Combating Bisexual Erasure: The Correspondence of Implicit and Explicit Sexual Identity

Abstract

Both straight (i.e., heterosexual) and gay/lesbian individuals still question and erase bisexual identities. Skeptics contend that people adopt bisexual identities for strategic motivations, such as avoiding the stigma associated with identifying as gay, or for attention-seeking purposes. Across two studies, self-identified gay ( N = 168), straight ( N = 237), and bisexual ( N = 231) participants completed a sexual identity Implicit Association Test, a measure that can provide insight into automatic associations and lessen the influence of impression management strategies. All three groups displayed implicit sexual identities that were consistent with their self-ascribed identities. Gay men and lesbians implicitly identified as more gay and less bisexual than bisexual men and women, who in turn identified as less straight and more bisexual than straight men and women. These findings show that self-reported sexual identities converge with implicit identities and have implications for understanding the psychology of sexual orientation.