A study published in The Journal of Sex Research uncovered a significant rise in the number of Americans identifying as bisexual or reporting bisexual behaviors, especially in recent years. The findings shed light on the evolving landscape of sexual orientation in the United States.
While acceptance of same-sex sexuality and marriage has notably increased, bisexuality has remained somewhat in the shadows, with less clarity around its trends and behaviors. This gap prompted researchers to delve into nationally representative samples to map out the landscape of bisexuality.
For their study, the researchers utilized the wealth of data provided by the General Social Survey (GSS). The GSS, a cornerstone of social science research, has been gathering data on the attitudes, behaviors, and characteristics of the American public since 1972.
The research team analyzed responses from a substantial sample of 32,238 respondents who completed the GSS between 1989 and 2018, along with an additional 2,313 respondents from the 2021 wave. This approach allowed them to maintain a focus on a nationally representative sample, ensuring that their findings could speak to broader societal trends.
The study employed four measures based on sexual behavior and one measure based on identity. Starting in 1989, the GSS included questions about the number of male and female partners respondents had since turning 18, which the researchers used to categorize respondents into groups based on the sex of their sexual partners.
Additionally, from 2008 onwards, the GSS began asking respondents to identify their sexual orientation, offering options like “gay, lesbian, or homosexual,” “bisexual,” and “heterosexual or straight.” These indicators allowed the researchers to track changes in how people report their sexual orientation and behaviors over time.
The researchers found that the proportion of respondents reporting partners of both sexes since age 18 experienced a notable increase over time. Specifically, the study documents a threefold rise in such reports, moving from 3.1% in the 1989–1994 waves to 9.3% in the 2012–2018 waves. This trend was further corroborated by the increase in respondents identifying as bisexual, which more than doubled from the 2008–2010 waves to the 2012–2018 waves.
Interestingly, the proportion of individuals identifying as bisexual surpassed those identifying as gay or lesbian in the more recent cohorts, underscoring the growing visibility and acknowledgment of bisexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation.
The research also highlighted the complexity of bisexual identity and behavior. For instance, while there was an increase in the number of individuals identifying as bisexual, this did not always align with the patterns of sexual behavior reported. Some individuals who had sexual partners of both sexes did not necessarily identify as bisexual, which points to the nuanced ways in which sexual orientation is experienced and understood.
“There are several likely explanations for this,” the researchers wrote. “First, sexual behavior can be exploratory, taking place before a person has clarified their own sexual orientation identity, a process that continues throughout young adulthood. Our measure likely captures gay and lesbian persons who had partners of a different sex before they came out or clarified their sexual orientations, which can occur later in life.”
“Second, sexual orientation can be fluid, with some people changing their sexual behavior and/or their sexual orientation identities over time. In both of these cases, using the sex of sexual partners since age 18 measure means that we may be capturing sexual experiences that have taken place many years ago, especially for older respondents. Finally, even persons who have more recently had partners of both sexes may not consider themselves bisexual, and the term may not fit their understandings of themselves and their sexual behavior.”
The study also shed light on demographic variations in the reporting of sexual orientation and behavior. Younger individuals and women were more likely than their older and male counterparts to report partners of both sexes and to identify as bisexual. This finding is indicative of the generational shift in attitudes towards sexuality, where younger cohorts exhibit greater openness and fluidity in their sexual orientation and behaviors.
There were no significant differences in the reporting of bisexuality among different racial and ethnic groups, suggesting that the increase in bisexuality may be a widespread phenomenon across diverse communities in the United States.
“The proportion of persons identifying as bisexual and the proportion of persons who report engaging in sex with partners of both sexes in the U.S. have increased markedly since 1989,” the researchers concluded. “Future research on sexual orientation can better recognize that the terms with which we identify ourselves are social and that there is some degree of choice about how to identify our sexual orientation, particularly among individuals with histories of both male and female partners. Additionally, the recognition that sexual behavior is normative should be more thoroughly considered in research on sexual orientation and sexual behavior.”
The study, “The Rise of Bisexuality: U.S. Representative Data Show an Increase Over Time in Bisexual Identity and Persons Reporting Sex with Both Women and Men,” was authored by Martin A. Monto and Sophia Neuweiler.