Sexual Fluidity: Changing Attraction, Identity, and Orientation

For example, someone may:

• become attracted to a gender they were not previously attracted to;
• experience stronger or weaker attraction during different periods;
• use a new sexual-orientation label;
• feel attraction toward one particular person outside their usual pattern;
• remain broadly bisexual or queer while their attraction shifts in emphasis.

Simple examples include:

• Her sexual fluidity became noticeable when her attractions changed.
• Sexual fluidity may involve behavior, identity, attraction, or all three.
• A person can experience sexual fluidity without choosing it.
• Sexual fluidity does not mean attraction to everyone.
• Not every person experiences sexual fluidity.

• sexual — relating here to sexual attraction, desire, identity, or behavior;
• fluidity — the quality of changing, moving, or not remaining completely fixed.

Common expressions include:

• experience sexual fluidity;
• research on sexual fluidity;
• a pattern of sexual fluidity;
• recognize sexual fluidity;
• describe sexuality as fluid.

Examples include:

• The study examined sexual fluidity across adulthood.
• Her sexual fluidity affected the label she used.
• Sexuality may be stable for some people and fluid for others.

The adjective phrase sexually fluid describes a person or pattern:

• They describe themselves as sexually fluid.

Sexual fluidity describes possible variation within or across those patterns.

A person may:

• keep the same orientation label while attraction changes;
• adopt a different label after gaining greater self-understanding;
• avoid labels entirely;
• experience one unusual attraction without changing identity.

For example, a bisexual person may consistently identify as bisexual even when attraction toward different genders becomes stronger or weaker at different times.

A person who is abrosexual may experience periods that feel:

• bisexual;
• heterosexual;
• gay or lesbian;
• asexual;
• pansexual;
• connected with another orientation.

Sexual fluidity is the broader concept. Abrosexuality is a specific identity label used by some people whose changing attraction is central to their orientation.

Bisexuality generally describes attraction to more than one gender.

Sexual fluidity describes change or variation in attraction over time.

A bisexual person may have stable attraction to multiple genders, fluid attraction, or both. A sexually fluid person may use bisexual, queer, pansexual, heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or no orientation label.

A person may experience:

• fluid sexual attraction with stable romantic attraction;
• fluid romantic attraction with stable sexual attraction;
• changes in both;
• little or no attraction of either type.

For example, someone may remain biromantic while their sexual attraction becomes more variable.

Distinguishing sexual and romantic attraction can help some people describe their experiences more accurately.

A person may:

• feel attraction without acting on it;
• engage in sexual behavior without adopting a new identity;
• use an identity label that describes their overall pattern rather than every experience;
• change labels even when behavior remains unchanged.

One relationship or sexual experience does not automatically redefine someone’s orientation. The person’s own understanding should guide identity language.

People may choose:

• whether to pursue an attraction;
• whether to enter a relationship;
• which label to use;
• whom to tell;
• how to express sexuality.

They do not necessarily choose the attractions themselves.

Sexual fluidity should never be used to support attempts to force someone to become heterosexual, gay, bisexual, or another orientation.

• adolescence;
• adulthood;
• a significant relationship;
• identity exploration;
• changes in social environment;
• greater personal safety;
• increased knowledge of orientation labels.

A person’s earlier identity was not necessarily false because a later label becomes more accurate.

People often describe themselves using the language that best matches their current understanding.

Partners may need to discuss:

• changing attraction;
• orientation labels;
• relationship expectations;
• monogamy or non-monogamy;
• jealousy or insecurity;
• sexual boundaries;
• privacy and disclosure.

Fluid attraction does not automatically mean that someone will be unfaithful or unable to commit.

Attraction to additional genders does not remove responsibility for existing relationship agreements.

A sexually fluid person may still:

• choose or reject any partner;
• set specific boundaries;
• remain monogamous;
• choose abstinence;
• withdraw consent;
• keep their orientation private.

No one should pressure a person to “prove” sexual fluidity by having sex with people of different genders.

Consent remains voluntary, specific, informed, continuing, and reversible.

Sexual fluidity is a deliberate choice.
Attraction may change naturally, but it is not usually controlled at will.

One unexpected attraction proves a new orientation.
The individual decides whether that experience changes their identity label.

Sexually fluid people cannot be faithful.
Fluid attraction does not determine commitment or behavior.

Sexual fluidity means attraction to everyone.
Fluidity describes change, not universal attraction.

A previous identity was fake.
Earlier and later identities may both be sincere and accurate at different times.

1. Sexual fluidity describes changes or variations in sexual attraction over time.
2. Sexual fluidity may affect attraction, behavior, identity labels, or all three.
3. Sexual fluidity does not mean that orientation can be changed through pressure.
4. Sexual fluidity may occur while a person keeps the same orientation label.
5. Sexual fluidity is broader than the specific identity called abrosexuality.
6. Sexual fluidity does not make someone attracted to every gender or person.
7. Sexual fluidity does not prevent commitment, monogamy, or clear boundaries.
8. Sexual fluidity should be understood through the individual’s own experience and language.

It does not mean that orientation is imaginary, voluntary, or easily altered by outside pressure. A person may experience fluidity while maintaining a stable identity, committed relationship, or consistent personal values.

Accurate sexuality education recognizes both stable and fluid patterns of attraction. It supports self-identification, privacy, honest relationship communication, freedom from coercive orientation-change efforts, and clear consent.