Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

New Sexuality Study Claims That Nobody Is 100% 'Straight'—& the 'Proof' Is in Our Eyes

New Sexuality Study Claims That Nobody Is 100% 'Straight'—& the 'Proof' Is in Our Eyes
mark peterson/Getty Images

The idea that sexuality is a spectrum rather than the variation between two extremes (completely homosexual or heterosexual) isn't a new one. In fact, tools like the Kinsey scale and the human sexuality spectrum, which claim that most people fall somewhere in between 100% gay or straight, have both been widely discussed and, to differing degrees, accepted by the LGBTQ community for years, even if they hadn't been demonstrated with cold hard data... until now.

Researchers at Cornell University recently published a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology which claims there's no such thing as a "straight" man or woman.


The team used some interesting methods to gather their data.

Many psychological tests which deal with sexual arousal rely on self-reporting, which can be somewhat unreliable if the test subject has any biases which might skew his or her answers. So, for this study, the researchers decided to measure sexual arousal based on "physical responses" like pupil dilation (human's pupils dilate when they're turned on).

From there, it was a simple matter of showing the test subjects various selections of pornography and taking a close look at their pupil's responses!

Ritch C. Savin-Williams, Director of Developmental Psychology at Cornell University and author of the study, further explained the process to 'Broadly:'

It's basically a study that assesses sexual orientation by looking at the eyes and whether they dilate or not. You can't control your eye dilation. Essentially, that's what the whole project attempts to get at, another way of assessing sexuality without relying on self report. Another way of course is genital arousal, but that gets a little invasive.

The team's results were unexpected!

Women's eyes would dilate when viewing images of a man and woman having sex, or just two women having sex. This was slightly different for lesbians who, like (purportedly heterosexual) men, responded to both sexes, but showed a more prominent preference for women.

Savin-William's also described straight male's responses:

We show straight men a picture of a woman masturbating and they respond just like a straight guy, but then you also show them a guy masturbating and their eyes dilate a little bit. So we're actually able to show physiologically that all guys are not either gay, straight, or bi.

Even among LGBTQ individuals, however, the study has its detractors. Some are skeptical of how effective measuring pupil dilation can be for detecting real sexual attraction.

Though human sexuality is far from completely understood, Savin-Williams is certain a more flexible, spectrum-based understanding of who we're attracted to will make the world a better place:

If you look at women, the self esteem of lesbian women tends to be higher than that of straight women. Maybe they feel like they have more freedom [to be who they really are]. Granted, society may not always like it, but it is your own authentic self.

More from News/lgbtq

Screenshot of Sam Kuffel; Elon Musk
CBS 58/YouTube; Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

TV Meteorologist Ousted From CBS Station After Slamming Musk's Nazi-Like Salute On Instagram

CBS 58 meteorologist Sam Kuffel is "no longer with the station" after she criticized billionaire Elon Musk on her personal Instagram account over a Nazi-like salute he gave—not once but twice—to the crowd at a Trump rally during Monday's inauguration festivities.

Following President Donald Trump's swearing-in, Musk spoke at a rally held at D.C.'s Capital One Arena and said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Ariana Grande
Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Ariana Grande Shares Sweet Childhood Photo After Scoring Her First Oscar Nod For 'Wicked'

Wicked star Ariana Grande wrote a humbling post after being nominated for her first Academy Award for playing the supporting role of Glinda.

Director Jon M. Chu's two-part film adaptation of the Broadway musical based on characters from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz received ten Oscar nods, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Cynthia Erivo for her portrayal of Elphaba.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @joyvideography's TikTok video
@jolvideography/TikTok

Groom In Tears After Hearing 3-Year-Old Daughter's Sweet And Hilarious Message Before Wedding

The TikTok account for JOL Videography shared a touching video of a groom awaiting his bride's grand entrance on his wedding day back in December.

The wedding was beautifully arranged at Hawkstone Hall Hotel & Gardens in Marchamley, England, complete with beautiful white winter flowers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sexyy Red; Bernice King
Prince Williams/WireImage/GettyImages, Nykieria Chaney/Getty Images

Rapper Apologizes For Sharing AI Photo Of Herself With MLK Jr. After Bernice King Calls Her Out

Rapper Sexyy Red formally apologized to the family of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for posting an AI-manipulated photo of her with the late civil rights leader who was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

The 26-year-old "U My Everything" rap artist honored the annual day of MLK Jr.'s remembrance with a digitally rendered image depicting herself with MLK Jr. at a nightclub, clasping hands as they gaze into each other's eyes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @lifenwithmeek's TikTok video
@lifenwithmeek/TikTok

Pastor Sparks Outrage After Forcing Unmarried Woman To Publicly Apologize For Getting Pregnant

A TikTok video of an unmarried young woman being forced to seek forgiveness from congregants for getting pregnant has sparked outrage on social media.

The clip shared by TikToker @lifenwithmeek featured the text overlay that read, "Virginia pastor make young lady apologize to the congregation for being pregnant," and showed the woman being handed a handheld mic.

Keep ReadingShow less