Some of us have asked ourselves the question: "How gay am I"?
Researchers have tried to devise many scales. None are considered
"definitive" . Here are two scales which attempt to
"measure" the degree of homosexuality in a person. Neither
measure is a definitive or universally accepted one. It just shows how
complex the human mind is.

The Kinsey Scale

The most influential scale to be proposed was put forth by Kinsey in
1953 in reports on sexual behavior in the human male and female. Kinsey
proposed a bipolar scale that allowed a continuum between "exclusive
heterosexuality" and "exclusive homosexuality. "

0 Exclusively heterosexual- Individuals who make no physicial contacts
which result in erotic arousal or orgasm, and make no psychic responses
to individuals of their own sex.

1 Predominantly heterosexual/ only incidentally homosexual- Individuals
which have only incidental homosexual contacts which have involved
physical or psychic response, or incidental psychic response without
physical contact.

2 Predominantly heterosexual but more than incidentally homosexual
individuals who have more than incidental homosexual experience, and/or
if they respond rather definitely to homosexual stimuli.

3 Equally heterosexual and homosexual- individuals who are about equally
homosexual and heterosexual in their overt experience and/or their
psychic reactions.

4 Predominantly homosexual but more than incidentally heterosexual
individuals who have more overt activity and/or psychic reactions in the
homosexual, while still maintaining a fair amount of heterosexual
activity and/or responding rather definitive to heterosexual contact.

5 Predominantly homosexual/only incidentally heterosexual- individuals
who are almost entirely homosexual in their overt activities and/or
reactions.

6 Exclusively homosexual- individuals who are exclusively homosexual,
both in regard to their overt experience and in regard to their psychic
reactions.

The Sell Assessment of Sexual Orientation

Sell Assessment (1996) measures sexual orientation on a continuum,
considers various dimensions of sexual orientation, and considers
homosexuality and heterosexuality separately. The Sell Assessment
contains 12 questions, 6 of which assess sexual attractions, 4 of which
assess sexual behavior, and 2 of which assess sexual orientation
identity. Among them, Sell considered the questions assessing sexual
attractions to be the most important when the intent of the study is to
measure sexual orientation, as he defined sexual orientation as the
"extent of sexual attractions toward members of the other, same,
both sexes, or neither." Therefore, sexual attractions more closely
reflect this conceptualization of sexual orientation than other
attributes, such as sexual behavior or sexual orientation identity, and
therefore are a better measure of sexual orientation.

Sexual behaviors and sexual orientation identity are measured in
addition to sexual attractions in the Sell Assessment to provide
supplemental information. Sexual behaviors are measured because they are
often the result of sexual attractions and therefore provide a
reflection of them. However, as a result of social and cultural
influences, sexual attractions and behaviors do not always correspond.
Sexual orientation identity is measured because it should also be
closely linked to sexual attractions. That is, a person should/may
identify as homosexual if attracted to the same sex, as heterosexual if
attracted to the other sex, and as bisexual if attracted to both sexes.
Once again, however, as a result of social and cultural influences,
sexual attractions and sexual orientation identity do not always
correspond.

The Sell Assessment of sexual orientation is intended to provoke debate
about the measurement of sexual orientations, not necessarily provide a
final solution to the question of how best to measure this construct.

I. Sexual Attractions- The following six questions are asked to assess
how frequently and intensely you are sexually attracted to men and
women. Consider times you had sexual fantasies, daydreams, or dreams
about a man or woman, or have been sexually aroused by a man or woman.

1. During the past year, how many different men were you sexually
attracted to (choose one answer):

a. None.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3-5.

e. 6-10.

f. 11-49.

g. 50-99

h. 100 or more.

2. During the past year, on average, how often were you sexually
attracted to a man (choose one answer):

a. Never.

b. Less than 1 time per month.

c. 1-3 times per month.

d. 1 time per week

e. 2-3 times per week.

f. 4-6 times per week.

g. Daily.

3. During the past year, the most I was sexually attracted to a man was
(choose one answer):

a. Not at all sexually attracted.

b. Slightly sexually attracted.

c. Mildly sexually attracted.

d. Moderately sexually attracted.

e. Significantly sexually attracted.

f. Very sexually attracted.

g. Extremely sexually attracted.

4. During the past year, how many different women were you sexually
attracted to (choose one answer):

a. None.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3-5.

e. 6-10.

f. 11-49.

g. 50-99.

h. 100 or more.

5. During the past year, on average, how often were you sexually
attracted to a woman (choose one answer):

a. Never.

b. Less than 1 time per month.

c. 1-3 times per month.

d. 1 time per week

e. 2-3 times per week.

f. 4-6 times per week.

g. Daily.

6. During the past year, the most I was sexually attracted to a woman
was (choose one answer):

a. Not at all sexually attracted.

b. Slightly sexually attracted.

c. Mildly sexually attracted.

d. Moderately sexually attracted.

e. Significantly sexually attracted.

f. Very sexually attracted.

g. Extremely sexually attracted.

II. Sexual Contact – The following four questions are asked to
assess your sexual contacts. Consider times when you had contact between
your body and another man or woman's body for the purpose of sexual
arousal or gratification.

7. During the past year, how many different men did you have sexual
contact with (choose one answer):

a. None.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3-5.

e. 6-10.

f. 11-49.

g. 50-99.

h. 100 or more.

8. During the past year, on average, how often did you have sexual
contact with a man (choose one answer):

a. Never.

b. Less than 1 time per month.

c. 1-3 times per month

d. 1 time per week.

e. 2-3 times per week.

f. 4-6 times per week.

g. Daily.

9. During the past year, how many different women did you have sexual
contact with (choose one answer):

a. None.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3-5.

e. 6-10.

f. 11-49.

g. 50-99.

h. 100 or more.

10. During the past year, on average, how often did you have sexual
contact with a woman (choose one answer):

a. Never.

b. Less than 1 time per month.

c. 1-3 times per month

d. 1 time per week.

e. 2-3 times per week.

f. 4-6 times per week.

g. Daily.

III. Sexual Orientation Identity- The following two questions are asked
to assess your sexual orientation identity.

11. I consider myself (choose one answer):

a. Not at all homosexual.

b. Slightly homosexual.

c. Mildly homosexual.

d. Moderately homosexual.

e. Significantly homosexual.

f. Very homosexual.

g. Extremely homosexual.

12. I consider myself (choose one answer):

a. Not at all heterosexual.

b. Slightly heterosexual.

c. Mildly heterosexual.

d. Moderately heterosexual.

e. Significantly heterosexual.

f. Very heterosexual.

g. Extremely heterosexual.

I'm not sure that it is useful to ask "how gay are you".

There are more than enough things that seperate us.

Let's not add too gay or not gay enough to the list.

I'd just like to say I can see a glaringly obvious flaw in the Sell Assesment which renders it next to useless before you even start. Very few people are going to answer honestly.

The other problem with the Sell Assesment as listed is that it is just a list of questions. It doesn't provide an indication of what they mean. For example, in the questions about how much you are sexually attracted to a man/woman, what does it mean if you answer d. Moderately sexually attracted? Does that mean that you are not strongly of that orientation, or simply that you don't have a strong sex drive? If I was younger, I probably would have answered f for that question, but given that my sex drive is lower now, d is the most appropriate answer. However, it is still very subjective -- different people will have a different idea as to the degree of sexual attraction, or even what is the definition of "sexually attracted".

I'm not sure I agree with you. I mean that's definitely true if it were just being randomly given to people at work/school/church/etc, but presumably the people who take the assessment will actually want the honest answer, and they probably won't be worried about anyone else seeing their answers (after all I took it and unless I tell you guys you'll never know). So I think it really all depends on the setting and circumstances in which it's given.



Excellent points, Graeme! I know I was also very frustrated when I got to the end of the test and discovered that there wasn't an answer key or anything to evaluate the Sell Assessment. It would appear, however, that I'm very gay and slightly straight, but then that's how I answered questions 11 and 12, so it makes the rest seem largely irrelevant.

As for the Kinsey scale I figure myself to be somewhere between 4^1/2 and 5.

Anyway interesting stuff, Beastkid!
Take care all and have an awesome day!
-Kevin

I was just thinking, the Kinsey scale could certainly do with a lot more sections (is sections the right word?)

Argh, that was long... and it didn't tell me the answer!!

if I go by Kinsey though, I'd have to be a 4.7 or SOMETHING. In other words, pretty darn gay.

I tend to react to male and female psychics pretty much the same, so I guess that makes me a 3 on Kinsey's scale.

Personally, I tend to trust female psychics more

Tried searching for the index to Sell's assessment but couldn't find it anywhere!!

Darn!

The BeaStKid

Maybe we'll never know!! AHHH!

I've always looked at sexual orientation as a continuum, like a scale from 1 to 100 where 1 is absolutely straight and 100 is absolutely gay, and that a person can be anywhere along that scale.

Colin

And why do I always have a feeling that I lie exactly on 60!!

That's a simplistic view, but it seems correct in most situations. The exceptions are how to handle those people who appear to vary on their sexuality, but on specifics not generalities. As an example, I would rate myself as close to 100 because women, in general, really don't excite me. I can appreciate a good looking female, but it's purely intellectual -- there's no emotional or physical response. However, I am in love with a wonderful women and yes, we do have sexual relations (with two kids as evidence -- so I'm not 100% homosexual. What am I, though, because it is only with this one person that I'm not 100% homosexual!

Graeme,

IMO, where someone is on the sexual orientation scale can vary according to time, circumstance, age, the other person... lots and lots of variables, the mix of which is specific to each person. Also, there's more than one scale. For example, gender is an intersecting scale of its own, and it and orientation can really get confusing. Then there's "equipment", which is a separate scale that's usually binary, male OR female, for most people, but that's certainly not always the case. Add that into someone's mix, and they can have a real "OMG!" situation to deal with and live with.

Life is complicated. There's no operator's manual. There's no warranty, explicit or implied. There's no return policy. Exchanges are not allowed. But it can be so frickin' much FUN when you just go with the flow!

When life hands you lemons, make a lemon cream pie!

Colin

I agree, but the amount of movement isn't large. Otherwise, you're implying that it IS possible for someone to go from 100% gay to 100% straight, which is not supported by any known facts.


I definitely agree there. It's when people try to label things, or put things into boxes that it shows the most, because there are ALWAYS exceptions -- things that don't fit because life is just too complex.


True... very true

Well, I don't know about going from 100% one way to 100% the other, but personally I think sexuality is - or at least can be for some people - fairly fluid. My own levels of desire and just what I find attractive definitely tend to vary and change over time. There's quite a few constants and generalities that can make up a pretty consistent pattern. I've always found blonds and redheads of both genders to be, as a whole, more attractive than their darker haired peers for example. However, in the past couple of years I've had a major fixation of Asian guys (and to a MUCH lesser extent Asian girls), and slender, black women (ala Hale Berry and quite a few girls I've known personally). Both these developments are completely random and sudden in terms of development. Five years ago I wouldn't have looked twice at either demographic. Admittedly though that's simply variations in personal taste.

However, I would also point out that at different points in my life the same person (without changing very much physically) has either had a strong effect on me, or a very weak one. Granted again this may simply have to do with the complex interplay that emotions and psychology play in attraction.

I also read an article recently about a study that indicated what type of man a woman is attracted to often depends significantly on what phase of her cycle she's in. There's also indication that her sex drive itself is fairly significantly impacted by her cycle. Now obviously men don't have a menstrual cycle, but there's a lot of evidence that the "man period" does exist. I can also definitely attest to the fact that at different times of, roughly a month long period, I might be considerably more relaxed, out-going, easy-going, confident (including feeling sexier), and yes quite a bit hornier. Whether or not you believe this is evidence of a "man period" or not is actually completely irrelevant because regardless of whether one believes that theory or not I think everyone will agree that people can be moody, and that these moods are to some extent controlled by hormones.

So when you take into consideration the complex interplay of variations in personal taste over time, emotional and psychological development and attractions, and the influence of hormones - all of which, IMO at least, affect what one is attracted to - I don't think it's unreasonable at all to say that sexuality is somewhat fluid.

I certainly don't think it fluctuates more than a couple of standards of deviation on whatever chat one is using, put I think it fluctuates. Obviously it also depends on the person. I label myself "gay", and I really think that's the best label for me in terms of how I define the labels, but I probably have a great attraction to/capacity for attraction to females than many "gay" males, and I'm probably much more open to and introspective about the whole thing many/most.

Just my thoughts,
Kevin

a flaw in the test:

just because you act 'straight' doesn't mean you're "slightly heterosexual". I'm straight in most aspects of my life but I know I'm exclusively homosexual. I may find a woman attractive but I can't get sexually aroused by women, even if I wanted to.

I don't recall the test ever asking that question...

oops sorry. ehe

i meant the kinsey scale





i interpreted 'overt'... I guess I'm wrong, it's just the wording. LOL. anyway, i do believe in the kinsey scale. most people are born bisexual (tho most of them lead their lives without ever giving in to the 'other side'). it is indeed the exclusive homo/heterosexuals who are the rarer breed. follows the normal curve. lol

anyway,

jamessavik:

i agree wholeheartedly. i once came across this site:

http://g0ys.org/

it shocked me that Gays are discriminating against Gays. i mean, wtf?! we should be presenting a united front, not look like a bunch of squabbling idiots.

also I once read an article about how the gay 'bear' community discriminates against the 'drag queens' and 'effems', i think not all tho, but it's there. *sigh* we really are all too human.