Bisexuality in Women

What is the true nature of bisexuality in women? New research suggests that being bisexual is a distinct orientation and not a temporary stage in women’s lives. So concludes a study published by Lisa Diamond, an Associate Professor of Psychology and Gender Studies at the University of Utah, in the journal Developmental Psychology (2008, 44, 5-14).


Methods
This study used 5 waves of longitudinal data collected from 79 lesbian, bisexual, and “unlabeled” women to evaluate these models. Diamond conducted face-to-face interviews with the women in New York state in 1995 when they were between the ages of 18 and 25. She then interviewed them by phone every two years across the following decade. The research question was whether bisexuality in women was a temporary stage of denial or transition, a stable “3rd type” of sexual orientation or a heightened capacity for sexual fluidity. Both the “3rd orientation” and “fluidity” models found support in her data, but the “transitional stage” model did not.

Findings
Diamond found that over the 10 year period, two thirds of the women changed the identity labels they had used at the beginning of the study, and one third changed these labels 2 or more times. Yet, contrary to the “transitional stage” model, more women adopted bisexual or unlabeled identities than relinquished these identities; few bisexual or unlabeled women ended up identifying themselves as lesbian or heterosexual. Overall, the most commonly adopted identity was “unlabeled.” Bisexual and unlabeled women had stable overall distributions of same-sex and other-sex attractions but greater absolute fluctuations in attractions from assessment to assessment than lesbians.

Essentially, the bisexual women continued to be attracted to both sexes over the 10 year research period. "These findings are therefore more consistent with the model of bisexuality as a stable identity than a transitional stage," Diamond argued that this suggested that most women "possess the capacity to experience sexual desires for both sexes under the right circumstances." Diamond also found that bisexual women were more likely than lesbians to switch between describing themselves as ‘bisexual’ or ‘unlabeled’ than to identify themselves as ‘lesbian’ or ‘heterosexual’.

Conclusions
"If it was a phase, it should have burnt out" Diamond argued. "They might have had a change in identity and relationships (during those 10 or so years), but that pattern of non-exclusive desire was still there, even among those who had married. It debunks the notion of it (bisexuality) being just a phase."

Diamond also said heterosexual women may "experiment with same-sex desires and behaviours, but if they really are predominantly heterosexual, they may enjoy experimentation but may not change their sexuality." The study also debunks the stereotype that bisexual women are not able to commit to monogamous relationships, one way or the other, because they are always thinking about desire for the other gender.

Commentary
Sociologist Paula Rust of East Brunswick has conducted quantitative research on bisexuality in women for many years and has said that Diamond's research is important in that it is the only long-term look at women's bisexuality to date.