A descriptive study of twenty-five female homosexuals

Purpose: The research was devised to investigate some of the social factors present in the life situations of female homosexuals in Houston, Texas. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of this population of lesbians and to specifically consider the factors which have caused female homosexuality as seen by members of the study sample and to relate them to existing literature in this field. In addition to collecting demographic data on the sample, the study was designed to gather information concerning the subjects’ heterosexual and homosexual development, experiences, and attitudes with emphasis on opinions as to the contributing and casual factors of female homosexual behavior pattern in this population. Methods: The primary sources of data for this study were the interviews conducted with twenty-five female homosexuals in Houston, Texas. The interviews were structured by a fifty-nine item questionnaire. All interviews were conducted by the researcher, therefore minimizing bias. The data were tabulated and distributed by fifty-nine descriptive items. Findings: Although findings cannot be generalized beyond this sample, the data gathered during this research and the findings of this study seem to support the following conclusions: 1. This study suggests that the mother was the dominant figure in the family structure of the female homosexual in this sample. 2. It is concluded from study data that sexual fantasies of a homosexual nature and awareness of homosexual feelings precede actual physical experience. 3. The homosexuals in the sample do not attribute homosexuality to congenital factors 4. The female homosexuals in the sample do not attribute homosexual behavior to the early factor of a sexual trauma with a man. 5. This study supports inference by the literature that the female homosexuals in the study attribute psychic trauma, homosexual seduction, sexual frustrations, and family relationships as contributing factors to female homosexual behavior.