http://kinseyconfidential.org Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:00:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2006-2007 aschweig@indiana.edu (Kinsey Confidential) aschweig@indiana.edu (Kinsey Confidential) posts 1440 Just another WordPress weblog Kinsey Confidential Kinsey Confidential aschweig@indiana.edu No no http://kinseyconfidential.org/wp-content/themes/kinsey/images/kinsey-podcast-300.jpg http://kinseyconfidential.org 144 144 http://kinseyconfidential.org/evidence-sexual-orientation-synonymous-identity/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/evidence-sexual-orientation-synonymous-identity/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:00:20 +0000 Eric Anthony Grollman (M.A.) http://kinseyconfidential.org/?p=1637 http://kinseyconfidential.org/evidence-sexual-orientation-synonymous-identity/feed/ 0 http://kinseyconfidential.org/women-masturbate-lesbian/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/women-masturbate-lesbian/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:41 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://kinseyconfidential.org/?p=1255 http://kinseyconfidential.org/women-masturbate-lesbian/feed/ 0 3:16 Determining Sexual Orientation Great question! Although many people wonder if there is an easy way to know if a person is gay, straight, bisexual or some ... Determining Sexual Orientation Great question! Although many people wonder if there is an easy way to know if a person is gay, straight, bisexual or some other sexual orientation, the fact is that there is not. Many scientists consider a personrsquo;s sexual orientation to reflect a larger pattern of their romantic and sexual attractions such that women who identify as straight tend, for the most part, to be romantically and sexually attracted to men whereas women who identify as lesbian tend to be romantically and sexually attracted to women. Experiences, Thoughts, and Labels Don't Always Match Up Of course, few things in life are cut and dry and neither is sexual orientation. Some women who identify as heterosexual have explored sexually with other women. They may have kissed other women or engaged in oral sex, breast touching or genital touching with other women. Then again, some women who identify as heterosexual have never engaged in sexual activity with women in waking life, but they may have had pleasurable, satisfying sex dreams about women. Or, like you, they may find that their preferred fantasies during masturbation involve women. The fact that you get turned on thinking of other girls doesnrsquo;t minimize the fact that you also get turned on by your boyfriend. By the same token, many lesbian women have had some type of sexual contact with men. Some lesbian identified women may include men in their sexual fantasies or may have also had enjoyable sex dreams involving men. Just because a lesbian woman enjoys thinking about men or masturbating to images of men ndash; or images of men and women having sex together ndash; does not mean that her true orientation is heterosexual. Research About Sexual Attraction Pioneering sexuality researcher Dr. Alfred Kinsey suggested that sexuality was a rather fluid concept. He found that people sometimes experienced different sexual attractions at different points in their lives and that a personrsquo;s sexual behaviors, dreams and fantasies could vary. He also felt that, based on his research, more people would be attracted to both men and women if only society didnrsquo;t suppress these attractions. Labels Can Change Throughout Life Whether you identify as heterosexual, lesbian or bisexual is up to you. You may find that one label suits you well now and, later in life, you may find that a different sexual orientation label better reflects your feelings and attractions. However you decide to label yourself, try to let go of any stress or anxiety about how you ldquo;shouldrdquo; or ldquo;shouldnrsquo;trdquo; feel sexually. What you find arousing and exciting during your partnered sex play as well as during your masturbation fantasies is likely to keep evolving with time. By keeping an open and accepting mind toward your own experience, you can continue to explore your sexuality in positive ways. Content,Type,,Podcast,,Sexual,Orientation aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/love-inanimate-objects/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/love-inanimate-objects/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:00:27 +0000 Natalie Ingraham (M.P.H.) http://wfiutest.rtv.indiana.edu/love-ofinanimate-objects/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/love-inanimate-objects/feed/ 0 http://kinseyconfidential.org/am-i-gay-sexual-orientation-labels-sexual-attraction/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/am-i-gay-sexual-orientation-labels-sexual-attraction/#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:47:13 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/2008/07/14/qa-im-attracted-to-both-men-and-women-am-i-gay/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/am-i-gay-sexual-orientation-labels-sexual-attraction/feed/ 0 2:59 Generally speaking, we donrsquo;t like to tell people whether it sounds like they are gay or straight or bisexual or any other sexual orientation label. Sexual ... Generally speaking, we donrsquo;t like to tell people whether it sounds like they are gay or straight or bisexual or any other sexual orientation label. Sexual Orientation Is Complex Thatrsquo;s because sexual orientation is complex and the label that someone chooses to give themselves doesnrsquo;t always match their behaviors. Quite often, in our research, we will find men who identify as straight but have sex only with men, or maybe with both women and men. Or else we will have men who identify as gay but have sex only with women, or with both women or men. And the same is true with women. Sexual Orientation Labels To many researchers, sexual orientation labels are about more than a personrsquo;s partnered sexual behavior, masturbation behavior or even their fantasies. Sometimes people choose a label because it most fits with their identity, with the community or group of people that they want to be a part of, or simply with how they feel about themselves. Other times they choose an identity because they feel forced into it, or pressured. There are some women or men who personally feel that they are bisexual, but may feel that they have to identify as either straight or gay so that their friends or partners will accept them. Deciding how to label onersquo;s own sexual interests and orientation is not always an easy task, and we would encourage you to not feel pressured to put a label on yourself unless or until you are feeling ready to do so. Recommended Resources If you are interested in exploring issues around gay identity, consider connecting with the group Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Some men also find the book The Male Couple: How Relationships Develop by Dr. David McWhirter to be a helpful resource for understanding more about menrsquo;s relationships with each other. The Bisexual Resource Guide by Robyn Ochs is another resource that may be helpful to you as well. Content,Type,,Podcast,,Sexual,Orientation aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/brains-are-sexy-too/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/brains-are-sexy-too/#comments Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:51:08 +0000 Samantha Seeger http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/2008/06/04/brains-are-sexy-too/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/brains-are-sexy-too/feed/ 0 http://kinseyconfidential.org/questioning-sexual-orientation/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/questioning-sexual-orientation/#comments Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:00:03 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/blog/2008/03/10/qa-sexual-orientation/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/questioning-sexual-orientation/feed/ 0 3:01 Sexual orientation is complex and there is no one way ndash; even among researchers ndash; to decide at what point one is best described as ... Sexual orientation is complex and there is no one way ndash; even among researchers ndash; to decide at what point one is best described as homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual. Rather than defining sexual orientation solely in regard to sexual behavior or fantasies, some researchers define sexual orientation as the general pattern of romantic and sexual attraction that one feels based on onersquo;s own gender and the gender of the person he or she is attracted to. That said, emotional and physical attraction don't always go hand-in-hand. In your case, you have deep friendships with men but greater sexual attraction for women. Talk To A Counselor Consider meeting with a campus or community-based counselor who can provide more individualized support and guidance as you work to figure this out. Professional counseling services are confidential and the experience might provide you with additional information about these issues related to sexual orientation, sexual desire and friendship. You can also learn more through a campus or community organization related to gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues or on the web site www.pflag.org (PFLAG stands for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). What Is Most Important To You In A Long-term Relationship? It seems like you're struggling with issues that many men and women ndash; regardless of sexual orientation ndash; encounter. Specifically, discovering what factors are most important to you in a long-term relationship ndash; factors such as friendship, sexual attraction, trust, support, intimacy, and at what point one is "settling" if you don't have everything you want in a partner. I'm sorry there aren't more concrete answers to these age-old questions. This is an important topic for you to sort through so it is worth spending some time continuing to gather information, think it through and talk over with someone you trust. Content,Type,,Podcast,,Sexual,Orientation aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/losing-erection-sexual-orientation/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/losing-erection-sexual-orientation/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:47:21 +0000 Kinsey Confidential http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/blog/2007/03/28/qa-does-losing-my-erection-with-girls-mean-im-gay-or-bisexual/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/losing-erection-sexual-orientation/feed/ 1 http://kinseyconfidential.org/asexuality-sexual-attraction-asexual/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/asexuality-sexual-attraction-asexual/#comments Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:31:52 +0000 Kinsey Confidential http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/blog/2008/02/06/qa-does-lack-of-sexual-attraction-mean-someone-is-asexual/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/asexuality-sexual-attraction-asexual/feed/ 1 http://kinseyconfidential.org/confused-about-same-sex-attraction/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/confused-about-same-sex-attraction/#comments Wed, 01 Dec 2004 20:36:21 +0000 Kinsey Confidential http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/blog/2004/12/01/qa-confused-about-same-sex-attraction/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/confused-about-same-sex-attraction/feed/ 0