Abstract
The model of sexual orientation that dominates today suggests that we are all born either an apple or an orange and so we will remain. However, it is increasingly clear that this does not fit the realities of many women. Grounded in a feminist sociological perspective, this book explores the phenomenon of sexual fluidity (i.e., changes in sexual identity) among young women from the Millennial birth cohort. Drawing from a new, socio-genic model of sexual identity, I analyze longitudinal data to examine the patterns, predictors, and outcomes of sexual fluidity among Millennial women. I find that the sexual identities of young women are less binary and more fluid than ever before. However, women’s opportunities to adopt a queer identity remain constrained by their social contexts. In addition, the direction of women’s sexual identity trajectories can have meaningful implications for their safety and wellbeing. My findings suggest a paradox. On the one hand, young women are increasingly rejecting compulsory heterosexuality. On the other hand, there is clear evidence that heteropatriarchy continues to exert an insidious influence on young women’s lives.
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Notes
- 1.
A key limitation of current definitions of sexual orientation is the implicit assumption that gender and sex are binary and aligned, but this is not always the case (van Anders, 2015).
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This work was supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course (CE140100027 and CE200100025).
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Campbell, A. (2022). The Compass. In: Sexual Fluidity Among Millennial Women. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13650-4_1
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