Family dynamics in homosexual women

Abstract

Subjects for this study were drawn from an informal social group of young, relatively well-functioning lesbians. Overall scores on a projective questionnaire (the Elias Family Adjustment Test) confirmed the prediction that homosexual women would show more evidence of adverse factors in their upbringing than would a matched heterosexual comparison group. Statistically significant differences were also found between the homosexual and heterosexual groups on subtests measuring negative attitudes toward mother, negative attitudes toward father, struggle for independence, parent-child friction, interparental friction, family inferiority, rejection of child, and parental qualities. No differences were found on subtests tapping preference for one parent over the other or oedipal concerns. Inspection of significantly differentiating FAT items revealed a remarkably consistent picture of the childhood homes of these lesbian subjects. The homosexual women described a neglecting and churlish father, a martyred and preoccupied mother, and children who felt angry and spiteful. Discussion is focused upon the implications of these findings for construction of a valid general theory of the genesis of homosexuality in women. Inferences drawn from this study—particularly those concerning the importance of negative childhood experiences with the father—are compatible with some previous studies of lesbian women and with many investigations of female role development in general.