Heterofexible – 29% of Young Americans Say They Are Not 100% Heterosexual

29% of under-30s Americans consider themselves as something other than exclusively heterosexual on the seven-point ‘Kinsey Scale’

Invented by Alfred Kinsey in the 1940s, the Kinsey scale plots individuals on a range of sexual dispositions from exclusively heterosexual at 0 through to exclusively homosexual at 6. YouGov conducted a study poll of American about their sexuality as a following on from a similar study in the UK.

• 78% of Americans say that they are completely heterosexual while 4% say that they are completely homosexual
• 16% of American adults say that they fall somewhere in between. In this group, the bulk (10%) say that they are more heterosexual than homosexual
• 3% put themselves in the middle and another 3% say that they are predominantly homosexual.
• 24% of people aged 30 to 44 say that they’re somewhere on the scale of bisexuality, compared to 8% or less of over-45s.
• 2% of heterosexual American adults say that they have had a sexual experience with someone of the same sex.
• A large number of Americans who classify themselves as heterosexual still admit to having had same-sex experiences.  Heterosexual identifying women (15%) are almost twice as likely as men (8%) to say that they have had a sexual encounter with someone of the same sex – at least admit it.
• Younger Americans are noticeably less likely than their elders to put themselves in a firm category and identify as “heteroflexible”.
• 80% of all Americans say that they are completely heterosexual or homosexual only 66% of under-30s say the same. 29% of under-30s put themselves somewhere on the category of bisexuality or heteroflexible.
• The poll study found that the older someone is the less likely they are to say that they have fluid sexual attractions.

Full poll results can be found here and topline results and margin of error here.

A similar study in the UK found that young Britons were even more likely to be sexually flexible than young Americans. Nearly half of Britons under the age of 25 say that they are some level of bisexual.

Why does this matter here at OutBüro?  Because of employment discrimination against people who do not display perceived heteronormative qualities – Study finds LGBT people less likely to be hired, paid less, and not promoted

Check out these additional resource articles:

• 72% of LGBT People Experience Mental Health Issues Due to Work Environment
• LGBTQ Employees Still Face Legal Discrimination
• LGBT Queer People Face Challenges Being Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Fields
• LGBT Workers in over half of the United States lack full protection

Knowing that the younger up and coming workforce self-identify as heteroflexible should indicate a strong need for companies of all sizes to put forth a considerable effort in the diversity, inclusion, and welcoming work culture.

Check out the below article for more information:

• “New Study Suggest LGBTQ People in Management Great for Business“
• “LGBT Diversity And Inclusion: Benefits Company, Employees and Customers“
• 3 Ways You Should Be Using OutBüro in Recruiting LGBT Candidates
• LGBT Workplace Equality – 5 Examples to Help Allies Understand
• 15 Ways to Improve Diversity LGBT Candidate Cultivation
• Company Reviews – Good for Companies and Their LGBTQ Employees

About the author: Dennis Velco

An LGBTQ social entrepreneur who focuses on strengthening the global LGBTQ+ through connecting, engaging, online, and in person.