Sexual Preference or Personal Style?

Abstract

MacDonald and Games (1974) have argued that homosexual men and women are disliked because they are thought to display inappropriate gender-related mannerism (either “butch” or “Femme”). Storms (1978) argued that sex-object choice, not personal style, is the basis of dislike. Laner and Lander (1979) have presented evident that both dimensions-sexual preference and personal style-are implicated in dislike of homosexual men. The present study replicated the design of Laner and Laner's (1979) study but compared likeableness ratings and quality attributes of lesbian and nonlesbian women, divided into three subtypes: hypo feminine (masculine), feminine (average), and hyper feminine (effeminate). Finding parallel those of Lancer and Lancer's earlier work and lend partial support both to MacDonald and Game's and to Storm's propositions. Conventionality of style, as heterosexually defined (in this case, average feminine), appears most likely to reduce dislike of lesbian. A publicly conventional presentation of self is not incompatible with private individualism, however.

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