Women Interact More Comfortably and Intimately With Gay Men—But Not Straight Men—After Learning Their Sexual Orientation

Research suggests that the development of close, opposite-sex friendships is frequently impeded by men’s often one-sided sexual attraction to women. But what if this element were removed? The current research tested the hypothesis that women engage in more comfortable and intimate interactions with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological science 2018-02, Vol.29 (2), p.288-303
Main Authors: Russell, Eric M., Ickes, William, Ta, Vivian P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Female
Friends - psychology
Friendship
Gays & lesbians
Heterosexuality - psychology
Homosexuality
Homosexuality - psychology
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Learning
Male
Men
Sexual Behavior - psychology
Sexual orientation
Social Behavior
Young Adult
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Summary:Research suggests that the development of close, opposite-sex friendships is frequently impeded by men’s often one-sided sexual attraction to women. But what if this element were removed? The current research tested the hypothesis that women engage in more comfortable and intimate interactions with a gay (but not a straight) man immediately after discovering his sexual orientation. In two studies, female participants engaged in imagined or actual initial interactions with either a straight man or a gay man. After the man’s sexual orientation was revealed, women (particularly attractive ones) who were paired with a gay man reported greater anticipated comfort, which was mediated by their reduced worry about his sexual intentions (Study 1). Further, once women discovered that they were interacting with a gay man, they displayed more intimate engagement behaviors with him (Study 2). These findings reveal how, and why, close relationships often form quickly between women and gay men.
ISSN:0956-7976
1467-9280
DOI:10.1177/0956797617733803