Alfred Kinsey found most men are bisexual, contradicting modern assumptions that more women identify as bi.
The episode begins with host Andreas announcing two live podcast events in Vienna on April 24th, featuring zoologist Angela Stöger on animal communication and professor Bettina Fuhrmann on personal finance. The main interview with Julia Shaw explores bisexuality as an identity and social concept. Shaw traces the historical invention of heterosexuality as a norm around 1850 and discusses forced heteronormativity. She details Alfred Kinsey's research from the 1940s-50s, including the Kinsey Scale which found most men are bisexual, contrasting with modern statistics showing more women identify as bi. Shaw explains the Klein Grid, developed by Fritz Klein in the 1970s, which expands on Kinsey with seven factors like behavior, fantasies, and ideal preferences. The conversation covers biological examples, such as zoologists observing bisexual behavior in animals like birds and bonobos, suggesting bisexuality may be adaptive. Shaw addresses discrimination, noting bisexual men face more workplace bias than gay men in studies, and bisexual women experience higher rates of sexual assault. She shares personal anecdotes, like being challenged in a lesbian bar and facing harassment from men. Mental health statistics show bisexual people have higher rates of depression and anxiety, partly due to lack of community. Shaw advocates for visibility, mentioning Bi Visibility Day in September and the importance of coming out. The episode includes an ad for Petra Köstinger's book 'O.H. questions' and ends with host takeaways on bisexuality as the largest sexual minority, the complexity of sexuality, and the consequences of invisibility.
