June 24, 2026 by Emily Mendelson
To celebrate Pride month this year, we’ve covered recent research related to the LGBTQ+ community, recommended books by, about, and for trans people, and discussed what intimacy might look like beyond amatonormativity. In this post, we’re rounding things out with a discussion of the symbolism of Pride flags, including their importance to psychological wellbeing. The...
See Post
June 18, 2026 by Merissa Prine-Munroe
Pride Month often emphasizes celebration, allyship, and the message that “love is love.” But what counts as love? Which relationships are valued and respected? Do relationships have to be romantic...
LGBTQIA+
June 10, 2026 by Emily Mendelson
Happy Pride Month! Under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, the “T” stands for transgender. Although the term “transgender” is often used to refer to people who transition from one gender to another,...
Books & Films, LGBTQIA+
June 3, 2026 by Merissa Prine-Munroe
To celebrate Pride Month, this week’s blog highlights current statistics surrounding LGBTQIA+ identification and recent research exploring queer joy, belonging, and inclusivity. [1] The prevalence of LGBTQ+ identification has risen...
LGBTQIA+
April 15, 2026 by Emily Mendelson
This year at the SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference, a project that stood out to me was Dr. Mallory Hanfling’s project on “fireflies,” or people who learn about their gender and/or sexuality...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
January 19, 2026 by Merissa Prine-Munroe
Anal sex is often treated as a taboo topic, even for those who engage in it and, at times, amongst healthcare professionals. And this stigma has real consequences. Anal sex...
LGBTQIA+, Safe Sex
July 9, 2025 by Emily Mendelson
Casual sexual encounters between people we are not romantically involved are often referred to as “hookups.” Most of the research on hookups—also known as one-night stands, booty calls, and friends...
Dating & Relationships, LGBTQIA+
June 25, 2025 by Emily Mendelson
As we come to the end of another Pride Month, we’re reflecting on the experiences of LGBTQ individuals in America today. In this post, we’ll take a peek at some...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
June 19, 2025 by Merissa Prine-Munroe
Happy Pride Month! For this week’s blog, we’re going to be focusing on the sexual and romantic experiences of non-binary people. Non-binary people often face unique experiences in their sexual...
Dating & Relationships, LGBTQIA+
March 26, 2025 by Emily Mendelson
Every year, Gallup collects data as a part of the Gallup Poll Social Series. This series includes twelve different topics that researchers conduct interviews on over the course of each...
LGBTQIA+
February 19, 2025 by Emily Mendelson
There is contentious debate about whether it’s okay for straight people to make gay bars into their regular hangouts. We’re not going to wade into that debate in this post,...
LGBTQIA+
November 21, 2024 by Merissa Prine-Munroe
Pornography is a hot topic in sex research, with some of the most common topics studied being frequency of use and the impact of porn use on individuals’ lives and...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
October 24, 2024 by Merissa Prine-Munroe
It is common knowledge that women sometimes fake orgasms with their partners. At the same time, people seem to think that it’s something men don’t do because it is assumed...
Dating & Relationships, Gender, LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
July 10, 2024 by Zoe Moscovici
Today, we’re going to dive in and answer a question that a listener sent in about queer signaling. They asked: “I watched a sitcom the other day (Two and a...
Kink & BDSM, LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
June 19, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
Over 50 years ago, local activist groups in the northeast voted to hold “Christopher Street Liberation Day” demonstrations on the last Saturday in June in order to commemorate the events...
LGBTQIA+
May 22, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
In 2020, The Trevor Project conducted a national survey of over 40,000 LGBTQ youth, in which they found that 10% of respondents identified as asexual or on the ace spectrum....
Books & Films, LGBTQIA+
April 4, 2024 by Zoe Moscovici
In popular retellings of the history of sex research, we tend to hear a lot about figures such as Sigmund Freud, Alfred Kinsey, and William Masters. While their work was...
LGBTQIA+, Psychology
December 13, 2023 by Merissa Prine-Munroe
The holiday season is a time for joy, togetherness, and celebration. It’s a period where families and friends gather to share love and create lasting memories. However, amid the merry...
LGBTQIA+
December 6, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
Since 2001, Gallup has been collecting data every month to assess public opinion on a variety of issues. In order to conduct their Social Series interviews (i.e., their process of...
LGBTQIA+, Psychology
October 26, 2023 by Merissa Prine-Munroe
October 26th is Intersex Awareness Day. In a world that is becoming increasingly inclusive and accepting of various sexual and gender minorities, intersex awareness remains an important, yet often overlooked,...
LGBTQIA+, Myth vs Fact
October 11, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
In 1988, psychologist Dr. Rob Eichberg co-founded the “Coming Out Day” holiday with Jean O’Leary. The original concept behind this holiday is that most people who think they don’t know...
LGBTQIA+
April 12, 2023 by Olivia Adams
You’ve probably heard the term gaydar before, which refers to an intuitive ability to determine whether or not someone is gay based on indirect information, such as speech patterns or...
LGBTQIA+, Psychology
January 25, 2023 by Olivia Adams
The Pew Research Center recently published data covering Americans’ views on gender identity and issues affecting transgender people, with special attention to differences based on age, political affiliation, and other...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
November 2, 2022 by Olivia Adams
“I’m not even sure bisexuality exists. I think it’s just a layover on the way to Gaytown.” “You know, I think it’s great. He’s open to all sexual experiences. He’s...
LGBTQIA+, Psychology
June 15, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s June, and that means it’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month. At this time of year, we often hear a lot about Stonewall and the night of June 27, 1969. The stories...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
May 9, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual fantasy, pornography use, and in-person sexual behavior each tell us something unique about our sexuality, which means we can’t just assume that sexual interests in one context, transcend other...
Interviews, LGBTQIA+, Psychology
March 14, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
I have been studying and writing about sexual orientation and sexual identity for the better part of the last two decades. One of the most interesting things I have seen...
LGBTQIA+
February 28, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Same-sex marriage has been legal throughout the United States since 2015. So what percentage of the LGBT population is currently married now that marriage is no longer restricted based on...
Dating & Relationships, LGBTQIA+
July 5, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
The number of American adults identifying as LGBTQ+ is growing. As I reported earlier this year, LGBTQ+ identification in national polls has increased by about 60% from 2012 to 2020, going...
LGBTQIA+
June 28, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Do the sex lives of men in relationships differ based on their sexual orientation? This question is difficult to answer because there’s not a lot of research out there on...
LGBTQIA+
June 9, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexuality is one of the most misunderstood sexual orientations. So for LGBT Pride Month, let’s take a look at some of the key things scientists have discovered about bisexuality that...
LGBTQIA+
May 19, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of research has examined how men and women respond to proposals for casual sex; however, the bulk of this research has focused on people who are heterosexual. This...
Gender, LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
March 1, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
I’ve been studying and writing about sexual orientation and sexual identity for the better part of the last two decades, and one of the most interesting things I’ve seen in...
LGBTQIA+
November 2, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a powerful impact on people’s sexual and romantic lives. At the Kinsey Institute, we conducted a study to explore how people’s intimate lives have fared...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
May 15, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“I am a straight and happily married man, but lately I have had fantasies about other men. Some of them are just about me and...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
May 8, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Research has found that around 1% of the population is asexual, a term usually defined as either a lack of sexual attraction or a lack of desire for partnered sexual...
LGBTQIA+
May 1, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
I was recently invited to write a book chapter on nonmonogamy in LGBTQ+ relationships, and one of the things I wanted to do in it was compare the prevalence of...
Dating & Relationships, LGBTQIA+
February 28, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about the difference between being bisexual versus being pansexual. There seems to be a lot of confusion about what these terms really...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
June 21, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
What percentage of Americans today identify as LGBT? And does this percentage differ across age groups? Also, how many Americans currently support same-sex marriage? And just how much does support...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
June 19, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexuality continues to be a widely misunderstood sexual orientation. Given that this is LGBT Pride Month, I thought it would be useful to put together an article that explores some...
LGBTQIA+
June 3, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
June is LGBT Pride Month, so I'll be running several posts on LGBTQ+ issues on the blog over the next few weeks. To get us started, let's begin by debunking...
LGBTQIA+, Myth vs Fact
May 13, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
What does it say about you if you’re into kinky or BDSM sex? Is it a serious leisure activity, or is it an innate aspect of your sexuality? Could the...
Kink & BDSM, LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
May 6, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The percentage of Americans who identify as LGBT is on the rise. Data from Gallup and other national surveys suggest that, as attitudes toward sexual minorities have become more positive,...
LGBTQIA+
April 8, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I have written quite a bit about similarities and differences in the sexual fantasies of self-identified men and women (see here for a summary). Of course, however, not everyone identifies...
LGBTQIA+
April 1, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The idea that gay parents are more likely to have gay children has long been thought to be a myth among sexual orientation researchers. For example, a review of the...
LGBTQIA+
March 15, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
From an evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense that males of a given species tend to be attracted to females and vice versa because this will encourage frequent reproduction and survival...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
February 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornhub’s annual year-in-review always offers tantalizing insights into what it is that turns people on—and last year’s review was no exception. I recently wrote about some of the top search...
LGBTQIA+
February 22, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I spend a lot of time reading scientific journal articles as part of my job and, every now and then, I come across a paper that makes me say “WTF?”...
LGBTQIA+
January 11, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual orientation is something that many people consider to be an innate characteristic—it’s something you’re born with. This idea is popular within the LGBTQ community, and it’s something that has...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
November 23, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I surveyed more than 4,000 Americans about their sexual fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want and I found that group sex was one of the most common...
Gender, LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
October 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people are cisgender, meaning that their gender identity corresponds with their birth sex; however, some people are transgender, meaning their gender identity and birth sex are different. Increasingly, scientists...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
August 22, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual orientation is all too commonly viewed as an either/or proposition, meaning you’re either gay or you’re straight, and nothing in between. This view is widely held, even by many...
LGBTQIA+
June 13, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexuality continues to be a widely misunderstood sexual orientation. Given that this is LGBT Pride Month, I thought it would be useful to put together an article that explores some...
LGBTQIA+
June 8, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic change in support for same-sex marriage in the United States. Consider this: in 2007, the Pew Research Center conducted a national...
LGBTQIA+
June 1, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
In recognition of June being LGBT Pride Month, I'll be running several LGBT-themed posts on the blog over the next few weeks. To start us off, let's debunk some of...
LGBTQIA+
May 30, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What percentage of the population is gay or bisexual? This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer because depending on the definition of sexual orientation you use—sexual identity, sexual attraction,...
LGBTQIA+
May 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The Netherlands is often seen as a utopia for people who are attracted to the same sex—and this view is perfectly understandable when you look at how homosexuality has historically...
LGBTQIA+
April 30, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual minority individuals—that is, people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, or who otherwise report same-sex attraction or behavior—are at increased risk for developing a number of physical health...
LGBTQIA+
April 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
In an episode of the classic television series Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw discovers that a guy she's seeing has dated both men and women. Uncomfortable with the thought...
LGBTQIA+
March 26, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
People tend to think about sexual orientation in terms of a small number of distinct categories—most commonly, straight, bisexual, and gay. Those who subscribe to this view expect that everyone...
LGBTQIA+
January 19, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
How many people are lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB)? For one answer, check out the infographic below, which summarizes recent data from Britain's National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles....
LGBTQIA+
November 24, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex scientists have a lot of tools to choose from when it comes to measuring people’s sexual orientation. However, every tool poses a unique set of challenges.The most straightforward way...
LGBTQIA+
November 15, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Psychologists have long known that gays and lesbians have an elevated risk of depression and anxiety compared to heterosexual individuals. This health disparity is thought to be due in large...
LGBTQIA+
September 15, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
A new paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggesting that computers have better “gaydar” than humans made quite a media splash this week. Specifically,...
LGBTQIA+, Psychology
August 9, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Where does our sexual orientation come from? That's a question that we don't yet fully understand. However, a growing body of research suggests that it may be determined, at least...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
July 12, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexual people, both male and female, tend to be stereotyped negatively. For example, they are often seen as sexually confused, secretly gay, highly promiscuous, and incapable of monogamy. These negative...
LGBTQIA+
July 5, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic change in support for same-sex marriage in the United States. Consider this: in 2007, the Pew Research Center conducted a national...
LGBTQIA+
July 3, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Research has found that there’s a lot of variability when it comes to what people define as “sex.” Perhaps not surprisingly, this means there’s a lot of variability when it...
LGBTQIA+
June 26, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex scientists have become increasingly interested in the topic of asexuality in the last few years. For example, they’ve published studies on everything from the genital arousal patterns of asexual...
LGBTQIA+
June 14, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Since becoming an adult, how many Americans have ever had a sexual experience with someone of the same sex? And how has this number changed over time? According to a...
LGBTQIA+
June 9, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
How many people in the United States identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT)? A large, nationally representative survey conducted by Gallup last year put the overall number at...
LGBTQIA+
June 9, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
What percentage of the United States population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT)? A large, nationally representative survey conducted by Gallup in 2017 put the overall number at...
LGBTQIA+
June 2, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
In recognition of June being LGBT Pride Month, I'll be running several LGBT-themed posts on the blog in the coming weeks. Let's kick things off today by debunking some of...
LGBTQIA+
May 8, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Alcohol has the power to change not only the way we see ourselves, but also the way we see other people. Indeed, research has found that when we drink, we...
LGBTQIA+
April 5, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people assume that men only watch porn that is consistent with their sexual identity—in other words, that straight guys only watch straight porn, while gay guys only...
LGBTQIA+
March 20, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Both men and women report a wide range of reasons for having sex. In fact, one previous study identified as many as 237 distinct sexual motivations! But how do our...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
March 8, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Several studies have found that when laws permitting same-sex marriage are passed, the health outcomes of sexual minorities in the local area seem to improve. This holds true for indicators...
LGBTQIA+
February 27, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Much has been said and written about the "orgasm gap," or the idea that men tend to have far more consistent experiences with orgasm than women. However, the vast majority...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
February 15, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Several studies have found that men and women have different age preferences when it comes to selecting romantic and sexual partners. Generally speaking, it appears that men tend to prefer...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
December 7, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Researchers and public polling firms alike have extensively surveyed Americans about their attitudes toward gays and lesbians in recent years. The results of their work have shown that attitudes toward...
LGBTQIA+
November 24, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Several studies have found that men and women have different age preferences when it comes to selecting romantic and sexual partners, with men preferring partners who are somewhat younger and...
Dating & Relationships, Gender, LGBTQIA+
October 21, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people seem to believe that homosexuality is contagious--that it can spread from one person to the next through simple social contact. For example, Pat Robertson of the...
LGBTQIA+
October 5, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Many people think about sexual orientation in terms of just three distinct categories: straight, bisexual, and gay. Those who subscribe to this view usually don’t allow for anything in between—they...
LGBTQIA+
September 21, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
On one episode of the popular television series Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw discovers that the guy she's currently seeing had dated both men and women in the past....
LGBTQIA+
September 16, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
The intuitive ability to determine whether or not someone is gay is known colloquially as “gaydar.” When people use their gaydar, they attempt to make inferences about someone else’s sexual...
LGBTQIA+
September 7, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
In a forthcoming issue of the Archives of Sexual Behavior, a special section will be devoted to articles that address “the puzzle of sexual orientation.” I’ve been able to read...
LGBTQIA+
August 29, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Earlier this year, a study published in the Journal of Sex Research reported that gay men, on average, tend to be shorter than their heterosexual counterparts (click here to read...
LGBTQIA+
July 27, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
At last week’s Republican National Convention (RNC) in Cleveland, reports are that a lot of sex was going on behind the scenes—a lot of gay sex to be precise. For...
LGBTQIA+
July 27, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
If you follow the news closely, you've probably noticed that, month after month, reports emerge about politically or religiously conservative men who find themselves embroiled in scandals in which they...
LGBTQIA+
July 8, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“Is it true that gay men have bigger penises than straight men?”While some research suggests that there might indeed be some truth to this idea,...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
June 10, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Despite all of the social progress made by sexual minorities in recent years, numerous stereotypes and misconceptions about sexual orientation persist. Below, I correct ten of the most common false...
LGBTQIA+
June 8, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
The targets of anti-gay prejudice and discrimination tend to experience worse health outcomes. Not only does the stress of victimization put wear and tear on the body, but victims of...
LGBTQIA+
June 6, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Each year that he has been in office, U.S. President Barack Obama has issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring June to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month (see...
LGBTQIA+
April 24, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
How do guys feel about their own bodies? And does a man's body image have any implications for his sex life? A new study published in the journal Psychology of...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
April 15, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual contact between members of the same sex has been documented in numerous animal species. Several scientific explanations for this phenomenon have been proposed over the years, many of which...
LGBTQIA+
March 13, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
In the last few years, LGBT rights have advanced greatly in America; however, most of the benefits have gone to the Ls, Gs, and Bs. Far fewer have gone to...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
February 18, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
In recent years, scientists have found that sexual orientation is related to a wide range of physical features. Among other things, studies have reported that sexual orientation is linked to...
LGBTQIA+
January 20, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Results from a new national survey reveal stark generational differences in sexual identity, attraction, and behavior in the United States today. Specifically, millennial men and women appear to be almost...
LGBTQIA+
January 14, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
If I were to tell you that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons are often excluded from scientific studies of romantic relationships, I doubt you would be surprised. However, the...
Dating & Relationships, LGBTQIA+
January 13, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
A small percentage of the population is asexual. This term is often defined as either a lack of sexual attraction or a lack of desire for partnered sexual activity. Asexuality...
LGBTQIA+
January 7, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Many women find man-on-man pornography to be sexually arousing. In fact, gay male porn is the second most popular category among female visitors on some of the most popular porn...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
January 7, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
There are a lot of women out there who find man-on-man pornography to be highly arousing. As some evidence of this, one of the biggest porn websites in the world,...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
December 31, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexuality is a widely misunderstood sexual orientation that is the target of numerous myths and stereotypes. In light of this, I thought it would be useful to put together an...
LGBTQIA+
December 7, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
The United States has made great strides toward equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans over the past 15 years. For example, same-sex marriage is now legal nationwide,...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
November 4, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Evolutionary psychologists argue that men and women have evolved different jealousy patterns. They claim that men are more worried about their partners becoming sexually unfaithful, while women are more concerned...
LGBTQIA+
November 3, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“I'm a married guy in my mid-40s. I'm happily married and travel a lot for work. Since my teens I've been an avid masturbator. I...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
October 17, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Open relationships are widely believed to be more common in the gay community than they are in the rest of the population—and scientific research seems to back this up. For...
LGBTQIA+
August 3, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“How common is it for straight guys to experiment with other guys?”Good question! Although there is a common tendency to think that anyone can be...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
July 23, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
People and governments across the globe have been working to legalize same-sex marriage for the last 15 years. At first, the rate of legalization was best described as a slow...
LGBTQIA+
July 22, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“Is it normal to not know your sexual orientation?”This is a really interesting question, so thanks for asking it! I’m going to assume that by...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
June 3, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Each year that he has been in office, U.S. President Barack Obama has issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring June to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month (see...
LGBTQIA+
June 3, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
In the last few weeks, Caitlyn Jenner has become the public face of transgenderism around the world. Jenner's courageous decision to undergo her transition in the public eye has undoubtedly...
LGBTQIA+
April 24, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Many parents believe that homosexuality is contagious, being transmitted through social contact. In fact, some of them endeavor to keep their children away from gay and lesbian peers out of...
LGBTQIA+
April 17, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexual persons are frequently stereotyped as being sexually confused, secretly gay, highly promiscuous, and incapable of maintaining a monogamous relationship. These negative views of bisexuals are held by many heterosexuals,...
LGBTQIA+
March 20, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“Is there any truth to the concept of lesbian bed death, or is this just an urban legend?”Thanks for this great question. “Lesbian bed death”...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
January 31, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Asexuality is a sexual orientation that is often characterized as a lack of sexual attraction. Research suggests that up to 1% of the population may be asexual and, further, that...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
October 31, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexuality is a controversial sexual orientation among both scientists and laypersons alike. Indeed, there is a popular stereotype that bisexuality “is just a layover on the way to gaytown” (if...
LGBTQIA+
September 19, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there about sexual orientation concerning everything from the origin of homosexuality to the sexual behaviors of gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals....
LGBTQIA+
September 12, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the past 30 years, much has been said and written about “lesbian bed death,” or the idea that long-term romantic relationships between women tend to be characterized by rather...
LGBTQIA+
September 11, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a heterosexually-identified male reader who wanted to know the following:“How common...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
August 29, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
The orgasm gap (which refers to the idea that men have more consistent experiences with orgasm than women) has been widely publicized. To date, however, research on this topic has...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
August 13, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the most common questions I receive about sexual orientation concerns the percentage of the population that is gay, lesbian, or bisexual. People seem to have wildly different ideas...
LGBTQIA+
July 31, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know more about the topic of...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
April 25, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
A new porn film entitled Viral Loads has earned quite a bit of attention for its graphic depictions of guys who are eager to give and receive HIV through man-on-man...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
March 31, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Historically and even today, many religious groups and organizations have promoted the view that any sexual activity outside the context of heterosexual marriage is immoral and harmful. One of the...
LGBTQIA+
March 7, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know the following:For female-to-male transsexual individuals,...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
March 5, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
There are currently more than two dozen legal challenges to gaymarriage bans working their way through the U.S. court system. In several of those cases, state attorneys have refused to...
LGBTQIA+
February 26, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Several studies have found that people who are frequent victims of anti-gay prejudice and discrimination report worse health. Not only does the stress of victimization put wear and tear on...
LGBTQIA+
February 24, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the last decade, the concept of sexual fluidity has drawn great attention from both scientists and the general public alike. In case you aren’t familiar with it, the basic...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
January 17, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
In a recent media interview, Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to reassure the world that gay and lesbian visitors should not be afraid of attending this year's Olympics in Sochi....
LGBTQIA+
January 1, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to lesbian sex, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions. On the one hand, many people think lesbians are constantly “scissoring,” and on the other hand,...
LGBTQIA+
September 6, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Hate crimes are an all too common reality in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) community. There have been countless instances in recent years in which GLBT persons have...
LGBTQIA+
September 6, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know whether a guy can still...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
August 7, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the past two decades, psychologists have devoted significant research attention to understanding the origin and nature of prejudice against gays and lesbians. At the same time, prejudice against bisexuals...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
July 3, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Most research on men's sexual behaviors describes guys as either men who have sex with women (MSW) or men who have sex with men (MSM). Rather than treating bisexual men...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
June 14, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know more about asexuals, or persons...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
June 7, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Gallup recently conducted their annual Values and Beliefs survey and discovered that Americans’ views on sexual morality have shifted significantly in the last dozen years, with particularly notable changes in...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
May 15, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Same-sex behavior has long been a conundrum for evolutionary psychologists. From an evolutionary standpoint, a trait cannot evolve unless it is linked to reproductive success (i.e., it has to help...
LGBTQIA+
May 10, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know whether it is common for...
LGBTQIA+
April 29, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Many psychologists believe that jealousy has evolutionary roots. The theory is that heterosexual men evolved a tendency to worry about their partner being sexually unfaithful because they want to avoid...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
April 22, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
How many people in the United States identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT)? A recent Gallup poll that received a lot of media attention put the overall number...
LGBTQIA+
March 18, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Relationship scientists have known for decades that married people are healthier and live longer lives than their single counterparts.1 However, virtually all of the research conducted to date has focused...
LGBTQIA+
December 26, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Earlier this year, a study was released suggesting that children are better off when raised by heterosexual couples than by same-sex couples [1]. That study received widespread media attention, despite...
LGBTQIA+, Media & Culture
November 21, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Gaydar refers to the ability to categorize people as gay or straight on the basis of indirect information (e.g., a person’s speech patterns or movement). Gaydar is used by people...
LGBTQIA+
September 28, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
There are countless myths and stereotypes about gays and lesbians spanning everything from their mannerisms to their sex lives to the nature of their relationships. In this article, I will...
LGBTQIA+, Myth vs Fact
September 12, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
There are several common stereotypes about the sex lives of gay men. One of the most prevalent is that anal sex is the primary (if not only) sexual activity that...
LGBTQIA+, Myth vs Fact
August 13, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
According to classic psychological learning theory, having a higher drive increases the probability of engaging in dominant (i.e., well-learned) behaviors; at the same time, the likelihood of engaging in non-dominant...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
August 6, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Scientists who want to study what people find sexually arousing usually face a few major challenges. For one thing, simply asking people how aroused they feel in response to a...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
July 30, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
I recently posted an article in which I concluded that “while it is indeed possible for both men and women to be bisexual, evidence from a variety of sources suggests...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
July 18, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Researchers have known for years that parenthood has some predictable effects on heterosexual couples. Specifically, relationship satisfaction typically decreases [1] and sexual activity usually drops off markedly once kids enter...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
June 13, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every time a new study comes out comparing the outcomes of children raised by same-sex and heterosexual couples, it garners a huge amount of media attention. It doesn’t matter what...
LGBTQIA+, Media & Culture
May 14, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Everyone was talking about same-sex marriage last week. First, voters in North Carolina approved a constitutional amendment banning legal recognition of same-sex relationships. Just a day later, even bigger news...
LGBTQIA+
May 4, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer sex questions submitted to me by actual college students. This week, we’re talking about bisexuality. Many students have asked me whether it is...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
April 20, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer sex questions submitted to me by actual college students. This week’s question hits on a topic many people are curious about: the origin...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
April 9, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
The idea that homophobia stems from fears of one’s own homosexuality has received a lot of public validation in recent years. From evangelical preacher Ted Haggard to former U.S. Senator...
LGBTQIA+
January 27, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
There is a large amount of research showing that commitment to a romantic partner depends upon how many investments have been put into that relationship [1]. Investments is very broad...
Dating & Relationships, LGBTQIA+
January 16, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every semester, students in my Human Sexuality course ask me what percentage of the population is gay or lesbian. Before answering this question, I usually give the class an opportunity...
LGBTQIA+
January 2, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
“I’m not even sure bisexuality exists. I think it’s just a layover on the way to gaytown.”– Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City)Many of you are probably familiar with the...
LGBTQIA+, Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed
December 27, 2011 by Justin Lehmiller
Researchers have known for years that marriage seems to give straight men a long-term health boost. For example, just consider that unmarried heterosexual men have a 250% greater mortality risk...
LGBTQIA+
