Multidimensional Assessment of Sexual Orientation and Childhood Gender Nonconformity: Implications for Defining and Classifying Sexual/Affectional Orientations

Abstract

Although research on childhood gender nonconformity (CGN) has shown to be the only consistently correlated measure with adult self-identification of sexual orientation for men and women, little research has focused on other dimensions of sexual orientation are also correlated with CGN. In an online survey of adults (N = 2,372), information on participants’ self-identified sexual orientations, sexual attractions, sexual behaviors, and sexual fantasies correlated with recalled CGN. The only significant predictor that an adult would recall CGN behaviors was sexual attraction. Implications of the findings as well as limitations to the current study are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• affectional orientation
• assessment of sexual orientation
• childhood gender nonconformity
• development of sexual orientation
• sexual orientation