Searching the personal ads for gay and lesbian mate selection strategies.

Abstract

Evolutionary theory has been used to explain heterosexual mate selection for numerous years; however, the theory essentially ignores gay, lesbian, and bisexual mate selection. To uncover these relationships, psychologists have turned to personal ads. This technique has replicated results of experiments using more traditional methods. However, previous studies which have attempted to evaluate gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual mate selection have been plagued with controversy and discrepant results. For example, several of these studies have used ads placed in sexually oriented periodicals. In order to rectify this problem, ads were collected over a period of several months from a mainstream, midwestern newspaper. Personal ads from the "men-seeking-men" and "womenseeking-women" subsections of the Kansas CitY Star were collected from October 1995 to January 1996. During the collection period 68 women and 74 men placed ads. Within the men-seeking-men section, 29% described themselves as attractive, 26% described themselves as having a good physique, and 26% described themselves as financially secure. Additionally, 13% requested an attractive mate, 15% requested a good physique, 12% requested financial security, 49% requested friendship, and.07% requested sex. Within the womenseeking-women section, 38% described themselves as attractive, 24% described themselves as having a good physique, and 10% described themselves as financially secure. Finally, 16% requested an attractive mate, 22% requested a good physique, 13% requested financial security, 31 % requested friendship, and .01% requested sex. In other words. neither lesbians nor gay men use the traditional characteristics of physical attractiveness or financial security when selecting or attempting to attract potential mates. These results imply evolutionary theory does not apply to gays and lesbians. Because the ad placers were looking for friendship rather than a mate, these results may not be directly applicable to evolutionary theory.