We’ve known bisexuality was on the rise for a while now, but it appears to be happening at faster rate than ever before.
A new study out of the U.K. has found that the number of people who identify as bisexual has absolutely skyrocketed in just three years.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 230,000 people identified as bisexual back in 2012. In 2015, that number has jumped to 334,000. That’s a 45 percent increase.
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Not only that, but for the first time ever, more people ages 16 to 24 describe themselves as bi rather than gay or lesbian, increasing from 76,000 in 2012 to an astounding 133,000 in 2015.
The number of people who identify as solely gay or lesbian saw a much smaller uptick, going from 541,000 to 586,000 over the same three years.
Of course, gay, lesbian, and bisexuals still only make up a very small percentage of the U.K. population as a whole, coming in at around 1.7 percent in total, with 1.1 percent falling into the gay/lesbian category and 0.6 percent falling into the bisexual category. Straight people make up 93.7 percent of the population. And the remainder fall into the “other” category, either saying the “didn’t know” or they declined to answer the question.
Researchers also discovered that younger people are more likely to identify as something other than straight–3.3 percent of people ages 16 to 24 did so, compared to 2.7 percent ages 25 to 34, 1.7 percent ages 35 to 49, and only 0.6 percent in the over 65 crowd.
According to the ONS report, “Sexual identity does not necessarily reflect sexual attraction or sexual behavior–these are separate concepts with the Office for National Statistics currently does not measure.”
Related: Would You Date Someone Who Identifies As Bisexual?
h/t: Daily Mail
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
” the number of people who identify as bisexual has absolutely skyrocketed in just three years.”
Not “people” generally, but rather specifically “women.” Like you’re the pic you used.. it doesn’t count.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
*like the pic you used
CaliKyle
@PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID: You’re absolutely right. And the majority of these self proclaimed bi ladies live otherwise conventional hetero lives: dating/marrying mostly or only males and often only indulging in their so called bisexuality to attract or hold on to hetero males.
broadshoulder
Where was this published?
Heywood Jablowme
“take over the world”
You mean like The Brain on Pinky & The Brain?
SumSay
Hmmm, didn’t see anything about these self proclaimed bi women living any type of way in either this article or the study.
I think the point of the article is that bisexual numbers are growing, men by .5% and women by almost 1%. The title says bisexuals, not bisexual men only. “People” includes men and women. There’s a trend.
kent25
lol I don’t think so, No if the bi men want to be label gay, that’s what people think of them straight men and women, So the stay in the closet and creep out at night to find men to have sex with. they are like vampires feeding off of gay men and the bi girls trying to hookup with the lesbians lmao
It’s a sex thing, bisexual don’t love anyone they just love sex with anything with a heart beat
CaliKyle
@SumSay: Since the article failed to break down the stats by gender your supposition is no more valid than my own. Although I belive mine is more so based on my own past sexual involvement with girls and the vast dispariity between how society views and processes girl on girl vs boy on boy. Females who id as bi have potentially much to gain in terms of perceived desirability, acceptibility and opportunity than do males who id similarly. In fact, according to even current mores and attitudes, males who admit to same sex experimentation or bisexuality typically diminish their desirability and opportunity both romantically and sexually. Therefore, they’re not likely the ones driving up bi numbers in any study or survey.
cutterq
I’m bisexual and have been all my life–yet my gay friends and lovers tell me I can’t be? My female and straight male lovers tell me I’m great. Why the difference?
broadshoulder
@cutterq: probably because gay people have more to do with bisexuals then any female and straight friends. Why not listen to them?
LeatherNBoots
@broadshoulder: So you’re suggesting that because gay friends are gay, that gives them a unique perspective into what goes on in everyone else’s head? I’m bi. I’m not asking for anyone’s approval or judgement and I’d expect support from my friends just like I support and accept them for who they are. Straight, gay, bi or asexual.
LeatherNBoots
@CaliKyle: You’re making an assumption based on a few experiences in your own past and generalizing to a whole population.
I’m very aware that bi men are suffering from a lack of acceptance but it’s no justification for narrow-minded bigotted assumptions about bi women.
MediaGuy
@cutterq: I’m actually bi, but I never talk about it b/c everybody says, NO, you’re not. I have a baby daughter and STILL everybody tells me I’m gay. So, I’m gay then. Just leaving it alone cuts out all of those ridiculous conversations about what body parts I like and all those questions about why I’m like this. That’s such a waste of time.
gaym50ish
The fact that more people are identifying as bisexual does NOT mean that “bisexuality is on the rise.” The bi’s were always there, but more of them are now willing to admit it.
We’ve all seen the ones who have always hidden it — the guys in conventional marriages who used to go to cruisy areas and now go on grindr, or the ones who hire hustlers when they’re away on business trips.
It’s not likely that there are more than there ever were — or that there will ever be more than there are now. But they may be more emboldened to come out.
tommiej
As a gay man, I’m very disheartened when I see nasty responses to articles like this. Especially, when it comes from within the community. Bisexuals are real. Transgenders are real. Lesbians are real. Gay men are real.
There’s no pie to fight over. We’re all fighting the same struggle.
jdboston617
LOL. Hardly a take over. I’m curious what the percentage of OPENLY bi-sexual people there are? Mmm… oh.
Billy Budd
Bisexuals will INDEED take over the world. But before this happens, Religion will have to change radically or simply be eliminated as a disgusting, superfluous and ridiculous phenomenon AND society will have to make love between equals fashionable again. When these two things happen, almost everybody will be bisexual.
ErikO
I’m bisexual but I just ignore the idiot gay and heterosexual people who are biphobic.
TravisLopez
@ErikO: I also try to ignore the rants and stupid remarks of bi people who believes everybody think they don’t exist and how more difficult their lives are than others… Well we DO believe Bis exist, we just don’t want to think of all the “nasty” sex y’all are getting from genders we personally would avoid having sex with, its like you’re us, but with a twist… and its disturbing. so excuse us.I know a LOT of bi people. Y’all aren’t any more rare than air, so y all the probs? if something comes up to kill or ban either all gay or all straight people, y’all could pretend to be one over the other. You will survive to spread any B in the world.
kent25
True! There favorite mode is straight, I find it very funny not a bi kid ever got picked on in school, because they were the straight kid doing the tormenting. How many of they so called bisexual ever suffered for the gay rights movement None. Yet they want to lay claim to everything in the LGBT.
now they want to change the Gay bar into the queer bar, No! sorry Bitches
you will never lay claim to the gay bars, especially they ones where a woman is nowhere in sight .
kent25
what a crock of pooh , lol I don’t think so Try again
kent25
Bisexuals might as well stay in the closet as usual, The world isn’t ready for a woman who goes from a man to a woman and back to a man again.
sorry girls learn to keep your clothes on, people think of you as greedy and slutty and down for anything