Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Adult Homosexuality

SUMMARY

The author, from a historical perspective, challenges the premise that gender nonconformity in childhood leads to adult homosexuality. It is difficult to document childhood for most people in history. Even were records to provide more detail about the history of children, the assumption that effeminate boys become homosexual adults confuses gender nonconformity with sexual nonconformity. Historical and cultural examples suggest that homoerotic relationships during adolescence or early adulthood do not necessarily lead to homosexuality. Substantiation of these points with historical and cultural examples refutes the notion that childhood gender nonconformity can be a causal or contributing antecedent of adult homosexuality.

Key Words:

• Classical era
• development
• effeminacy
• gay
• gender nonconformity
• historical perspective
• homoeroticism
• homosexuality
• middle ages
• psychoanalysis