Q&A: Is there a ‘test’ for bi-sexuality?
QUESTION: I have a friend who is having sexual identity problems. Many people say that bi-sexual men are really homosexuals in denial, and that bi-sexual women are heterosexuals with a wild side. Is it possible for a person to be truly bi-sexual and how do they find out where they fit on the Kinsey scale?
ANSWER: Yes a person can really be bisexual. Being bisexual just means that you can be sexually and romantically interested in both men and women. The Kinsey scale is kind of an old rating system that only judges according to actual behavior, rather than on desire. So if I *wanted* to be sexual with people of my gender but hadn't yet, I would rate as heterosexual, even though I felt homosexual. For more information and resources about the Kinsey scale, visit the Kinsey Institute website here. You can read about Kinsey's findings about bisexualityon the Kinsey Institute website here.
Bisexual.org is another resource with information about bisexuality.
There is no test you can take that will tell you what sexual identity you have. The only reliable way to gauge your sexual preference is to observe what sorts of people and things attract you and turn you on. If it's men, then it's men; if it's women, it's women; if it's both, it's both. And it's all okay, regardless of what it is. All sexual interactions between consenting adults are normal and healthy.
The REASONS for sexual attraction could be very simple or very complicated, from genetic predisposition to some dense convolution of a childhood trauma. No one knows for sure why people have the sexual identities they do.
Originally published 11/00.
Kinsey Confidential
