TRAIT #1 Bring an Ovulating Woman

Let’s say you suspect a specific guy of being on the downlow. If you want to really be sure, then bring along a straight female friend who is ovulating, and she’ll be able to confirm your suspicions. How does this happen? Well, when a woman is ovulating, her body is basically screaming at her to find a suitable mate and make some babies ASAP. According to this study, ovulation puts her gaydar in hypersensitivity mode since it is in her biological favor to be able to detect straight men from gay men so as to not waste any time. So, if you’re doubting your gaydar, have an ovulating gal pal check the guy out; millennia of evolution have sharpened her gay-detecting senses during these short periods to notice the smallest subconscious clues as to a man’s sexuality and be quite accurate.

TRAIT #2: His Ring Finger Length

On the off chance none of your friends are ovulating, this next trait is the easiest to notice without having to violate his personal space. Or to take the time to find a wingwoman at a very specific time of the month. Check out the length ratio of a man’s ring finger to his index finger when his palms are flat. Heterosexual men have a ring finger that is noticeably longer than their index finger while gay men have ring and index fingers of roughly equal length. Scientific tests say the more natural testosterone a person has, the longer their ring finger will be (straight men, lesbians), while less testosterone means a shorter ring finger (straight women, gay men). Though testosterone levels do not equal sexual preference per se, it just so happens that, in general, gay men, more often than not, tend to have equal-length ring and index fingers more than straight men.

TRAIT #3: His Fingerprint Ridge Density.

While you’re creepily staring at his hands, go the whole nine yards and inspect his fingerprints, too. Get in real close to see how thick those little ridges are on his prints, specifically his left thumb and left pinky. If they look pretty wide, then he’s probably into men. According to studies, gay men and straight women have a thicker density in the ridges of their fingerprints, while straight men and lesbians have a thinner, narrower density in their ridges.

TRAIT #4 His Hair Whorl

A man’s head is another good indicator of whether or not he’s a homosexual (not that kind of head, though that would definitely be another telltale sign). Try and awkwardly hover above him to look at the directional whorl of his hair and see if that circular pattern is going clockwise or counterclockwise. If the hairs spiral in a counterclockwise direction, then he’s most likely gay, but if they spiral in a clockwise direction, then you better back up, cause he’s most likely straight. It’s true that gay men can have clockwise whorls and straight men can have counterclockwise whorls, but in the vast majority of cases: clockwise = hetero, counterclockwise = homo.

TRAIT #5 His Bulge

If all else fails, check out what he’s packing in his pants. You’re probably looking down there anyway, but the bigness of his bulge is yet another sign as to whether or not he is gay. And yes, you can thank the good Lord above for this one, cause research shows gay men tend to have much longer, thicker dicks than straight men. Granted there is much variation from man to man, but if one particular guy is setting off your gaydar and the size of his junk is somewhere between “Oh, my God,” and practical joke big, then you’re probably in for one hell of a good night! So, the next time you get caught staring at a man’s bulge or uncomfortably invading his personal space trying to improve your gaydar, just explain that it’s all in the name of science!

Sources: Huffington Post, Curejoy, Eve, Wikimedia Commons, NY Mag, Frontiers Media