# Giving homosexuality the finger! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 29, 2000, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895 "2000-03-29T19:40:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/1 "2000-03-29T19:40:00Z")
Get a load of this, from today’s AP newswire—whaddaya think? [http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGI6F60BF6C.html](http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGI6F60BF6C.html) ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/2 "2000-03-29T19:54:00Z")
From the article linked to in the OP: > [@](#): > > Some earlier research already suggests slight anatomical differences between gays and other men, including variations in brain structure and bigger penises for homosexuals. Drat. Drat drat drat drat drat. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/3 "2000-03-29T20:10:00Z")
OK, let’s have some anecdotal evidence here. > [@](#): > > A provocative study of finger lengths found that lesbians are more likely than other women to have a subtle masculine trait…Men tend to have shorter index fingers than ring fingers. Doesn’t _everybody_ have a shorter index finger than their ring finger? The tip of the nail of my index finger barely comes up to the base of the nail of my ring finger. Nor did I think this was in any way unusual for a woman. Now if homosexuality is shown to be caused by “excess” male hormones during pregnacy, d’ya suppose they’ll offer treatments to “correct” the imbalance? Would you take such a treatment if it was offered? [Now that I am looking at my fingers, I notice that my fingers seem to be the same length when comparing left hand v. right hand, except for my right middle finger, which is a good 1/2 cm longer than my left middle finger. Weird.] ---
**Author:** ![SqrlCub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/4 "2000-03-29T20:17:00Z")
Interesting. (looking at my fingers) I know this isn’t scientific at all but on my right hand, my ring finger is almost as long as my middle finger and my index finger is significantly shorter. On my left hand, my ring finger is just a touch longer than my index finger. On both hands, the fingers are virtually the same size. hmmm… I used to be pretty heavy into palmistry and I read it as a creativity thing on other people (the ring finger thing). I guess if I went back I could start reading the shorter finger as the gay sign (there are others on the palm, fyi). I haven’t read palms in ages though. Oh well. There is a lot you can tell from someones hand without even going into the religious/pagan aspects of it. (Such as what they do for a living, typing, playing an instrument which often includes which ones… I found that in a scientific musical study from my music history classes… pianists tend to have heavier, meatier fingers than banjo players… go figure…, outdoor work, etc). You can also tell personality traits, such as nervousness (fingernail biters), obsessiveness (manicured hands combined with other personality things…), on a slightly lesser scale than the previous: wanting to make a good impression, etc. HUGS! Sqrl * * * [SqrlCub’s Arizona Adventure](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005351.html) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/5 "2000-03-29T20:22:00Z")
My index and ring fingers are exactly the same lengths, on both hands, and my middle finger is significantly longer . . . I’m confused, does this make me bisexual, or what? ---
**Author:** ![Bluepony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Bluepony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluepony)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/6 "2000-03-29T21:08:00Z")
:::Looking at hooves::: (whew!) 🙂 * * * _…send lawyers, guns, and money…_ ``` Warren Zevon ``` ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/7 "2000-03-29T21:15:00Z")
Gaudere wrote: > [@](#): > > The tip of the nail of my index finger barely comes up to the base of the nail of my ring finger. Guess you’ll just have to start dating women now. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/8 "2000-03-29T21:22:00Z")
Oh, baby. I don’t know where to start. A. This is a study based on a grand total of 720 people? B. Isn’t it just slightly possible that their statistical sampling, tiny though it is, is slightly skewed? They didn’t sample the general category of “people”. Rather, they sampled the very small and inevitably skewed category of “People who live in the Bay Area”, but then they broke it down eve further by sampling only “people who live in the Bay Area and attend street festivals and are willing to have their fingers measured by people taking a survey and are willing to admit in public they are gay”. Or did I not read the article right? This is not the scientific method, by any stretch of the word. This is the kind of thing you do at slumber parties or Boy Scout campouts, right up there with Ouija boards and trying to touch your nose with your tongue. C. This whole AP article is deliberately phrased so as to be as inflammatory as possible. Nowhere do we hear the voice of caution, nope, he’s written it so as to leave you with the definite impression that the thing is practically a dead cert–Mom and Dad, better start measuring your son’s fingers! Hooray for Jeff Donn! His byline is now worldwide. Big whoop. I wonder whether the article in the journal Nature is quite so definite. I would bet a nickel that it’s considerably more cautious, probably more along the lines of, “Some research may seem to indicate…” closing with, “We don’t know what this means, but isn’t it interesting?” So, people, my advice would be to not get your collective panties in a bunch and start measuring your fingers just yet. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/9 "2000-03-29T21:22:00Z")
Eve wondered: > [@](#): > > I’m confused, does this make me bisexual, or what Well if you are, you’ve doubled your chances for a date Friday night. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/10 "2000-03-29T21:26:00Z")
The index finger and ring finger on my left hand are the same length but the index finger on my right hand is longer than the ring finger…by about 1/4 inch… I wonder what that means. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/11 "2000-03-29T21:26:00Z")
The men I’m dating now will be rather distressed about that. Well, unless I offer to let them watch. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/12 "2000-03-29T21:28:00Z")
\ _phew!_ STRAIGHT!! Ha, I guess that means I won’t feel guilty for lingering a little longer in the “gay” section at the adult video store any more!! 😉 * * * The Sleeper has AWAKEN! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/13 "2000-03-29T21:29:00Z")
Wally—two times zero is still zero, isn’t it? I’m glad to see Notthemama rescued me from anyone asking “why the hell is this in GD?” I put it in here to ask if y’all think there’s anything in this study. Me, I agree with Nott—it’s much too small and unscientific to have any basis at all. But still interesting enough to follow up on in a more professional way. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/14 "2000-03-29T21:29:00Z")
I smell Urban Folklore in the making, to go with the ones relating penis size to (A) nose size, and (b) middle finger length. “Say, didja know, you can tell if a guy’s gay by measuring his fingers…?” :eek: A topic for Cecil’s column, sometime during the year 2005, probably. ---
**Author:** ![quadell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/b9bd4f/32.png) [@quadell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quadell)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/15 "2000-03-29T21:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Some earlier research already suggests slight anatomical differences between gays and other men, including. . . bigger penises for homosexuals. As Dan Savage asked, does this straight guys will be bragging to each other about how small their penises are? Your Quadell ---
**Author:** ![Chef\_Troy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/16 "2000-03-29T21:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Eve: > **My index and ring fingers are exactly the same lengths, on both hands, and my middle finger is significantly longer . . . I’m confused, does this make me bisexual, or what?** Actually, the unpublished last page of the study said that unusually long middle fingers are the mark of the New Yorker, the result of generations of natural selection favoring those who are best equipped to flip people off. * * * Live a Lush Life Da Chef ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/17 "2000-03-29T23:19:00Z")
My palm is very unusual. I have only 1 major line running horizontally all the way across the palm. Instead of 1 line from the thumb side curving down. And 1 line from the pinkie side curving up. Is 1 of those lines the \*lifeline[/]? Am I immortal? A few years ago I started noticing other people grabbing things. Most people ,when they close their hand, touch their pinkie to their thumb first. And then the ring finger and so on. I don’t. When I close my hand, I close all fingers at the same time. Am I a freak? * * * ## Just putting my 2sense in. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered. -Thomas Paine (fugitive slave catcher) ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/18 "2000-03-30T05:31:00Z")
Gaudere: > [@](#): > > Doesn’t _everybody_ have a shorter index finger than their ring finger? The tip of the nail of my index finger barely comes up to the base of the nail of my ring finger. Nor did I think this was in any way unusual for a woman. Hrm. My ring fingers are noticeably shorter than my index fingers, more so on my left hand than on my right. I’m deformed! ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/19 "2000-03-30T05:40:00Z")
Apparently I am a lesbian. I wonder what my husband will say. Hey Eve! Whatcha doin’ on Friday? ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2000, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895/20 "2000-03-30T05:55:00Z")
Omigod! I’m a lesbian! Does this mean I have to change my user name to something with “bear” in it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-homosexuality-the-finger/17895.md?page=2)