Recalled childhood gender nonconformity (CGN) and adult traits—e.g., masculinity–femininity of occupational preferences (MF-Occ),
self-ascribed masculinity–femininity (Self-MF), self-reported anxiety—were assessed in an ethnically diverse US convenience
sample of California college students and gay pride attendees, including 238 heterosexual men, 127 gay men, 343 heterosexual
women, and 197 lesbian women. CGN showed large heterosexual–homosexual and gender differences, with homosexual individuals
higher than heterosexual individuals and women higher than men. CGN was significantly associated with both men’s and women’s
MF-Occ and Self-MF, both within and across sexual orientations. CGN was associated with self-reported anxiety for men but
not for women, a finding true for both heterosexual and gay men, suggesting that CGN had a more negative impact on men than
women.
Keywords Childhood gender nonconformity - Femininity - Masculinity - Gender - Personality stability - Gender differences - Sexual orientation