Labels, Labels, Labels

I wrote this in response to a blogger in my class who is concerned that Lindsay Lohan won't say whether she is straight, lesbian, or bisexual and think she is just doing it for some press.




I don’t blame Lindsay Lohan for not wanting to label her sexuality. Even if she does eventually end up with a man, we cannot assume that she was a fauxmosexual and she was really always straight, or even that she is bisexual. When do heterosexuals have to claim a label for their heterosexual identities? In fact, many people defy the binary straight/gay sexuality and still do not identify as bisexual.

Alfred Kinsey found in his research between the late 1930’s and early 1950’s that all people are not either heterosexual or homosexual but that many fall somewhere in the middle. In the late 1970’s, Fritz Klein developed the Klein grid which further expanded on Kinsey’s work and took into account fantasy life, sexual attraction, sexual behavior, emotional connection, community preference, and most importantly, self labeling as well as how these things have changed over one’s lifetime. There are many reasons that people might fall somewhere in between hetero and bi or between bi and gay/lesbian. These people might not want to claim and identity and shouldn’t have to just to make the straight, gay, and lesbian people more comfortable.

Labels of sexuality should not be applied to people by anyone but themselves, and they are changeable or fluid. In fact, according to this longitudinal study by Lisa M. Diamond, “unlabeled” was “the most commonly adopted identity” claimed over time by the 79 lesbian, bisexual, and unlabeled women involved. This is a relatively small sample but makes an important point: it is common not to claim lesbian, bisexual, or straight as a label.

In the bisexual, heterosexual, and gay and lesbian populations, people have sex with both sexes. Google “msm” or “downlow” for more info about how this works for many men who identify as straight. Read more here about Robin Ochs to find out about women in long term same-sex relationships who maintain a bisexual identity. Many married women with children identify as bisexual. Some of them have female partners as well and many are monogamous. Many polyamorous relationships exist successfully too. Read more about polyamory here . The main point that I hope you take away from this is that there is a huge variety of sexualities. Dichotomous thinking about sexuality does no good because it is not real. I am glad that Lindsay Lohan is making her decision not to identify publicly. If in doing this she gives some press to the idea that not everyone will identify, I say, "Thank you Lindsay!" It's about time people got more pragmatic about the many colors of the sexuality rainbow.