This study examines how knowledge about sexuality is shaped by measurement approaches. Integrating theories about sexual fluidity in psychology and demography with sociological work on situational fluidity, we argue that what researchers claim to know about fluidity, including the forms it can take, depends on how they study it. A sample of 52 LGBTQ+-identified individuals who completed a brief structured demographic questionnaire prior to an in-depth interview allows for a within-study comparison of how the same respondents described their sexuality across different modalities of data collection. Our findings highlight inconsistencies between what participants wrote in a survey and how they verbalised their experiences in an interview. These differences can influence how researchers understand fluidity by variably accenting attractions, behaviours, or identities; fixed or flexible categories; familiar or emergent labels; residual ‘other’ classifications; or situationally adaptive responses. Inspired by queer methods, we argue that these apparent inconsistencies do not always pose measurement challenges; they can also serve as generative sites for theorising sexual fluidity.

Background: Transgender men (trans men) experience diverse psychosocial stressors and resilience patterns, yet understanding of how those profiles relate to sexual risk behaviors and preventive service utilization is still limited Aim: Guided by the Gender Minority Stress and Resilience (GMSR) framework, this study identified latent profiles of trans men and explored variations in their sexual health engagement. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from August 2021 to July 2022. Latent class analysis (LCA) included indicators of gender-related victimization, sexual body image worries, transgender pride, intimate confidence, and sexual well-being. Logistic regression examined characteristics differences between subgroups. Results: A total of 321 trans men participated (mean age = 29.81, SD = 5.76). A three-Class model best fit the data: Class 1 (23.4%), the high sexual–relational well-being group; Class 2 (25.6%), the victimized yet high sexual–relational well-being group; and Class 3 (51.1%), the victimized and low sexual–relational well-being group. Compared with Class 2, which demonstrated highest educational attainment, a higher proportion exhibiting sexual fluidity, and the greatest engagement in protective sex and preventive services, Class 1 was older (≥40), lower-income, and in stable partnerships with greater gender affirmation but limited engagement in protective sex and preventive services. Class 3 was the most disadvantaged subgroup, marked by early sexual debut, higher psychiatric medication use, economic hardship, limited experience living in their gender identity, and minimal engagement in preventive services. Conclusions: Findings reveal heterogeneous psychosocial and sexual health trajectories among trans men in Taiwan. Stratified, context-sensitive interventions are needed to promote equitable psychosocial and sexual health among trans men.

A country’s culture is enriched by its literature along with other things. And ancient epics, mythological texts are also a crucial part of it. India has two such Sanskrit epics among many other excellent works by other renowned poets – The Mahabharata and The Ramayana. Of these Mahabharata is the tale of a war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas who were cousins on the question of empire. But it is also a saga of multiple stories – stories of exclusion, of deprivation and oppression, of domination and treachery. The very grand range of the Mahabharata provides scope for reading it from a diverse perspective – be it from a gender perspective, a caste based analysis or a materialistic interpretation. While it gives us heroes in the fringe like Eklavya and Karna whose destinies were decided by their caste backgrounds, it also gives us strong female characters like Kunti and Draupadi. It further gives us interesting characters like Amba/Shikhandi which brought forth the fluidity of human sexuality. The multiplicity of characters and their stories rendered The Mahabharata a peculiar complexity. This paper will relook at Mahabharata from one of the many possible perspectives. It will look at The Mahabharata from a feminist perspective with special emphasis on the character of Draupadi. It will try to trace the feminist assertion and subversion in the epic through her role and her engagement with the male characters. This paper will try to situate this narrative in the larger tradition of multiple readings of The Mahabharata.

Background: Sexual fluidity (SF) is common among adolescence and has been previously linked to experiences of psychological distress and suicidal thoughts (ST). Aims: To explore the relationship SF and ST in adolescence while accounting for the impact of school belonging, social connectedness, and parental relationships. Methods: Using W1 and W2 of the ADD Health, participants were categorized into four groups: (1) consistently heterosexual, (2) SF sexual minority (SM) to heterosexual, (3) SF heterosexual to SM, and (4) SM at both waves. Results: Hierarchical logistic regression revealed that sexual fluidity between Waves 1 and 2 was associated with ST with those in the SM-SM group and Het-SM group. However, after accounting for social connectedness, school belonging, and parental relationship, the risk among the sexually fluid group (Het-SM) was no longer significant. Additionally, mediation analysis found that there were no significant indirect effects of sexual fluidity on suicidal thoughts. Limitations: ADD Health W1 and W2 are from the mid-1990s, SM questions are limited in responses, and there are no direct questions relevant to sexual fluidity. Conclusion: Findings suggest that sexual fluidity is related to suicidal thoughts only through its shared relationship with belongingness and connectedness variables. Greater reporting of belonging and connectedness was associated with reductions in reporting of suicidal thoughts.

ABSTRACT Drawing upon the Generations Study, a longitudinal U.S. national probability survey, we examine sexual fluidity among 894 sexual minority adults over three waves of survey data. We find that plurisexual individuals (i.e. attracted to more than one gender) are more sexually fluid than are monosexual individuals, and those who hold more emergent sexual identities (e.g. asexual, same-gender loving, pansexual, and queer) are more sexually fluid than those with more traditional sexual identities (gay, bisexual, and lesbian). We also find that, although sexual minority men are less fluid than sexual minority women, men’s sexual fluidity is tied to more individual and contextual characteristics than is women’s fluidity. Finally, we examine how sexual identity fluidity is related to select health-related outcomes and established social determinants of health for sexual minorities. We find no differences based on sexual fluidity for sexual minority men, but sexually fluid sexual minority women fare better than non-fluid sexual minority women on measures of alcohol consumption and social support from friends. These findings suggest that sexual fluidity might be more positively linked to some health-related indicators for women when shifts are primarily occurring between sexual minority identities, rather than between heterosexual and more stigmatized identities.

Purpose The author of The Playful Intersections of Gender and Sexual Fluidity explores the intersection of gender, sexuality and personal identity through the lens of play, self-expression and BDSM dynamics. Design/methodology/approach This study followed a reflexive autoethnographic narrative. Findings The author's journey emphasizes the importance of authentic self-expression, fluidity in sexuality and the joy of reclaiming personal power through play, while healing from past traumas and navigating complex relationships. Originality/value Reflecting on their childhood, the author shares how societal expectations of gender and sexuality shaped their experiences, particularly the repression they faced for not conforming to the binary gender system. Embracing gender fluidity as an adult, they begin to remove the masks placed upon them by society and family, finding healing and self-love through consensual BDSM and age-play with their partner.

Identities in transition: Sexual fluidity, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction among partners of transgender and nonbinary individuals.

Abstract: Can fifteen minutes immersed in the arts remake our world? This article shows how two Buenos Aires Microteatro performances—Thais Rippel’s and María Forní’s Que fluya and Anahí Ribeiro’s La cita —portray the inherent fluidity of sexuality and gender alongside the latent traumas imposed upon individuals who don’t conform to binary social scripts. Through the rhythmic crescendo of their dialogues and the artists’ careful aesthetic choices, each piece moves spectators through the intimacy of the characters’ psychological suffering and their transitioning identities. Engaging with theories on gender roles and sexuality and Jacques Rancière’s notion of emancipated spectatorship, this study posits Microteatro ’s potential to build supportive communities of care and demonstrates how these performances work to build a world where fluid gender and sexuality are both tolerated and valued.

Corrigendum to “Changeable sexualities and fluid masculinities: The intersections of sexual fluidity with hegemonic masculinity”

ABSTRACT Non-binary identities are often overlooked in quantitative sex research. This explorative study focused on the sexuality and partnerships of non-binary people. The analysis addressed three primary topics: the characteristics of non-binary people’s sexual experiences, demographic factors linked to sexual well-being and relationship satisfaction, and differences between non-binary and binary trans/cisgender individuals. Eight hundred and twenty-two participants (462 non-binary, 129 binary trans and 231 cisgender individuals) took part. 60% of non-binary individuals identified as autistic and 40% reported chronic health conditions or physical disabilities. Regression analyses were performed with sexual wellbeing, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction as dependent variables and demographics, transition status and minoritised identities as independent variables. Among the non-binary subsample, being autistic, being asexual, being in a relationship and transition status were associated with higher sexual well-being, while sexual fluidity and living with chronic health conditions were linked to lower sexual well-being. Sexual fluidity was associated with lower sexual and relationship satisfaction. Non-binary and binary trans individuals reported lower sexual satisfaction and wellbeing than cisgender individuals. Results highlight the importance of examining overlapping minoritised identities in non-binary populations and call for further investigation into the connections between sexual fluidity, autism, asexuality, and sexual outcomes to improve understanding of non-binary people’s sexual experiences.

In my last review I discussed Mark Usher's How to Care About Animals, one of Princeton University Press’ volumes of Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers. The series’ rapidly growing roster now includes Sarah Nooter's book How To Be Queer: An Ancient Guide to Sexuality. Nooter selects, translates, and introduces a range of texts from Sappho and Plato (most heavily featured) to Homer, Pindar, Alcman, Anacreon, Theognis, and Theocritus (to name just a selection of the selection). There is an important ‘nothing new under the sun’ ethos to this volume, as is the case with many in the series. As Nooter puts it, ‘The past decade has seen a revolution in sexuality… sexual fluidity is now mainstream… And yet the Greeks got there long ago.’ (vii) The Greeks wrote about sexuality ‘with little angst and much wit’, and it is this that Stephen Fry picks up on in his endorsement of the book: ‘our ancestors often had clearer, less guilt-ridden, confused, prurient, and prudish attitudes to the rainbow of sexualities we wrongly think unique to our age’.

From Jesus to J-Setting: Religious and Sexual Fluidity Among Young Black People

Objective The present study seeks to explore the relationship between sexual fluidity and suicidal thoughts (STs) and behaviors (STBs) among adults in early and middle adulthood. Methods This study utilized data from Waves IV and V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (ADD Health). Participants were categorized into four groups: (1) heterosexual at both waves, (2) sexual minority (SM) at Wave IV but heterosexual at Wave V, (3) heterosexual at Wave IV and SM at Wave V, and (4) SM at Wave IV and Wave V. Results Hierarchical logistic regression revealed that sexual fluidity between Waves IV and V was associated with STs. Those who were heterosexual-identifying at Wave IV but identified as an SM at Wave V were close to four times as likely to report STs at Wave V than were those who identified as heterosexual at both waves. Those who were an SM at Waves IV and V were almost twice as likely to report STs compared to those who were heterosexual at both waves. Additionally, χ 2 results showed that suicide attempts (SAs) and sexual fluidity were associated. Similarly, SA prevalence was highest during periods in which participants identified as SMs. Conclusions Transitioning into a sexually minoritized status is associated with increased risk of STBs, whereas transitioning into a nonminoritized status was not.

The number of people who identify as LGBTQ+ more than doubled in the past decade, and with this growth has come an upsurge of expressive identity labels. However, that there are more labels available does not explain how people decide which to use. On the basis of 52 interviews, the authors show that LGBTQ+ people adopt multiple terms and adjust their usage relative to the interactional demands at hand. Inspired by research in psychology and population studies on sexual fluidity, the authors call the sociological variant situational fluidity. Two pathways motivate it. First, respondents anchor newer labels with established terms in the interest of smoother interpersonal interactions. Second, anticipating resistance encourages some individuals to alter their preferred labels in order to buffer against possible policing or pushback. This process-based account offers an alternative to traditional linear models that propose the achievement of a self that is articulated with a single and stable term.

This article is based on two months of ethnographic fieldwork done in 2017 in Poza Rica and Coatzintla, Veracruz, Mexico. I focus on the ways in which queer mestizos[i] contest, negotiate and mediate gender/sexual policing and how they challenge and produce/reproduce traditional gender roles and heteronormativity. I track these queer practices in contexts where institutions like family, marriage, church, and mass media, as well as cultural expressions like motherhood and language[ii] police alternative gender/sexual identifications and/or expressions. Gender and sexual policing are also mediated by the intersectionalities of gender, race-ethnicity, class, sex, and sexuality. I address queer (in)visibility and reveal how queer Mexicans make queer-worlds possible for themselves and publicly display what it means to be queer in these two towns. My findings reveal gender and sexual fluidity as well as emerging spaces that intersect with other practices for queer Mexicans. The data gathered also suggests terms of identification as a significant terrain fitting neatly into the paradigms of these two towns. [i] Mixed race as people part of the unmarked majority in these towns. [ii] Institutions and cultural expressions that work hand in hand in the construction and creation of people’s internalized homophobia.

Background: Sexual dreams are a common but understudied dimension of human experience. Despite their ubiquity, limited evidence exists on their frequency, content, and emotional or physiological effects. This study examined the prevalence and correlations of sexual dreams to better understand their role in emotional and sexual well-being. Objective: To assess the prevalence, frequency, and characteristics of sexual dreams and explore associations with demographic, psychological, and lifestyle factors. Methods: The SLEEP Study (Sexual Dreams, Emotional and Physical Impact) was a cross-sectional survey of 301 U.S. adults. Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing sexual dream frequency, gender of dream partners, post-dream physical and emotional responses, and effects on daily life. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations examined relationships between dream frequency and age, gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, and employment. Results: Nearly all participants (99.67%) reported experiencing sexual dreams. Over half (54.55%) experienced them “frequently” (a few times per month), and 9.09% “very frequently”. Dream content included opposite-sex (47.72%) and both-sex (47.02%) interactions, indicating subconscious sexual fluidity. Post-dream symptoms included increased heart rate (57.38%), sweating (34.97%), and anxiety (33.88%), reflecting autonomic activation. Frequent sexual dreams correlated positively with older age, male gender, and long-term relationships, and negatively with full-time employment (p Conclusions: Sexual dreams are a nearly universal phenomenon marked by diverse content and measurable physiological and emotional responses. Their study may help normalize discussions of sexuality, dreaming, and emotional health within clinical and psychological contexts.

Queer cinema has risen to prominence in recent years, frequently featured at major international film festivals and gaining a foothold in the global market. As an extension of queer theory, which highlights the fluidity of gender and sexuality, queer cinema initially aimed to challenge traditional gender norms and heteronormativity through radical narrative structures and visual expressions. Early queer films often subverted mainstream narratives, offering an alternative, politically charged lens to explore marginalized identities. However, as queer cinema has increasingly entered the mainstream market, it has been subjected to assimilation and commodification pressures. This has led to a dilution of its radical and subversive elements, as the narratives are increasingly shaped to fit within heteronormative frameworks. Queer characters, once at the centre of challenging societal norms, are now often marginalized or simplified to meet the expectations of broader, more mainstream audiences. This paper examines how capitalism and patriarchy have contributed to the assimilation and marginalization of queer cinema, limiting its political expression and cultural impact. While Russo highlights how Hollywood perpetuates lazy stereotypes of queer characters, White suggests that cinema, as a tool of capitalist and patriarchal power, helps maintain normative gender and sexual roles. Despite these challenges, queer cinema remains an important cultural tool for breaking down stereotypes and resisting the dominance of heteronormativity. To maintain its relevance and continue its political and cultural resistance, queer cinema must resist commodification and strive for more diverse, authentic representations of queer identities.

ABSTRACT In this paper, we explore negotiations around sexuality and gender diverse identities together with sexual practices, and the materialities of bodies, as they relate to the sampling and recruitment of LGBTQ+ participants in health social science research. The basis of our research note is a reflection on our experiences of undertaking a study on the social dimensions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the context of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We aimed to identify tensions and important considerations in the sampling and recruitment of LGBTQ+ populations in health and social science research. Recognising the fluidity and diversity of gender and sexuality, the multiple meanings attached to them, and the proliferation of gender and sexuality identifiers, we argue for the critical importance of reflexivity in curating a sampling frame, which is respectful of LGBTQ+ diversity. This contributes to the growing body of work that reflects on how to develop meaningful and informed approaches to do research with LGBTQ+ populations. We do this by complicating the often-linear presentation of sampling and recruitment processes within scholarly research.

Abstract Conventional wisdom for general population research suggests that nominal response categories be ordered by population prevalence. Current best practice in sexual orientation measurement represents an exception, with lesbian or gay recommended as the first response category, followed by the second, but most selected category, straight, that is, not lesbian or gay. Although prior research has shown that there can be differences in response distributions by response ordering, there has been a dearth of empirical work to investigate the potential of such context effects in sexual orientation measurement. To address this gap, we surveyed U.S. adults aged 18+ in 2022 using a nationally representative, probability-based household panel (n = 2,099) where panelists were asked “Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself?” with response categories lesbian or gay; straight, that is, not lesbian or gay; bisexual; something else; and I don’t know the answer. Panelists were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The control group was asked the standard ordering lesbian or gay followed by straight, that is, not lesbian or gay. The treatment group was asked straight, that is, not lesbian or gay followed by lesbian or gay. The order of the remaining responses was the same for both groups. Results do not show a significant relationship between response order and sexual orientation but suggest additional research with a larger sample would be useful. Compared to the lesbian/gay first group, the straight first group showed a significant decrease in proportion for don’t know responses. Differences in proportions for the remaining responses were not significant. Young adulthood was predictive of don’t know responses in both groups, indicating that don’t know responses may capture sexual fluidity, change, or uncertainty in addition to potential satisficing. Findings demonstrate that reordering response categories by population prevalence may improve data quality by decreasing item nonresponse.

Abstract Background Sexual fluidity is key to understanding the size of sexual minority populations and analyzing the socioeconomic disparities these populations face. This study explores the stability and changes in sexual identity over time, and identifies key demographic factors that predict shifts in sexual identity. Methods We analyzed longitudinal data from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort, following 36,398 participants from 2010 to 2021. Sexual identity was measured using a self-administered questionnaire in 2010, 2014, and 2021. Demographic data from 2010 were collected from the Swedish national registers. Multivariate Poisson regression with robust variance estimators was used to identify demographic factors that predicted identity changes. Results were presented as proportion or risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Overall, 12.1% (95% CI 11.8%-12.5%) changed sexual identity at least once in 2010-2021, including 10.4% (10.0%-10.7%) among those initially identifying as heterosexual in 2010, 41.3% (37.1%-45.6%) as homosexual, 59.6% (55.0%-64.0%) as bisexual, and 65.0% (59.4%-70.3%) as uncertain. Multivariate analyses showed that sexual minorities (homosexual: RR 5.00, 95% CI 4.45-5.61; bisexual: 6.68, 6.04-7.38; uncertain: 3.88, 3.30-4.55), females (1.28, 1.21-1.35), younger (18-29 years: 1.49, 1.30-1.70) and older ( > =60 years: 2.07, 1.92-2.22) ages, born outside Sweden (Europe: 1.21, 1.11-1.32; Outside Europe: 2.90, 2.62-3.21), and lower education ( < =9 years: 2.14, 1.98-2.31; 10-12 years: 1.43, 1.34-1.53) and income (100 SEK/year) ( < =2,500: 1.83, 1.66-2.02; (2,500, 3,500]: 1.32, 1.19-1.46) independently predicted a higher probability of identity changes. Conclusions This study provides the first insights into sexual identity fluidity in a large general population sample in Sweden, highlighting its fluid nature. Future research is needed to unravel the intricate mechanisms underlying the demographic disparities in sexual identity fluidity. Key messages • This study provides the first insights into sexual identity fluidity in Sweden, highlighting its fluid nature. • Future research is needed to unravel the intricate mechanisms underlying the demographic disparities in sexual identity fluidity.