Study shows 'gaydar' may be real

LEIDEN, Netherlands, May 29 (UPI) -- "Gaydar," the supposed innate ability of gay people to identify other gays even in a crowd, may actually exist, Dutch researchers say.

Dutch scientists said gay men and women in a study proved to be more detail-oriented and discerning than heterosexuals when focusing their attention on their environment, and this close attention to detail could help them detect the sexual preference of others, the New York Daily News reported Saturday.

"This is the first time that scientific proof has been found for the existence of a gaydar mechanism amongst homosexuals," researcher Dr. Lorenza Colzato of Leiden University in the Netherlands said. "This perceptual skill allows homosexuals to recognize other gay people faster and we think it's because they are much more analytic than heterosexuals."

More perceptive and detail-oriented people may be more likely to pick up on subtle clues in other people that they may be homosexual, the study found, which helps them search out gay friends and sexual partners.