# Sexual orientation by occupation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035 "2014-08-20T20:29:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/21 "2014-08-21T19:44:31Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I have access to the full paper through my job. They compare self reported interest in a given occupation vs self reported sexuality for 53 occupations. The results pretty much fit the stereotype, at least on the male side. > > Male Heterosexual occupations: Athlete, Auto Mechanic, High school coach, Police officer, Electrician > > Male Homosexual occupations: Actor, Artist, Beautician, Dress designer, Nurse, Novelist > > Female Heterosexual occupations: Accountant, Beautician, Head of corporation, > > Female Heterosexual occupations: Auto mechanic, High School Coach, Novelist, Wildlife Photographer. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/22 "2014-08-21T20:31:21Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Don’t forget [flight attendants](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=691840)! This one I would say could be very true. I have a number of flight attendant friends and they all say the vast majority of male FA’s are gay. (I can’t cite anything because this is from conversations) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/23 "2014-08-21T21:59:10Z")
I’m interested in professions where I won’t be shunned, beaten up, or at risk for harassment. Just saying that there are factors in “interest” that aren’t about gender or sexual orientation so much as about not being killed, which might mean interest in fields that are thought of as having higher numbers of LGBTQ people or as more liberal. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/24 "2014-08-21T23:14:56Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I have access to the full paper through my job. They compare self reported interest in a given occupation vs self reported sexuality for 53 occupations. The results pretty much fit the stereotype, at least on the male side. > > Male Heterosexual occupations: Athlete, Auto Mechanic, High school coach, Police officer, Electrician > > Male Homosexual occupations: Actor, Artist, Beautician, Dress designer, Nurse, Novelist > > Female Heterosexual occupations: Accountant, Beautician, Head of corporation, > > Female Heterosexual occupations: Auto mechanic, High School Coach, Novelist, Wildlife Photographer. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/25 "2014-08-22T00:50:14Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I have access to the full paper through my job. They compare self reported interest in a given occupation vs self reported sexuality for 53 occupations. The results pretty much fit the stereotype, at least on the male side. > > Male Heterosexual occupations: Athlete, Auto Mechanic, High school coach, Police officer, Electrician > > Male Homosexual occupations: Actor, Artist, Beautician, Dress designer, Nurse, Novelist > > Female Heterosexual occupations: Accountant, Beautician, Head of corporation, > > Female Heterosexual occupations: Auto mechanic, High School Coach, Novelist, Wildlife Photographer. It seems you have two sets of female hetero & zero sets of female homo occupations. I’m gonna bet the second list of female occupations is the homo one though. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/26 "2014-08-22T01:01:05Z")
> [@susan](#): > > I’m interested in professions where I won’t be shunned, beaten up, or at risk for harassment. Just saying that there are factors in “interest” that aren’t about gender or sexual orientation so much as about not being killed, which might mean interest in fields that are thought of as having higher numbers of LGBTQ people or as more liberal. I think the point is that the study looked for correlation between sexual orientation and the occupations in which the subjects expressed an _interest_, not the occupations which they actually _had_. For all we know, the gay men who expressed interest in being actors, artists, dress designers, nurses and novelists may actually have been employed as athletes, mechanics, coaches and policemen. Or they may have been unemployed, full-time students, etc. In other words, the study tends to confirm that certain occupations are widely seen as gay or straight, and that this perception is shared by gay and straight people. It doesn’t confirm that the perception is correct. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/27 "2014-08-22T05:18:21Z")
Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/28 "2014-08-23T15:36:01Z")
[Sometimes stereotypes aren’t all that accurate](http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2449185) Gay Stereotypes: Are They True? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/29 "2014-08-23T17:57:31Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > This one I would say could be very true. I have a number of flight attendant friends and they all say the vast majority of male FA’s are gay. (I can’t cite anything because this is from conversations) I once dated a (female) flight attendant and she told me the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![montag01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@montag01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/montag01)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/30 "2014-08-24T04:27:18Z")
I always sort of thought there’d be a lot of gay male librarians, but it seems not to be the case. I happen to be one, but all the other guy librarians in my system (about 15) are all married (to women). ---
**Author:** ![MsKaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@MsKaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsKaren)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/31 "2014-08-24T04:53:17Z")
> [@montag01](#): > > I always sort of thought there’d be a lot of gay male librarians, but it seems not to be the case. I happen to be one, but all the other guy librarians in my system (about 15) are all married (to women). That is what I would think as well, but the male librarian I know, who is also a professional artist. is married with two children to another artist (female) who works as an art teacher. Both kids attend a public military school. Stereotypes tumble. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/32 "2014-08-24T08:44:20Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Don’t forget [flight attendants](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=691840)! [The stewards on Malaysia airlines need to get their rampant hetrosexuality under control.](http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/laura-bushney-breaks-silence-over-sexual-assault-on-malaysia-airlines-flight-20140822-107f72.html):eek::eek::eek: > [@md2000](#): > > Of course, the other argument is that artistic type may tend more likely to be gay because gay people, like straight artists, “think outside the box”; they feel they don’t belong to normal society, reject conformism and “do their own thing”. Someone who recognizes their thoughts and feelings don’ measure up to social norms already has a head start in free expression. Or, it’s easier to risk becoming a starving artist, when you don’t have children who depend on you. Wealth and stability might be less important to potential same-sex partners as well. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/33 "2014-08-24T09:43:51Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > Or, it’s easier to risk becoming a starving artist, when you don’t have children who depend on you. > > Wealth and stability might be less important to potential same-sex partners as well. I think you hit the nail on the head, especially for men. Yes I know some hetero male artists and actors but it is damn hard because those occupations pay little or the pay is not steady so any man who wants to raise a family is going to have alot of problems doing those. I’ve even known some straight guys who were say an actor or artist when they were younger, had to get a straight (pardon the pun) career so they could fit into the role of breadwinner. Like it or not even in todays world where women hold careers they still want a man who can make a decent income. I once read an article written by a gay man who even admitted that being gay freed him from many of societies constraints and allowed him to pursue many areas a hetero man with a wife and kids could not. Now what has thrown a monkey wrench into this is the push for gays to get married, buy a house with a mortgage, and adopt children which requires a steady income. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/34 "2014-08-24T09:49:32Z")
> [@montag01](#): > > I always sort of thought there’d be a lot of gay male librarians, but it seems not to be the case. I happen to be one, but all the other guy librarians in my system (about 15) are all married (to women). I dont see how they can be because in our area librarians are paid so little even with a masters degree. I work (I’m a mechanic) with a former librarian who did that for nearly 20 years but finally had to quit because it wasnt paying enough and his daughter working part time was making more money than him. The guy loved books though and really hated to leave the library. He said the only librarians making good money are the ones managing say a very large branch or system. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/35 "2014-08-24T10:23:00Z")
I know from my time as a psychiatric nurse (back in the 70s) there was a huge percentage of gay and lesbian work mates. Fortunately no-one gave a shit. ---
**Author:** ![chris4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chris4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chris4)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035/36 "2014-09-01T23:24:14Z")
Would love to see some more data about these topics! If only Facebook could release some aggregate data like that! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-by-occupation/696035.md?page=1)