In a recent survey of LGBTQ people, researchers discovered that bisexual men, followed by bisexual women, are the least likely to come out.
Triple J, a youth-focused brand of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, conducted the “What’s Up In Your World” survey, which focused on 11,000 Australians age 18-29.
Women beat men overall in coming out, with 86% of lesbian women coming out, versus 83% of men. Amongst bisexuals, however, those number from to 48% and 40% respectively.
One study participant, identified only as “Sam,” is amongst the 60% of bisexual men who hasn’t come out.
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“In the media, bisexuality is portrayed in women as quite a cool thing… but I think for men it detracts from their masculinity,” Sam told Triple J Hack.
“I think that if you’re a guy who is interested in other guys that somehow makes you less of your gender. It’s really stupid when you start to fathom it,” he continued.
Julia Taylor of the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society has a theory of her own.
“If gay and lesbian people come out and things don’t go so well for them… they do have a big vocal community to find support and that’s something bisexual people don’t have,” said Taylor.”
Approximately 47% of young LGBTQ people have not come out at all, while young women are twice as likely as young men to identify as LGBTQ
The study also covered a lot of non-LGBTQ focused issues, finding that participants were also hardworking, drinking less, and worried about the future of the planet.
