Kinsey's Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale

[iFindMeHere]

i think the kinsey scale is too... binary for me.

hear hear!

[Natasha]

last time i checked, we were still living in a binary world/society!

[iFindMeHere]

last time i checked, we were still living in a binary world/society!

People born with one set of parts who need another, at least here in the United States where I am, challenge that.

[Shana A]

I'm bi/pan... I don't care what gender/s my partners are (or aren't), I'm attracted to the person, not the genitalia. On the Kinsey scale that would likely be considered a 3

Z

[fae_reborn]

LOL, I'm the un-Tink, I voted 6. 

Same here, another 6.  Although I've been hit on by men, and once in a while think about being with a man (ok, so slight bi-tendencies to be honest), men gross me out.  I've had no experiences with men, only women.  I'm a femme lesbian.

Jenn

[Alyssa M.]

i think the kinsey scale is too... binary for me.

hear hear!

Hmmm... I counted seven options. That's as much of a "spectrum" as they allow for the visible electromagnetic spectrum in elementary school.

Though I suppose if you listed the options as 000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, and 110, then you could call it "binary," but that's not what we usually mean.

Would you like another axis in this spectrum to categorize age preference, or perhaps another axis for species?  >

[iFindMeHere]

i think the kinsey scale is too... binary for me.

hear hear!

Hmmm... I counted seven options. That's as much of a "spectrum" as they allow for the visible electromagnetic spectrum in elementary school.

Though I suppose if you listed the options as 000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, and 110, then you could call it "binary," but that's not what we usually mean.

Would you like another axis in this spectrum to categorize age preference, or perhaps another axis for species?  >

I posted the Klein's grid and edited this for 

as far as species, well, that's just illegal.

[Hypatia]

I haven't answered yet because I need to clarify exactly what this poll is measuring. Tink asks for a rating based only on experience. However, the link to the Kinsey Institute describes the scale as measuring

sexual behavior, thoughts and feelings towards the same or opposite sex was not always consistent across time. Though the majority of men and women reported being exclusively heterosexual, and a percentage reported exclusively homosexual behavior and attractions, many individuals disclosed behaviors or thoughts somewhere in between.

(emphasis added)

The scale ranges from 0-, as one would rate themselves if they identify as exclusively heterosexual with no experience with or desire for sexual activity with their same sex, to 6-, as one would rate themselves if they identify as exclusively homosexual with no experience with or desire for sexual activity with those of the opposite sex.

(emphasis added)

According to the KI, the scale is for measuring more than experience, it measures the total sexual orientation. Meaning it could take into account thoughts and feelings that have never been acted upon. Tink, if your feelings and actions have always been perfectly congruent, I can see why it might not have occurred to you that for a great many people they often diverge, which produces the gray areas that are the whole reason for devising the Kinsey scale in the first place.

Does flirting count as "experience"? Kissing on the lips? Masturbating to pictures? What is the definition of the "experience" being measured here anyway? The results could turn out differently depending on where the boundaries are drawn.

And if you take into account "feelings and desires" that were never acted upon in any way, it can turn out really different than if the measurement is limited to only experience.

Another question, this one specific to trans people: We base this on our gender identity, but what about what happened back when some of us were not consciously aware of our real gender identity? How it was understood at that time vs. how it came to be seen in the light of full gender identity awareness later? Or do we only count what happened when we were conscious of our real gender identity?

Sorry for going all Virgo on you, but it's just that if the poll doesn't clarify exactly what's being measured, then the results will not have much meaning.

[iFindMeHere]

Hypatia did you see the Klein's grid?

[Hypatia]

Yes. I think the Klein grid would give a much fuller and meaningful account of sexual orientation.

[iFindMeHere]

Yes. I think the Klein grid would give a much fuller and meaningful account of sexual orientation.

I first met the Klein Grid at a presentation during a conference on sexuality and gender... and I fell in love with it immediately.

Wait.. does that make me a Kleinsexual?

[Hypatia]

last time i checked, we were still living in a binary world/society!

People born with one set of parts who need another, at least here in the United States where I am, challenge that.

I disagree. I fit neatly within one half of the binary: I am unequivocally a woman. I have no personal interest in challenging the binary, because it suits my needs well. If I were to challenge the binary, it would be an altruistic position for the sake of others who do not fit it. It would be the same for me as if a binary-conforming cisgender person were to challenge it. Demolition of the binary has no relevance for me personally.

Posted on: September 08, 2008, 01:38:48 PM

I first met the Klein Grid at a presentation during a conference on sexuality and gender... and I fell in love with it immediately.

Your point is well taken, but to take it up would require a separate poll. This one is about the Kinsey scale.

[iFindMeHere]

last time i checked, we were still living in a binary world/society!

People born with one set of parts who need another, at least here in the United States where I am, challenge that.

I disagree. I fit neatly within one half of the binary: I am unequivocally a woman. I have no personal interest in challenging the binary, because it suits my needs well. If I were to challenge the binary, it would be an altruistic position for the sake of others who do not fit it. It would be the same for me as if a binary-conforming cisgender person were to challenge it. Demolition of the binary has no relevance for me personally.

I agree. To quote Natasha, i'm not trans-anything--I was born with harry Benjamin Syndrome. I should have clarified that from the outside perspective, we would seem to challenge that.

[Adrien]

Wow, what a ruckus.
I'm pansexual, and the whole hetero-homo thing throws me off, and gets me thinking of strictly bisexual relations at 3.0.
The term bisexual really bothers me. Bi - two. There are far more than two genders, so if someone claims to be "bisexual," then I can only think they are uneducated and/or ignorant.
I think that if I were to put my attraction onto the scale, it wouldn't fit... it'd be like... a letter some place.
But if I had to? I'd probably land on the 3.0, because that only makes sense, correct? Doesn't matter who I'm in love with, or what gender/orientation they are. Blahblahblah.
Best to you all.

[Nero]

Wow, what a ruckus.
I'm pansexual, and the whole hetero-homo thing throws me off, and gets me thinking of strictly bisexual relations at 3.0.
The term bisexual really bothers me. Bi - two. There are far more than two genders, so if someone claims to be "bisexual," then I can only think they are uneducated and/or ignorant.
I think that if I were to put my attraction onto the scale, it wouldn't fit... it'd be like... a letter some place.
But if I had to? I'd probably land on the 3.0, because that only makes sense, correct? Doesn't matter who I'm in love with, or what gender/orientation they are. Blahblahblah.
Best to you all.

I detest the term 'pansexual'. I'm bi and to me that covers everything. I mean I don't know the internal gender of someone by looking at them. I'm attracted to males and females and the vast majority of humans resemble one or the other.

[Stealthgrrl]

*sits down next to Nero.* 

[iFindMeHere]

last time i checked, we were still living in a binary world/society!

People born with one set of parts who need another, at least here in the United States where I am, challenge that.

I disagree. I fit neatly within one half of the binary: I am unequivocally a woman. I have no personal interest in challenging the binary, because it suits my needs well. If I were to challenge the binary, it would be an altruistic position for the sake of others who do not fit it. It would be the same for me as if a binary-conforming cisgender person were to challenge it. Demolition of the binary has no relevance for me personally.

Posted on: September 08, 2008, 01:38:48 PM

I first met the Klein Grid at a presentation during a conference on sexuality and gender... and I fell in love with it immediately.

Your point is well taken, but to take it up would require a separate poll. This one is about the Kinsey scale.

Are you a librarian?

Posted on: September 08, 2008, 06:28:03 PM

Wow, what a ruckus.
I'm pansexual, and the whole hetero-homo thing throws me off, and gets me thinking of strictly bisexual relations at 3.0.
The term bisexual really bothers me. Bi - two. There are far more than two genders, so if someone claims to be "bisexual," then I can only think they are uneducated and/or ignorant.
I think that if I were to put my attraction onto the scale, it wouldn't fit... it'd be like... a letter some place.
But if I had to? I'd probably land on the 3.0, because that only makes sense, correct? Doesn't matter who I'm in love with, or what gender/orientation they are. Blahblahblah.
Best to you all.

agreed.

[tinkerbell]

Geez!  that's perfectly fine, Hypatia.  You can go Virgo on me anytime! But for the record "I" didn't ask anything based on experiences.  That is how the Kinsey scale was outlined here.  There is also a "points to ponder" part on that link which you may find helpful.  And incidentally kitty cats, I'm also aware that not everyone would fall into 0 or 6, but there are some of us that do!

In regard to your question, the link I initially provided reads:

There is no 'test.' The scale is purely a method of self-evaluation based on your individual experience. The scale ranges from 0-, as one would rate themselves if they identify as exclusively heterosexual with no experience with or desire for sexual activity with their same sex, to 6-, as one would rate themselves if they identify as exclusively homosexual with no experience with or desire for sexual activity with those of the opposite sex.

Hence, I imagine that everything is taken into account (i.e, kissing on the lips, feelings, desires, and the other stuff ) 

Now, concerning the "trans" question, well, Harry Bejamin created a similar scale ages ago.  Needless to say the information is ancient and contains archaic terms such as primary transsexual, true transsexual, real transsexual, and to be quite frank, I didn't want to get into all that since those definitions often cause chaos and drama here at Susan's.  Nonetheless, if anyone is interested, you can google it out "Sex and Gender Role Disorientation and Indecision"

I should reiterate though that the Harry Benjamin scale (above) is flawed, but at least it can shed some light on the questions that have been asked.

iFindMeHere: You are more than welcome to create a new poll for the Klein Grid if you wish since I also think that it would give us all a more thorough account of sexual orientation

tink

[iFindMeHere]

iFindMeHere: You are more than welcome to create a new poll for the Klein Grid if you wish since I also think that it would be give a more thorough account of sexual orientation

tink

hmmm, even tho i'm not a mod i can do that? Neat!

[Hypatia]

Are you a librarian?

Yes. Why do you ask?