Abstract
This retrospective study compares memories of the father-son relationship between lifelong socially well-adjusted, non-patient homosexual and heterosexual men. No homosexual subject reported the presence of a reasonably intact, positive relationship with his father or father surrogate during preadolescent years, whereas 12 of the 17 heterosexual men did. Previous investigators have hypothesized that a constructive, supportive father-son relationship precludes the development of homosexual orientation. This hypothesis stemmed from investigation of men who in general suffered from significant global psychopathology.5 The data in the present investigation supports the notion that a meaningful association, which is not attributable to confounding psychopathology, exists between quality of father-son relationship during early life and male sexual orientation.
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This study was made possible by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grant HD-06132, National Cancer Institute grant CA-11704, and by a grant from the New York Foundation. Sally Severino, M.D., and Susan Matorin, M.S.W., provided criticism of the original manuscript which was most appreciated.
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Friedman, R.C., Stern, L.O. Fathers, sons, and sexual orientation: Replication of a Bieber hypothesis. Psych Quart 52, 175–189 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01071735
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01071735