LGBTQIA and the Enneagram
What does it mean if I regard myself as being LGBTQIA when it comes to the Enneagram? How will that affect my Type? Will it make a difference?
There’s a short answer to this and it’s simply: “It won’t.” That’s one of the reasons I love the Enneagram. Irrespective of race, religion, location, sexual inclination and anything else that we use to define ourselves, as far as the Enneagram is concerned, it makes no difference.
Whether you’re a city slicker in New York, or living in a small hut in rural Africa, if you’re a Type Five, you’ll display the same Passions and Fixations of your Type. Your Fivish desire for alone space may show-up differently according to your circumstances, but your motivations remain the same.
Similarly, an African tribesman then, you may enjoy time alone in the bush, while your American counterpart heads for his man-cave in the backyard. Both of you will find being with others constantly, draining.
Do certain Types have more LGBTQIA people?
A question I’ve been asked a few times is: “Do certain types have more people of LGBTQIA types?” There’s no volume of research data on this to my knowledge. The late Claudio Naranjo however, believed that certainly in the Western world, there is a predominance of men on the left side of the Enneagram (Types 5, 6, 7 and 8) and women on the right (Types 1, 2, 3 and 4).
I see this as being male versus female energy rather than necessarily actual men or woman. In Naranjo’s words “seduction” versus “rebellion.” So, Type 2’s and 4’s are known to be more archetypally feminine in their energy, sitting opposite the more masculine Type 8.
Irrespective then of your sexual leaning, if you’re on the left side of the Enneagram you’re likely to display more masculine type behavior. In the cases of Type 5, 6 and 7, “thinking” versus “feeling”. Thinking being archetypally more associated with the male principle, as opposed to feeling (female). Naranjo describes it as “aloofness,” as opposed to “warmth.”
And Nines?
What about the “nice” Nines then at the top of the Enneagram symbol? “Fence-sitters” of the Enneagram. Perhaps it’s because of their position and accepting behavior that they are regarded as being the most pan-sexual of the Types.
How does this link with Myers Briggs research?
Research from various sources does differ. Drawing though on Myers Briggs research and correlating those types to the Enneagram Types, it appears that for females, types Fours and Nine have a higher percentage of gay women.
Furthermore, for men; Twos, Threes and Fours show a higher male gay percentage. Bisexual females were most commonly found in Fours and Fives. In men, more bisexuals are found in Fours and Sevens.[i] Pan-sexual types tend to be Fours, Fives and particularly Nines. In many types however, the percentage difference is small. Further research will need to be done to be conclusive.
Most noteworthy, INFPs (225) and INFJs (280) scored highest when it came to viewing themselves as bi- or pan-sexual (24% and 19%).[ii] These two types are seen to correspond most closely to Enneagram 4’s and 9’s respectively, according to a study of 4 703 people who knew both their Briggs-Myers and Enneagram types. (From an Enneagram and MBTI Correlation done in 2015.)[iii] INTP females (predominately Type 5’s), had the highest amount of bisexuals.
The Conclusion
As a result, while certain sexual leanings may be found more in certain Types (more gay men in Type 4 for instance), the personality patterns within those Types remains constant, no matter whether you are LGBTQIA or heterosexual.
Ann Gadd is the author of Sex and the Enneagram
A Guide to Passionate Relationships for the 9 Types.
Notes:
A survey by OkCupid, an online dating site, found that 33.03% of INTP females (predominately Type Fives), were bisexual. In males the percentage was far lower at 4.63%, yet it rated the third highest. This then corresponds with Priebe’s findings..[iv][NR1] [ag2]
[i] https://www.typologycentral.com/forums/myers-briggs-and-jungian-cognitive-functions/73348-type-lesbian-gay-bisexual.html; https://personalityjunkie.com/07/myers-briggs-enneagram-mbti-types-correlations-relationship/; https://www.typologycentral.com/wiki/index.php/Enneagram_and_MBTI_Correlation. All accessed Nov. 2018.
[ii] https://thoughtcatalog.com/heidi-priebe/2016/08/mbti-sexuality/14/. Accessed October 2018.
[iii] https://www.typologycentral.com/wiki/index.php/Enneagram_and_MBTI_Correlation. Accessed October 2018.
[iv] https://www.typologycentral.com/forums/myers-briggs-and-jungian-cognitive-functions/73348-type-lesbian-gay-bisexual.html Accessed November, 2018.
