Two-Thirds of Straight U.K. Women Unwilling to Date Bisexual Men
A YouGov poll reveals dating stigma -- even among gays and lesbians -- despite mostly positive or neutral views of bisexuals.
Two-thirds of straight women, and one-third of straight men, in the United Kingdom say they’d be unwilling to date a bisexual person of the opposite sex, according to a recent YouGov poll.
The poll surveyed 5,983 Britons in late March, including 2,031 straight women and 1,517 straight men. It found that 48% of respondents viewed bisexual people positively, while 8% viewed them negatively. Most of the rest held neither a positive nor a negative view.
The poll also surveyed 824 gay men, 349 lesbian women, 396 bisexual men, and 866 bisexual women, asking whether they would date a bisexual person of a gender they are attracted to.
Nineteen percent of straight women said they would be willing to date a bisexual man, while 66% said they would not. Among straight men, 53% said they would be willing to date a bisexual woman, while 35% said they would not.
Among bisexual women, 82% said they’d be willing to date a bisexual man, while 10% said they would not. Eighty-nine percent said they’d be willing to date a bisexual woman, while 3% said they would not.
Among bisexual men, 78% said they’d be willing to date a bisexual man, while 15% said they would not. Eighty-five percent said they’d be willing to date a bisexual woman, while 9% said they would not.
Among gay men, 83% said they’d be willing to date a bisexual man, while 11% said they would not. Among lesbian women, 73% said they’d be willing to date a bisexual woman, while 20% said they would not.
Age also figured prominently in the results, with older respondents generally more likely to say they would not date a bisexual person.
Among straight women ages 18 to 34, 47% said they would be unwilling to date a bisexual man — a figure that rises to 77% among those 55 and older.
Among straight men ages 18 to 34, 19% said they’d be unwilling to date a bisexual woman — a figure that rises to 47% among those 55 and older.
Unwillingness to date a bisexual person also increased with age among gay and lesbian respondents, though the difference was smaller among gay men.
The YouGov poll also asked straight respondents who said they were unwilling to date a bisexual person of the opposite sex why they felt that way. Their answers illustrate some of the stigma bisexual people can face.
Many respondents — including 16% of straight women and 19% of straight men — gave vague answers such as “just don’t” or “my preference.”
A similar proportion — 17% of straight women and 16% of straight men — worried that a bisexual partner would be more likely to cheat or that they could not provide what a same-sex partner could. YouGov’s Head of Data Journalism Matthew Smith noted that some respondents who voiced those concerns said they held positive or neutral views of bisexual people.
Thirteen percent of straight women and 12% of straight men said they wanted their partner to be straight. Nine percent of straight women and 2% of straight men expressed discomfort or disgust at the idea that a partner had a same-sex sexual history. Another 9% of straight women and 5% of straight men expressed general discomfort without giving a specific reason.
Eight percent of straight women and 3% of straight men cited health risks or sexually transmitted infections, while 4% of straight women and 10% of straight men raised moral or religious objections to bisexuality.
Smaller numbers believed bisexual people wanted polyamory or open relationships — 3% of straight women and 5% of straight men. One percent of each group viewed bisexual people as more promiscuous, while 2% of each group saw them as “confused, indecisive, or gay.”
Another 2% of straight women and men said dating a bisexual person would be “complicated,” while 1% confused bisexuality with being transgender. Seven percent of straight women and 5% of straight men said they weren’t sure why they would be unwilling to date a bisexual person.
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