Episode 322: Why Bisexuality Is On The Rise

Aug 27, 2024

Join Martin Monto, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Portland, as he explores the rising tide of bisexuality in today’s society. Monto discusses how definitions of bisexuality vary and the impact of gender differences, especially why more women than men identify as bisexual. He shares insights from a recent study revealing trends in bisexual identification and behavior over time. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the biopsychosocial factors influencing sexual orientation and the changing perceptions around bisexuality.

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INSIGHT

Definitions Shape Bisexuality Rates

Bisexuality is defined variably across studies, including attraction, behavior, and identity measures.
These definitional differences produce different prevalence estimates and complicate comparisons over time.

ANECDOTE

Student Prompted The Research

Martin Monto began this study after a student noticed many peers identified as bisexual and wondered if population data matched lived experience.
He used the General Social Survey because it had repeated, national questions on sexuality dating back to 1989.

INSIGHT

Bisexual Identity Has Grown Fastest

Bisexual identification rose markedly from ~1.2% (2008–10) to ~2.7% (2012–18) and ~4.5% in 2021.
Gay/lesbian identity rose too but much less, so most identity growth comes from bisexual identification.

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Today, more people identify as LGBTQ+ than ever before. However, this is largely due to a big increase in the number of persons identifying as bisexual. So in this episode, we’re going to dive into a recent study published in The Journal of Sex Research that investigates the rise in bisexuality over time. We’ll discuss different ways of defining and measuring bisexuality, why women seem more likely to be bisexual than men, and much more.

My guest is Martin Monto, a Professor of Sociology at University of Portland specializing in the intersection between gender, sexuality, and public health, with an additional focus on society’s impact on the natural environment. Monto has an extensive publication record focusing on social aspects of sexuality and the sex industry, including notable publications on sex buyers, webcam users, “hooking up,” and bisexuality.

Some of the topics we cover in this episode include:

What are some of the different ways that scientists have defined bisexuality?
How many people today identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual—and how have these numbers changed over time?
With the rise in bisexual identification, has there also been a rise in bisexual behavior?
How do rates of bisexuality differ for older versus younger adults?
Why might more women identify as bisexual than men?

You can connect with Martin here.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest. Heart photo by Jiroe (Matia Rengel) on Unsplash.