Not Just a Trend: Why Rising Bisexual Identities Reflect Real Change
In May 2025, Psychology Today ran an article debunking the idea that bisexual identification among young people is merely a fashion statement. Backed by Clearer Thinking’s survey data, the piece argues this shift reflects real shifts in attractions and behaviors—not just a social bandwagon.
📊 Key Findings:
Approximately 25% of Gen Z (ages 18–27) now identify as LGBTQ, and half of them identify as bisexual.
Clearer Thinking surveyed both orientation identity and self-reported attractions and behavior, finding increases across the board—not only labels.
This rise appears not to be a passing fad, but evidence of generational shifts in sexual expression and self-understanding.
🔍 How Do We Know It’s Real?
Similar findings across external studies, including Gallup data showing queer identification doubling over recent years, largely driven by bisexual-identifying women.
Gen Z demonstrates the highest rate of bisexual identification: Gen Z bisexuals outpace Millennials and other generations significantly.
Research on sexual fluidity—especially in women—suggests that attractions and identity may evolve over time. Women are more likely than men to shift within a spectrum of desire.
❌ Busting Three Common Myths
“Bisexuality is just a phase.”
Earlier research found stable bisexual identity and arousal patterns persist across gender and over time. Longitudinal studies support real, non-transitory bisexual orientation—especially among women.“Bisexuality is attention-seeking or chic.”
The 1970s coined “bisexual chic,” but today’s younger generation identifies as bisexual out of authenticity, not spectacle. Research shows their behaviors and attractions reflect genuine orientation—not cultural fashion.“It’s overrepresented or exaggerated in surveys.”
While bisexuals remain a minority in older generations, clinical and physiological data—including genital arousal studies—confirm bisexual men exhibit measurable attraction to both sexes.
🧬 Why Are More Young People Choosing "Bi"?
Institutional stigma has eased: greater societal and familial acceptance allows more individuals to explore—private or public—their attractions.
Sexual identity is increasingly fluid, especially for women who often experience shifts in the intensity and targets of attraction over time.
People now have more vocabulary and frameworks—like bi, pan, fluid—to define nuanced desire, rather than forcing identity into binary categories.
🧠 The Deeper Impact: Mental Health, Visibility & Growth
Bisexual people often report higher rates of mental health stress, in part due to erasure or biphobia—even within LGBTQ+ communities. Recognition and identity affirmation can improve well-being.
Older individuals and institutions continue to under-recognize bisexuality—or subsume it into gay or straight categories—further complicating visibility.
Many bisexuals describe “Coming Out Growth”—a positive psychology concept where self-acceptance leads to identity growth, community building, and higher self-esteem.
🏁 Final Take: A Clearer Picture of Sexual Identity
This isn’t about fads or trend-chasing—it's about a genuine generational change in how a growing number of people experience and name their attractions and identity. Whether through self-identification, behavioral shifts, or physiological response, bisexuality is anchored in enduring orientation, not cultural flash.
Today’s uptick in bisexual identity is rooted in social change, increased fluidity, and more nuanced self-understanding—not just new language or visibility.
