# POLL: Relative finger length determines sexual orientation? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 9, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118 "2003-05-09T14:55:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thinks2Much](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Thinks2Much](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinks2Much)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/1 "2003-05-09T14:55:11Z")
I found this story interesting when I first heard it, but recent threads got me thinking of it again. According to this article: [article](http://www.applesforhealth.com/fingerlength1.html) Heterosexual women have very little difference in the lengths of their ring fingers compared to their index fingers on the right hand- same as homosexual men. Lesbians and straight men have a noticable difference in length between the two fingers (namely, the index finger is shorter than the ring finger.) So, check your fingers and report in - do you follow the pattern? They only looked at 720 people in San Francisco. We have 35,000+ people from all over the world on this board. I don’t think either is statistically accurate, but the point is get a to generality only, for the fun of it. For myself, I am a heterosexual woman, and my ring finger and index fingers are almost exactly the same length. How about you? ---
**Author:** ![Thinks2Much](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Thinks2Much](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinks2Much)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/2 "2003-05-09T15:04:26Z")
I am aware this was done once before, but no one noted their orientation when responding, so it didn’t really help much.[previous thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?&threadid=120177) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/3 "2003-05-09T15:05:57Z")
Straight man. My index finger is about .5 inch shorter than my ring finger. Better yet, I folded my fingers over to my palm and that measurement, which is purportedly equal to penis length, is 8.75"…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thinks2Much](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Thinks2Much](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinks2Much)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/4 "2003-05-09T15:10:35Z")
Ooh - tell me more about that folding thing you did! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/5 "2003-05-09T15:12:55Z")
Straight man. My index finger is about 1cm shorter that my ring finger. \*\* An Arky \*\* - when you fold your fingers over to your palm, where do you measure from ? ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/6 "2003-05-09T15:15:49Z")
So what if you are Bi? Mine are roughly the same. I prefer men but like women occaisionally too. ---
**Author:** ![Thinks2Much](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Thinks2Much](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinks2Much)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/7 "2003-05-09T15:25:56Z")
mipiace - I was wondering how bi-sexuals factored into it myself. I don’t have an answer for you - let’s see how many other bi-sexuals check in. ---
**Author:** ![flybynight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@flybynight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flybynight)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/8 "2003-05-09T15:29:38Z")
My ring finger is longer by a wee bit. Straight guy. This could really help people undergoing a sexual identity crisis, huh? No more long nights of soul searching or akward experimentation. Just get out the ruler. But that wouldn’t help if you were Bi, as **mipiace** said… maybe on one hand, they’re equal, and on the other hand, the ring finger is longer. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/9 "2003-05-09T15:47:32Z")
Straight dude, but I _am_ willing to learn. 😉 Index finger is about .5 inch shorter than ring finger. ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/10 "2003-05-09T15:53:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flybynight \* > \*\*maybe on one hand, they’re equal, and on the other hand, the ring finger is longer. \*\* This almost fits me. On my right hand the index & ring fingers are nearly the same length. On my left hand the index finger is longer than the ring finger by 1/8"-3/16". Straight male. Left-handed. (could be why my left index finger is longer) ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/11 "2003-05-09T15:55:12Z")
straight guy- index finger is about 1.5cm (??) shorter than my ring finger. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/12 "2003-05-09T15:56:14Z")
Hm. Straight female here and my index finger (7.2cm) is _longer_ than my ring finger (6.9). Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/13 "2003-05-09T15:57:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by green\_bladder \* > \*\*straight guy- index finger is about 1.5cm (??) shorter than my ring finger. \*\* hmm… that was on my left hand (I’m a lefty, too), on my right hand the different is about 1cm ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/14 "2003-05-09T16:48:10Z")
I am gay and my right hand’s ring finger is closer in size to my middle finger than my index finger. It is just a hair shorter. On my left hand my ring finger is midpoint between my index and middle finger lengthwise. I also folded up my hand and my fingers touched my shoulder. That would make my dick HUGE! LOL Yeah right. I think I folded them too far. ---
**Author:** ![Contrary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/db5fbb/32.png) [@Contrary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrary)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/15 "2003-05-09T16:48:41Z")
Bi – right hand, they are the same. Left hand, the index finger is slightly longer. I am right-handed. ---
**Author:** ![Thinks2Much](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Thinks2Much](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinks2Much)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/16 "2003-05-09T17:01:52Z")
Contrary - please pardon my ignorance, but are you male or female? I just ask because we were looking for a trend in bisexuals, and if you are female, then your hands would indicate you are straight even though you are bi, just like mipiace. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/17 "2003-05-09T17:04:45Z")
No measuring apparatus handy, so I’ll give you what I see by looking. Straight female, right handed. My index finger is slightly longer - so slight that I had to look at them for a while to decide that they weren’t the same length - than the ring finger on my right hand - only noticable from the palm side, because my nails make them about the same length if I view them from the back. ---
**Author:** ![Contrary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/db5fbb/32.png) [@Contrary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrary)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/18 "2003-05-09T17:06:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chrisk72 \* > \*\*Contrary - please pardon my ignorance, but are you male or female? I just ask because we were looking for a trend in bisexuals, and if you are female, then your hands would indicate you are straight even though you are bi, just like mipiace. \*\* Sorry 'bout that – thought it was known I’m female 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/19 "2003-05-09T17:48:21Z")
Gay guy (duh), and my index finger is shorter than my ring finger. I thought these “scientific results” had already been discredited? Esprix ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118/20 "2003-05-09T17:54:55Z")
I thought that science had shown it is the shape of your skull and the bumps thereon that determine behavior? 😉 My ring and index fingers are dead even on both hands. I guess that puts me on the fence. Ah, choices! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-relative-finger-length-determines-sexual-orientation/174118.md?page=2)