Kinsey and Beyond: Past, Present, and Future Considerations for Research on Male Bisexuality

Abstract

Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey and his colleagues left behind a legacy of work that has served as a foundation for scholars worldwide as they explore human sexual behavior, including bisexuality. To truly reflect on the extent to which Kinsey's work has influenced researchers' conceptualizations of male bisexuality, and considers past, current, and future directions for work in this area, this article reflects lessons learned through conversations with one of the original members of Kinsey's team, Dr. Paul Gebhard. These dialogues provided his perspectives on our contemporary treatment of bisexuality in research and the extent to which it has (not) taken full advantage of the frameworks provided by Kinsey's original work. The insights gained through these interactions, combined with a review of some of the past and current work on male bisexuality, offer valuable reference points for future research efforts.

Keywords:

• Bisexuality
• Alfred Kinsey
• sexual behavior
• male sexuality
• sex research

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to express their deepest gratitude to Elizabeth Mooney, D. Arts, and Patricia Stowers, M.S., of Indiana University, for establishing the connections necessary for the production of this manuscript. We also appreciate the insight and expertise of Joseph Stokes, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, in assisting with the “Gay, Straight, or Lying?” subsection. Last, of course, this work would not have been possible without the pioneering research of Alfred C. Kinsey, Ph.D., to whom we dedicate this article.