation in Women
Bailey et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993;50:217-223.
ABSTRACT  

Human Sexual Orientation: The Biologic Theories Reappraised
Byne and Parsons
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993;50:228-239.
ABSTRACT  

Reply to 'A Genetic Study of Male Sexual Orientation'
LIDZ
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993;50:240-240.
ABSTRACT  

A Comparison of Neuroendocrine and Genetic Factors in Homosexuality and in Pedophilia
Langevin
Sex Abuse 1993;6:67-76.
ABSTRACT