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Bisexuality in women not a phase |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 404147 Canada 03/30/2008 08:11 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Bisexuality in women not a phase Bisexuality in women could be a lifelong sexual orientation, not a phase, a new study suggests. The finding runs counter to the idea that bisexuality is an experimental or transitional period for women who, for instance, are uncertain or have fear of commitment.
In addition to debunking stereotypes about bisexuality, the research sheds light on the complex nature of sexual orientation in women.
"These findings demonstrate that the distinction between lesbianism and bisexuality is a matter of degree rather than kind," writes University of Utah psychologist Lisa Diamond in the January issue of the journal Developmental Psychology.
To some, a finding of bisexuality as a separate sexual orientation may seem like a no-brainer. But among many scientists and members of the public, bisexuality has been defined by stereotypes and unfounded assumptions.
"There were clearly some theorists who suggested that bisexuality is a transitional stage, but that was largely based on anecdotal, rather than empirical, data," said psychologist M. Paz Galupo, director of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Studies at Towson University in Maryland. "This view is popularized, also, by the stereotypes that our culture holds regarding bisexual individuals."
Galupo continued: "This notion that bisexuality is just a transition identity has not been challenged much in the research literature, partially because there are only a few researchers investigating sexual orientation who fully take bisexual experience/identity into account."
Galupo, who was not involved in the current research, noted that Diamond's study is one of the first thorough looks at bisexuality using a sort of gold-standard method in which individuals are followed over a long period of time.
Diamond surveyed 79 women aged 18 to 25 who considered themselves bisexual or lesbian, or who refused any label for their sexual orientation. She interviewed the women five times over a 10-year period from 1995 through 2005. Respondents gave detailed information on their sexual identities, attractions, behaviors and their social and familial relationships.
Diamond found bisexual and unlabeled women were more likely than lesbians to change their sexual identity over the 10 years. The bisexual or unlabeled women tended to switch between bisexual and unlabeled rather than to lesbian or heterosexual.
Nearly 20 percent of respondents switched from a bisexual or unlabeled identity to heterosexual, but more than half of these women switched back to bisexual or unlabeled.
By year 10 of the study, most of the women reported being involved in a long-term, monogamous relationship for more than a year.
The results suggest that women's definitions of lesbianism allowed more flexibility in sexual behavior than did their definitions of heterosexuality.
For instance, 15 percent of the women who identified as lesbian in the last round of interviews reported having sexual contact with a man during the prior two years. However, women who settled on a heterosexual label in the last interviews reported having no sexual contact with a woman within the previous two years.
"This provides further support for the notion that female sexuality is relatively fluid and that the distinction between lesbian and bisexual women is not a rigid one," Diamond said.
Perhaps even more so than lesbians, bisexual women have more hurdles to clear before they are at the very least accepted by societies.
"One challenge facing bisexually identified women is that their identity is challenged by others," Galupo told LiveScience, "and that identity becomes assumed based on the relationships that they form — either lesbian if in a same-sex relationship or heterosexual if in an other-sex relationship."
Galupo mentions other misconstrued attitudes about bisexuality, including the idea "that it is adopted because it is trendy, or because bisexual individuals cannot make up their minds, that they are promiscuous, or that they have to be having multiple relationships with both women and men in order to maintain their identities."
In addition to nixing on-the-street prejudices, a more accurate understanding of bisexuality, Galupo noted, could have implications for the scientific field.
"Bisexuality is often defined by default — in terms of what it is not — bisexual individuals are neither heterosexual nor gay and lesbian. So understanding bisexuality can tell us a lot about our general definitions of sexuality," Galupo said. |
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LS
User ID: 253961 United States 03/30/2008 08:12 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase i predict this thread will end in a bad way.... MAKA = Make America Kind Again |
ho hum who cares? User ID: 362074 New Zealand 03/30/2008 08:55 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase "Women are pelvic creatures." A book. |
The Nuke Guy User ID: 404181 United States 03/30/2008 08:56 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase Maybe keep the finger off the button untill we further study this. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 403551 United States 03/30/2008 08:57 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase oh you poor thing . .. |
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Anonymous Coward User ID: 404163 United States 03/30/2008 09:01 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase I have a girlfriend that has these "persuasions" and she has elaborately told me of her girl on girl sexscapades as if she was attempting to test me. I'm strictly dickly. Coochie pie doesn't attract me at all. Happily married. It's all good if that's what you do, but some chicks are just nasty and oversexed. Let's be real about that shit. We all know one or two. Don't lie. It's just en vouge for some reason these days to be a sexperiemntal freak ho. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 387959 Australia 03/30/2008 09:26 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase So I guess it has not occurred to anyone that sexual behaviour among women is often merely a symptom of inner emotional states, namely as an expression of love. You see, in this state, just maybe, gender has NOTHING to do with the seen behaviour. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 399622 United States 03/30/2008 09:30 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase Not a phase? Bullshit... It is all the manipulation of the Illuminati again to see how low a woman will stoop in her loss of self esteem especially for a woman that loves a man and for the man to tell her to prove it for his own satisfaction.
I love men, but most are bastards and I would prefer to just have the sex and that is it. I don't treat them badly, in fact the opposite, but if I give any of them my devotion they turn into complete control freaks and once again we have the grand master plan in action. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 399622 United States 03/30/2008 09:32 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase "Women are pelvic creatures." A book.
Quoting: ho hum who cares? 362074Fuck you and the book..... |
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Anonymous Coward User ID: 355685 Canada 03/30/2008 09:33 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase a girl would do anything. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 348468 United States 03/30/2008 09:34 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase Not a phase? Bullshit... It is all the manipulation of the Illuminati again to see how low a woman will stoop in her loss of self esteem especially for a woman that loves a man and for the man to tell her to prove it for his own satisfaction.
I love men, but most are bastards and I would prefer to just have the sex and that is it. I don't treat them badly, in fact the opposite, but if I give any of them my devotion they turn into complete control freaks and once again we have the grand master plan in action.
Quoting: Anonymous Coward 399622you sure sound like a dyke |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 402664 United States 03/30/2008 09:35 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase So... you're saying.... it wasn't really the Tequila?? |
RESPECT User ID: 368713 United States 03/30/2008 09:38 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase
funny study...funnier even still is that lesibians are very real and they love women. They marry other women. no study needed. and many are not oversexed or off centered, they just love women. when are you all going to grow up? never...ok...just know there are more lifstyles that just one...missionary style! LOL |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 348468 United States 03/30/2008 09:39 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase homo sexual = sexual person , not likes to fuck their own gender
homo sapien = thinking person, too old to fuck
there is no such thing as gay straight or bi
people want to rub their privates off cuz it feels good..
why is it more accepted to fuck plastic than to fuck your own gender?
your welcome people, you can quit thinking that you are different |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 348468 United States 03/30/2008 09:44 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase ps: if you masterbate you are having sex with your own gender... guys you are playing with a dick... girls, you are rubbing a pussy... |
Crabby Appleton
User ID: 404210 South Korea 03/30/2008 09:52 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase But males are far more prone to bisexual expereinces. IT'S A FACT! |
The Guy
User ID: 349666 United States 03/30/2008 10:04 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase Bisexuals are just greedy, lol. It's good to be open-minded, just don't let your brain fall out. |
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Dr_Kynes User ID: 341929 United States 03/30/2008 10:06 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase But males are far more prone to bisexual expereinces. IT'S A FACT! Quoting: Crabby AppletonAnd females are 1000 times more likely to be seen snugling up to another woman's breasts or kissing another woman. Face it, woman don't have to be "lesbian" to seem to enjoy close intimate (and maybe non-sexual) contact with other women. Any man doing this 'affectionate thing' with another guy is likely to be a full flaming queer. Strait Guys also don't dance within 3 feet of another guy unless there is a woman 2 feet closer. (and if that "other guy" gets within 2 feet......the strait one will probably want to deck or run like hell from the other guy).....women don't seem to mind waltzing or dancing closer than 3 feet. |
Dr_Kynes User ID: 341929 United States 03/30/2008 10:06 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase But males are far more prone to bisexual expereinces. IT'S A FACT! Quoting: Crabby AppletonAnd females are 1000 times more likely to be seen snugling up to another woman's breasts or kissing another woman. Face it, woman don't have to be "lesbian" to seem to enjoy close intimate (and maybe non-sexual) contact with other women. Any man doing this 'affectionate thing' with another guy is likely to be a full flaming queer. Strait Guys also don't dance within 3 feet of another guy unless there is a woman 2 feet closer. (and if that "other guy" gets within 2 feet......the strait one will probably want to deck or run like hell from the other guy).....women don't seem to mind waltzing or dancing closer than 3 feet. |
kalamity kool
User ID: 399904 Australia 03/30/2008 11:10 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase Bisexuality is a psycho babble term and the concept of an identity as such is pretty stupid. I suspect all women, if they had their taboo conditioning removed, would be sexual with each other in some way if an opportunity arose. The interest they show in each other's bodies is not just to compare and compete. But sex with no penis or penis substitute would get very frustrating if it was a stable diet. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 347900 Canada 03/31/2008 12:03 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: Bisexuality in women not a phase |
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