Newly Published Research Discloses Significant Changes in Sexual Identity

Lancaster University-led research discloses that the stated sexual identity of over 6% of UK individuals aged 16 and above experienced change within a span of six years. The research emphasizes the dynamism of sexual identity and underlines the need to consider this changeability when formulating policies and collecting data.

This research, which examined the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study, provides new, thorough understanding of sexual identity fluidity — the altering and persistence of individual’s self-identified sexual orientation — at a national level in the UK.

Of the 22,673 individuals observed twice between 2011–2013 and 2017–2019, a notable minority of 6.6% altered their stated sexual orientation.

The research was conducted by Professor Yang Hu, from Lancaster University, and Assistant Professor Nicole Denier, from the University of Alberta in Canada, and was recently published in the Population Association of America’s leading journal, Demography.

“The concept that sexual identity is changeable is not new, but until now, we have limited understanding about its level of fluidity in the population and how this fluidity differs across various demographic groups,” states lead author Professor Yang Hu.

The study’s major findings show:

• Sexual identity changeability is higher among young individuals aged 16–24 (7.9%) and older adults aged 65 and above (7.4%), compared with those aged 25–64 (5.0–6.2%).
• Men (5.7%) are 10.3% less likely to experience sexual identity changeability than women (6.3%).
• Sexual identity changeability is three times more likely among non-white ethnic minority individuals (15.5%) compared to white people (5.0%).
• Those with lower levels of education are more likely to experience sexual identity changeability.
• Sexual identity changeability is more common among those who self-identified as bisexual, had other sexual identities, and those who preferred not to disclose their identity, compared to those who self-identified as heterosexual, gay or lesbian.

Professor Hu stated, “As our research shows, the sexual minority population is not static and identities and partnership practices may evolve over the course of people’s lives. Policymakers must adjust to the changing characteristics and requirements of this population.”

The research also challenges the belief that sexual identity fluidity diminishes over a person’s lifetime. Instead, it’s equally prevalent among individuals over 65 and young people aged 16–24.

“Older people’s higher mobility rate is largely driven by their increased likelihood of adopting a heterosexual identity and giving up non-disclosure of their sexual identity,” explains Professor Hu.

“Our research provides an understanding of the extent and patterns of sexual identity fluidity in the UK. While we did not delve into the complex reasons for fluidity, our analysis shows that changes in individuals’ sexual identification are closely tied with changes in their partnership status and partner’s sex.”

Individuals entering same-sex relationships are about seven times more likely to alter their sexual identity to indicate they are gay or lesbian compared to those who have not experienced such relationship changes.

The research also contrasted sexual identity fluidity’s prevalence and patterns captured by self-reported sexual identity and a partner’s sex.

Professor Denier explained, “With the 2021 UK Census beginning to gather data on people’s sexual identity, and other countries, including the US, looking to do the same, it’s important to note that different methods have been used to measure sexual identity globally. Our research shows that deducing one’s sexual identity from one’s partner’s sex, which is the type of information available in the 2020 US Census, would greatly underestimate the sexual minority population and sexual identity fluidity compared to measuring it based on individuals’ self-reported identification.”

The findings from this research stress the significance of treating sexual identity as fluid rather than fixed in major data collection initiatives. It also advises governments and practitioners to incorporate this fluidity into their policymaking and work with sexual minority populations.

Reference: “Sexual Orientation Identity Mobility in the United Kingdom: A Research Note” by Yang Hu and Nicole Denier, 1 June 2023, Demography. DOI: 10.1215/00703370-10769825

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Sexual Identity Fluidity

More about Sexual Identity Fluidity

• Demography, the flagship journal of the Population Association of America
• Lancaster University
• University of Alberta
• United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study
• The 2021 UK Census
• The 2020 US Census