Heredity and Environment

Explanations range from (a) citing inherited gene patterns as the exclusive cause to (b) attributing preferences entirely to environmental influences. Between those diametrically opposed views are diverse explanations that propose various combinations of genetic and social factors. Possibly the causes differ from one person to another, thereby rendering the puzzle of gender-role preference infinitely complicated.

That is, some people may have inherited a genetic pattern that destines them to embrace a particular gender life style homosexual or bisexual no matter how the environments they inhabit urge them to do otherwise. In contrast, other people may be easily led by circumstances to engage in acts contrary to the typical behavior expected of their gender in their culture.

Such might be true of girls who adopt homosexual acts while attending an all-girls’ boarding school or of sailors introduced to homosexuality while on long sea voyages. Furthermore, environments may affect gender-role preferences differently at successive stages of the life span. Experimenting with same-sex engagements is rather common among adolescents who will usually abandon those acts for heterosexual relations in adulthood.

It is also the case that there are different degrees to which people adopt a given gender role. For instance, some individuals limit their gender orientation to an occasional homosexual act, but in all other ways—garb, posture, gestures, voice timbre, interests—they adhere to their culture’s gender stereotype. Other homosexuals adopt the complete array of their culture’s stereotypical attributes of the opposite gender, with such a male homosexual often referred to as a queen and a female as a butch or duke. Between those extremes are many individuals who assume different degrees of cross-gender traits.