RedHanded ShortHand: Kinky Sex in '50s America - The Kinsey Scale
Mar 20, 2026
A dive into Alfred Kinsey’s bold 1950s sex research and how it shattered conservative silence. They trace earlier sexology, Berlin’s pioneering institute, and Kinsey’s unlikely path from gall wasps to national surveys. The seven-point Kinsey scale and its upending of binary labels get unpacked. They also cover scandal, funding fights, and how later researchers refined his methods.
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Zoologist Turned Sex Researcher
- Alfred Kinsey was a zoologist who studied gall wasps for two decades before pivoting to human sexuality research.
- His background in collecting millions of specimens and love of data shaped his exhaustive, empirical approach to sex histories.
Deep Confidential Interviews Lasted Hours
- Kinsey trained an inner circle to deliver a 300+ question sex history interview that could last up to six hours.
- Interviews were recorded by number only and answer sheets coded to preserve confidentiality, a core tactic to elicit honest responses.
Report Revealed Hidden Sexual Behaviours
- Kinsey's male report revealed widespread sexual behaviours previously hidden, e.g., 90% masturbated and 37% had a male sex act to orgasm.
- Many men who reported same-sex acts still identified as heterosexual, showing behaviour and identity can diverge.
