'Flex Sex': interesting research on women's sexual fluidity

[Chic Freak]

There's an article in this month's Psychologies magazine (bitesize chunks of touchy-feely fluff-psychology for women, in case you haven't heard of it) called 'Flex Sex', which suggests that from a biological standpoint, most, if not all women are bisexual. Apparently a psychologist called Michael Bailey conducted an experiment in which adults of differing self-defined sexual orientations were shown a selection of porn, and their physical responses were monitored (heart rate etc) as a measure of sexual arousal. He found that, as you would expect, straight men were most aroused by images of women and gay men by images of men, but he found that all the women, whether they defined themselves as straight, gay or bi, were equally aroused by images of both men and women. I find this totally fascinating. It just goes to show that sexual attraction isn't purely a reflection of biological drives, otherwise the straight women would only have been aroused by men and the lesbians, only by women. It also suggests that being gay might genuinely be 'natural' for some men, if that's who their bodies involuntarily respond too. However, I should put in a little disclaimer here, to say that I haven't read Bailey's report itself. It might be total crap. Assuming it has some validity, what does everyone think?

[Neil]

There's an article in this month's Psychologies magazine (bitesize chunks of touchy-feely fluff-psychology for women, in case you haven't heard of it) called 'Flex Sex', which suggests that from a biological standpoint, most, if not all women are bisexual. Apparently a psychologist called Michael Bailey conducted an experiment in which adults of differing self-defined sexual orientations were shown a selection of porn, and their physical responses were monitored (heart rate etc) as a measure of sexual arousal. He found that, as you would expect, straight men were most aroused by images of women and gay men by images of men, but he found that all the women, whether they defined themselves as straight, gay or bi, were equally aroused by images of both men and women. I find this totally fascinating. It just goes to show that sexual attraction isn't purely a reflection of biological drives, otherwise the straight women would only have been aroused by men and the lesbians, only by women. It also suggests that being gay might genuinely be 'natural' for some men, if that's who their bodies involuntarily respond too. However, I should put in a little disclaimer here, to say that I haven't read Bailey's report itself. It might be total crap. Assuming it has some validity, what does everyone think? Oh dear God! Here she goes again trying to corrupt us! Any minute she'll be talking about rooms full of nuns and whipped cream I tell you

[Danny]

^ the safety word is "delaware".

[Chic Freak]

Oh dear God! Here she goes again trying to corrupt us! Any minute she'll be talking about rooms full of nuns and whipped cream I tell you Ew nuns and ew whipped cream Doesn't sound like I need to corrupt you Neil, you've got an imagination already!

[Mike70]

i knew the name michael bailey was familiar and now i know why. he is a disgraced professor. he used to be the chair of the psych dept. at northwestern universtiy (chicago) and he was forced to resign his position and might have even lost his tenure over professional misconduct that included among other things, having sex with his research subjects. he is also viewed with hostility by the gay community (particularly transgender folks) because of some of his work. here is link with more info on michael bailey and his bad behavior. http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conw...ileysBook.html note: this doesn't mean that there isn't any veracity to the article you are talking about merely that this guy has a shady past.

[kortick]

He is pretty well known and hated by people diagnosed with "gender disphoria" which is the US medical diagnosis you need to get from a doctor in order to get government assistance in sexual re-assignment surgery. You have to be diagnosed with gender disphoria in order to get SSI and get an enrocinologist to prescribe you hormones in order for you to be classified pre-op. Either way his views on bisexuality have been claimed to be more his sexual fantasies than any real science. He has been compared to the sex therpaist who masturbates during your session while you tell your problems..... Actually Fritz Klein MDs, book "The Bi-Sexual Option" is much more reputable and respected. See, sleeping with everything that walks, crawls. or slithers, teaches you a few things.....

[mista_mo]

^ the safety word is "delaware". So there goes my life Passing by with every exit sign And it's been so long, sometimes I wonder, how I will stay strong No sleep tonight I'll keep on driving these dark highway lines And as the moon fades, one more night gone, only twenty more days But I will see you again, I will see you again, A long time from now There goes my life Passing by with every departing flight And it's been so hard, so much time, so far apart As she walks the night, how many hearts will die tonight? Will things have changed? I guess I'll find out in seventeen days But I will see you again, I will see you again A long time from now My body aches, and it hurts to sing, and no one is moving And I wish tht I weren't here tonight, but this is my life But I will see you again I will see you again A long time from now But I will see you again I will see you again A long time from now ****, i guess the song actually doesn't say Delaware, but it's called hello, i'm in delaware. so does it still count? And Chic, I refer you towards your own signature in regards to your corruption of Neil. Heretical materials can damage the mind of a viscious sexually rampant Male.

[Chic Freak]

here is link with more info on michael bailey and his bad behavior. http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conw...ileysBook.html note: this doesn't mean that there isn't any veracity to the article you are talking about merely that this guy has a shady past. Holy christ "Containing no specific references to other scientific work, the The Man Who Would Be Queen simply pronounced as scientific fact that transsexual women are either (i) effeminate gay men who undergo "sex changes" in order to have sex with lots of men, or, if not that, then they are (ii) sexual paraphilic males who "change sex" for bizarre autosexual reasons. The book dismissed as irrelevant the current scientific understandings that humans develop gendered identities that can in some cases be in conflict with their physical sex, but provided no scientific explanation whatsoever for making such dismissive counter-pronouncements." Pfft. I'd say this does throw the bisexual study I mentioned into question, as it almost certainly wasn't conducted properly. Thanks for the link! Chic, I refer you towards your own signature in regards to your corruption of Neil. Heretical materials can damage the mind of a viscious sexually rampant Male. You think Neil is a viscious sexually rampant Male?

[SymphonicX]

Interesting study but something I've always thought personally - I think the same about men but just believe that they're less apt to admit it due to social contraints...a girl friend of mine said recently "attraction is genderless" and I'd have to agree there...I could probably have 5 people in the room and one of them would've knocked one off to p0rn solely featuring the same sex as themselves and still define themselves to be straight - just getting them to admit it is tough... Gotta love the variety on this beautiful Earth.

[Marie]

Tried it, didn't like it. I'm either in the minority according to Bailey or haven't met the right woman I think trying to define sexuality is like the parable of the blind men and the elephant. All you really can depend on is your own experence. M_

[Chic Freak]

Aye, it's interesting what we define ourselves as. I don't think attraction is genderless for everyone, but it certainly is for some.

[Neil]

Interesting study but something I've always thought personally - I think the same about men but just believe that they're less apt to admit it due to social contraints...a girl friend of mine said recently "attraction is genderless" and I'd have to agree there...I could probably have 5 people in the room and one of them would've knocked one off to p0rn solely featuring the same sex as themselves and still define themselves to be straight - just getting them to admit it is tough... Gotta love the variety on this beautiful Earth. The thing is, surely same-sex sex for a women is far less 'invasive' as that for men. Given that, and the more forgiving (fluffy) take on lesbians than homosexuals within society, it's not surprising women are more likely to go to visit planet lesbos, then men visit planet homo!

[MinionZombie]

While I can understand homosexuality - it's just heterosexuality, but with no baby danger, by which I mean... To me - being a hetero - a lass feels right ... both literally and figuratively. So to a gay person, their home team feels right. Attraction is an odd thing. There's just wanting to get your rocks off, and then there's the something deep, which is completely different. From personal experience attraction was first grounded in personality, the physical part took longer to come further forward, but still remaining in second place... So aye - a common sense middle ground makes sense. For some attraction is genderless - basically bi-sexual I guess - while for others it's one gender or the other and that's that. Now, another thing ... people who stick to one gender, but find attraction in the other, but do nothing about it ... from there, there's more ways of thinking: A) Suppressing their homosexuality completely, or their bi-sexuality B) They appreciate hotness, no matter the gender (kinda like The Todd, off of Scrubs, minus the rampantly arrogant sexuality ... for some ) C) Other *taps chin* Oh Chic, you and your saucy, Neil-corrupting threads...

[capncnut]

Oh Chic, you and your saucy, Neil-corrupting threads... Let's face it, it doesn't take much to corrupt Neil. All you have to do is mention bare flesh, forum problems and planetary dynamics.

[Chic Freak]

The thing is, surely same-sex sex for a women is far less 'invasive' as that for men. Given that, and the more forgiving (fluffy) take on lesbians than homosexuals within society, it's not surprising women are more likely to go to visit planet lesbos, then men visit planet homo! You don't necessarily have to take it up the arse to visit Planet Homo, Neil If you think about it, getting a blow job or even just kissing another bloke would be a homosexual act, despite not being anything you wouldn't necessarily do with a girl. It's definitely more acceptable to be a gay girl than a gay guy atm Which probably puts more guys off experimenting, as socially speaking, they have more to lose! Attraction is an odd thing. There's just wanting to get your rocks off, and then there's the something deep, which is completely different. Very true, e.g. people who think they are straight all their lives until they fall flat-out in love with someone of the same sex and want to spend the rest of their life with them, or vice-versa. Bless you MZ, there is a heart in there after all For some attraction is genderless - basically bi-sexual I guess - while for others it's one gender or the other and that's that. I would be picky here and say that there are broadly two 'types' of bisexual person: people who, as you say, simply don't care about gender and can thus end up fancying people of either gender- they "appreciate hotness, regardless of gender", just like the Todd in Scrubs And then people like me, who do see a difference in genders, who do believe in the existence of two distinct genders, and who are simply attracted to both masculinity and femininity. I don't appreciate hotness regardless of gender, I just appreciate hot members of both genders, if that makes sense!! Lol.