Not So Straight Anymore

So what's the deal with all these identities??? They keep adding, changing, expanding, and if you identify as 100% hetero, it can be very challenging to understand what they all mean. (And btw, this meme is only about gender! It's not even about sexual identities!)

Well, times are a-changing, and if you do identify as 100% hetero, well, your numbers are dropping (and plus, you're probably not even 100% hetero if you have bromances, girl crushes, ever kissed someone of the same sex, lusted after anyone of the same sex or gender, etc.). The younger you are, the more likely you are to not identify as strictly straight.

The CDC selected data from 9,175 adults of various demographics who participated in computer-assisted interviews. The findings include:

• Women aged 25–44 were more likely to say they were heterosexual or straight and less likely to say they were bisexual compared with women aged 18–24. Among men aged 18–44, no such pattern by age was seen.

• Almost three times as many women (17.4%) reported any same-sex contact in their lifetime compared with men (6.2%) aged 18–44.

• 75.9% of women and 88.6% of men aged 18–24 said they were attracted “only to the opposite sex.”

So it seems that women are a little more free to identify as not 100% straight. But don't fret! Just because fewer older people are identifying as straight doesn't mean that your options for romance or sex are limited. In fact, think of it as an opportunity to expand yourself in what you like and who you like it with.

If you end up with someone who doesn't identify as straight, that's ok. That doesn't necessarily meant they won't be loyal or fun to be with. Because let's face it, straight people can be promiscuous and cheat just as much as the next person.

Let's not get hung up on labels. Let's get hung up on having fun and enjoying the person you're with.