The New Genetic Evidence on Same-Gender Sexuality: Implications for Sexual Fluidity and Multiple Forms of Sexual Diversity
Abstract
In September of 2019, the largest-ever (N = 477,522) genome-wide-association study of same-gender sexuality was published in Science . The primary finding was that multiple genes are significantly associated with ever engaging in same-gender sexual behavior, accounting for between 8-25% of variance in this outcome. Yet an additional finding of this study, which received less attention, has more potential to transform our current understanding of same-gender sexuality: Specifically, the genes associated with ever engaging in same-gender sexual behavior differed from the genes associated with one's relative proportion of same-gender to other-gender behavior. I review recent research on sexual orientation and sexual fluidity to illustrate how these findings speak to longstanding questions regarding distinctions among subtypes of same-gender sexuality (such as mostly-heterosexuality, bisexuality, and exclusive same-gender experience). I conclude by outlining directions for future research on the multiple causes and correlates of same-gender expression.
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Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior
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Self-citationFixed or Fluid? Sexual Identity Fluidity in a Large National Panel Study of New Zealand Adults
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- Authors
- Diamond, L. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Utah (US)
- Corresponding author
- Diamond, Lisa M.
- ORCID
- Diamond, Lisa M.
- Venue
- The Journal of Sex Research
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2021-02-23
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 818-837
- ISSN
- 0022-4499 (ISSN-L)
- 1559-8519
- OpenAlex
- W3132672919
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 3
- FWCI
- 1.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Sex Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
- Keywords
- sexual orientation, sexual fluidity, sexual diversity, genome-wide association study, genetic susceptibility, bisexual identity, sexual behavior
- MeSH terms
- Bisexuality, Female, Gender Identity, Humans, Male, Sexual Behavior, Sexuality, Heterosexuality
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