The Kinsey Scale
The Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale, sometimes referred to as the “Kinsey Scale,” was developed by Alfred Kinsey and his colleagues Wardell Pomeroy and Clyde Martin in 1948, in order to account for research findings that showed people did not fit into neat and exclusive heterosexual or homosexual categories.
Interviewing people about their sexual histories, the Kinsey team found that, for many people, sexual behaviour, thoughts and feelings towards the same or opposite sex was not always consistent across time. Though the majority of men and women reported being exclusively heterosexual, and a percentage reported exclusively homosexual behaviour and attractions, many individuals disclosed behaviours or thoughts somewhere in between.
Graphic by Michael J DiMotta
As Kinsey writes in Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948): “Males do not represent two discrete populations, heterosexual and homosexual. The world is not to be divided into sheep and goats…The living world is a continuum in each and every one of its aspects.”
The Kinsey Scale can’t be considered the ultimate measurement of sexual identity of course since it won’t tell you that someone might be sexually attracted to girls but romantically favouring boys or the other way around. Not to mention all the shades of the rainbow in-between gender, gender-identity, sexuality, attraction and so forth.
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about 10 months ago
Your graphic convinced me that I’m exclusively homo. Hot little cartoon men.
about 10 months ago
I think it’s useful to point out that people also move around on that scale. Depending on their state of mind, environmental factors, internal as well as external inputs, people can shift where they perceive themselves on the scale at any given time. Any scale of this nature is merely an attempt to quantify a very nebulous concept to begin with. It’s a bit like making a “religiousity” scale where people are asked to identify as either exclusively atheist or extremist; one might well wonder what practical use such a scale would have.
Is it strange that I find the exclusively hetero guy in the graphic, the most attractive?
about 10 months ago
I agree completely with this. I’ve always thought the Kinsey scale tries to be scientific when so many of the factors are malleable. When it becomes a self-rating system, a 0-5 scale would make a lot more sense. I do think most people know, even if it takes some amount of self-reflection and prodding, whether they’re gay, straight, bisexual, or somewhere in between those three, not to mention the people who are asexual or trisexual. :P
about 10 months ago
Trisexual?! O.O
about 10 months ago
I’m pretty sure that means someone who will try just about anything at least once…
about 10 months ago
Haha, what he said. They’ll try anything sexual. It’s sort of a joke, but I think it applies to some people. Correction on my above comment though. I meant to say a 0-4 scale.
about 10 months ago
So when you say a “0-4 scale” you mean taking the Kinsey Scale and cutting out the intermediates? As in: 0 straight, 1 bisexual but leaning straight, 2 bisexual, 3 bisexual but leaning gay, 4 gay?
about 10 months ago
Correct. Even with a full evaluation made by someone who is an expert in sexuality, the intermediates are just terrifically unscientific, so especially for self-evaluation purposes, it seems more logical to have a tighter scale.
about 10 months ago
The point is to force the interviewed person to decide. Without a middle position the interviewed person has to decide towards which end he or she is biased. While a scale with 4 options would work this way as well it would have to be “straight – bisexual leaning straight – bisexual leaning gay – gay”. Therefore it would not offer the option of being “just” bisexual. This would not allow finding out, whether there are bisexual people without any leaning, which in the end would decrease the scientific usefulness.
about 10 months ago
I also agree with your assessment of sexuality. That’s just one of the reasons “selected polls” will never offer any definitive or even close to accuracy of asking people how they are or “might be” — heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual. And I will always contend that the “true” number of gays [or whatever desiring a same-sex partner] are always at least double if not triple what these “selected polls” put out for their numbers.
But I think you went a bit off the deep end comparing sexuality to religion — as far as I’m concerned.
about 10 months ago
Well actually, I didn’t compare sexuality with religion. My point was that the utility of such scales is rather dubious. Perhaps I should have used a more neutral subject for my hypothetical rather than “religiosity” to avoid clouding the issue.
about 10 months ago
I quite agree… those shouldn’t be radio buttons, they should be checks…
I am one that switches around. At times I like girls more and sometimes boys. And sometimes I want both at the same time.
So, I’ll not be filling it out…
about 10 months ago
When I’m reading Milk Boys I’m a 6.
Otherwise I’m a 6.
Queer as a football bat!
(And loving every minute of it.)
about 10 months ago
I thought it was a bit amusing how the exclusively heterosexual drawing was fully clothed, and then going down the line the clothes became less and less, to the totally naked #6 guy. I’d rather be a 6 than a 0 anyday :-)
about 10 months ago
I’m not sure between 4 and 5
about 10 months ago
My life’s wanderings across the scale have been time-dependent. In my early teens I was a 6 because of convenience and social immaturity, mid- late teens to mid twenties I was a 3 – enjoying both girls, J/O buddies, and the golden age of glory holes, baths, and countless anonymous encounters. Mid-twenties through mid-life (married raising a family) a 1 or 2, and now in my senior years, back to a 6. Although my eyes do wander to many females, I am not interested in another heterosexual relationship. Once again, I am enjoying an all-gay casual hookup lifestyle with anonymous encounters and a few regular ‘friends with benefits’ and I couldn’t be happier. Sex is great, but do I miss love? Not at all. I have a dog!
about 10 months ago
dogs are great :)
about 10 months ago
Im gayer than 6 uh huh.
about 10 months ago
In addition to the Kinsey scale it would be interesting to sample gender expression preference in biologically male partners using a similar scale. A one could be completely masculine and a 6 could be completely feminine. In my case I am a Kinsey 6 but I prefer androgynous guys so II would prefer my partners to be a 3 or 4 on my proposed gender expression scale. Where as I would be a 2 myself.
about 10 months ago
Gender expression scale? So, like: 0 being exclusively feminine to 6 being exclusively masculine?
about 10 months ago
Actually Dustin I had suggested the reverse 0 or 1 being exclusively masculine and 6 being exclusively feminine. It really doesn’t matter which way around it is. I just that sexual attraction is more then whether you prefer men or women or both on the Kinsey Scale. Attraction is also about the degree you prefer your partner to be gender non-conforming or not. Of course it is also about what age range you prefer, skin, eye and hair color, smooth or hairy, hairstyle and length and so on. We are wonderfully diverse in our preferences that id why I prefer the term “queer” as my identification. Yes it has been used as a put down but we started reclaiming it with the Queerest Nation movement during the early ’90s. Look it up it was a fun & radical movement that embraced sexuality rather then downplay it – example; a popular slogan was “Queer Boys Make Me Hard.” Then there was the movements slogan; “We’re Here, We’re Queer, Get Used To It!”
about 10 months ago
Yeah, I think you’re totally right about that; sexuality is a lot more than what gender you’re most attracted to. You’ve given me a lot to think about, actually. I’ve never thought of sexuality as being multidimensional, but now I totally get that it is. I’ve never really thought of “queer” as a term to describe anyone who’s sexuality differs substantially from the norm.
On your gender expression preference scale, my ideal partner would probably be a 2 or a 3. I don’t really like macho men. I prefer guys who are still masculine but a tad effeminate. If that makes any sense.
about 10 months ago
Whoops my autocorrect turned Queer into Queerest – obviously the group was Queer Nation.
about 10 months ago
I think there should be at least ten dimensions of scales to define someone’s sexuality : attraction vs. gender, attraction vs. age, fidelity/”butterfly” behaviour, obsessed/asexual, romantic/hard, monogamy/polygamy, taste for new experiences…
about 10 months ago
happily # 3 :)
about 10 months ago
I think I’m a 7.
;-)
about 10 months ago
INteresting how many 0, 1, and 2s there are
about 10 months ago
@horselips : It seems you have enjoyed the full circle of life,but I love what how you ended you comment. I have a dog. I have found out that for some of us that can be so very true. Dogs just want love and affection,and even in small amounts they we return this love and affection with loyalty the rest of their lives with no complaints.
about 10 months ago
Before you take the time to correct me Penboy,I know [they we ] should be they well.
about 10 months ago
For me it’s 2 – Predominantly (homo-)pedosexual, but more than incidentally homosexual (and in a longtime relationship with a man)
about 10 months ago
So… if I find certain woman (a very small and select group) attractive but would never have sex with one (breasts and womanhood turn me way off), does that make me a 5 or a 6?
about 10 months ago
Well, sexuality is about…sex I guess? So I would say yes, most certainly, you are a 5 or 6.
about 10 months ago
I think the Kinsey Scale is outdated. Sexual attraction is an incredibly diverse spectrum, not to mention gender identity, expression, sex, and even species identity. I think the Genderbread Person by itspronouncedmetrosexual (http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/03/the-genderbread-person-v2-0/) is a much more appropriate scale/picture for human identity and sexuality.
about 10 months ago
Mmmhmmh this is why I say the labels make very little sense. Sexuality seems to be to fluid to apply the categories with much certainty. People just like what they like when they like it
about 10 months ago
The The Kinsey Scale is a step in the good direction, showing people sexuality is more than black and white, and there are indeed several tones of gray. Somebody has already pointed out where you are on the scale can vary a lot depending on many factors. I would like to point out something else: the scale has actually just two options, and measures how close you are to them, but after all there are just two options. You’re either attracted to people of your same sex, or people of the opposite sex, according to the scale. Sure, you can be somewhere in between, but you still have only two options. But not all men or women are equal, right? You don’t feel attracted to all men or women equally, right? I consider myself a 3, but that doesn’t mean I like all women and men equally. I like boyish girls and girly men, not so much manly men or feminine women. My taste lies somewhere in between. I find ambiguity much more appealing than straight feminity or masculinity.
I think MilkBoys follows a similar interest and taste. The boys you see here have that certain feminine quality most of the time, and you also have the occasional “traps”, or girls who look boyish.
So, something to enrich the scale would be adding what do you mean when you say you are into women or men. What kind of women or men are that? It seems to me that just two options isn’t enough.
about 10 months ago
Two polls in twelve days! I guess you were right, Josh, the idea isn’t new to Milkboys. Oh, well, I’ll have to try to come up with another idea that you may like, since “Survey Sunday” seems to be already taken. I tried.
Interesting poll; to see how “milkies” view themselves, and where they rank on the scale. It would appear that I am in the majority. Who knew?!
0737 1.7.12
about 10 months ago
Thanks, Josh, quick response!
Now I feel like myself again!
0953 1.7.12
about 10 months ago
It’s odd for me … I’m sexually attracted to only guys of around my age and I’d only mess around a bit – maybe not even oral and definitely not anal – much older and gay porn can actually repulse me – I’m sexually attracted to a much wider range for women, but at most times not as much as guys my age. I want an actual relationship with a woman and I can’t imagine myself with a guy at all. So I’m completely lost. I put myself as a 4.
about 10 months ago
I think sexuality is quite different from romantic attraction. For instance, it’s very possible to be heterosexual and homoromantic at the same time and vice versa. Have you ever been in love or felt feelings of romantic attraction (wanting to know someone intimately, wanting to be close both physically and emotionally to someone)? Was it with a girl or a boy? If you’ve never felt such a feeling out desire you could possibly be aromantic or just need to explore your feelings further. However, don’t let anyone tell you that if you feel sexually attracted to guys, you must be able to fall in love with one, and the same with girls. That is up to you to decide.
In short, the Kinsey Scale’s probably too simple to precisely depict your sexuality. :)
about 10 months ago
On the Kinsey Scale I’m a 6. If there there was another Scale for Gay/Bi men that started off with 1: Extremely Masculine through to 6: Extremely Feminine, then I would be a 6, whilst I would be attracted mainly to 1′s and 2′s.