, a biologist, invented a seven-point-scale used to rate a person's orientation from 0, or completely heterosexual, to 6, or completely homosexual. This algorithm here shows where our many tropes relating to sexuality would fall on the scale.
- 0 — Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?, The Casanova and all associated womanizer tropes (The distaff counterparts start about here, but are much more likely to be bi than the male versions).
- 1 — If It's You, It's Okay, Even the Guys Want Him, Even the Girls Want Her, Stupid Sexy Flanders, lead characters in a Slash Fic can be no lower than a 1.
- 2 — But Not Too Bi. Some Depraved Bisexuals, applying Ho Yay or Les Yay subtext to a character who is heterosexual in the show's maintext can do this as well.
- 3 — Extreme Omnisexual, Everyone Is Bi, most Depraved Bisexual characters.
- 4 — But Not Too Bi. Depraved Bisexual can be here. The Vamp, Femme Fatale, and Good Bad Girl are typically no higher than a 4.
- 5 — If It's You, It's Okay, and Stupid Sexy Flanders applied to a normally-gay character.
- 6 — Queer as Tropes, lead characters in a Slash Fic will be here if No Bisexuals is in effect.
Note that the above list, especially when viewed under the assumption of Everybody Has Lots of Sex, makes people sound a lot hornier than they really are. It was for this reason that Kinsey later added an 8th category:
Another scale, a bit more detailed in explanation, works on percentages and ratios. It was not invented by Kinsey, but it is still applicable. Note that this scale applies only to the hetero/homo dichotomy, does not include Asexuals, and is referring to preferences and perceived sex, rather than self-identified gender. For instance, a non-binary (person with a gender neither male nor female) who presents as female is female under this scale, while if they presented as male instead, ze would be considered male. (Both the Kinsey scale and the percentage-based scale may be outdated, as this study
showed that trans and non-binary people do not always feel as though the Kinsey scale is a valid measure of their sexuality. However, other frameworks have popped up since that can account better for other genders.)
100/0: A purely heterosexual person who is incapable of noticing attractiveness in their own sex, or even actively dislikes/considers them repellent. These people are extremely rare, though they do exist. There are more straights who claim this than those telling the truth. After all, you'd be a pretty crappy "alpha male" if you're unable to tell whether or not another man would be a threat to your harem.
90/10: A purely heterosexual person who is capable of recognizing attractiveness in their own sex, though only in the aesthetic sense.
80/20: A purely heterosexual person who recognizes attractiveness in their own sex in more than the aesthetic sense, but is not personally attracted to them.
70/30: A bisexual person who may identify as heterosexual and who recognizes attractiveness in their own sex, aesthetically and otherwise, and may even be attracted to members of their own sex, but strongly prefers the opposite sex.
60/40: A bisexual person who recognizes and acknowledges attractiveness in both sexes, and is attracted to both, but has a slight preference towards the opposite sex.
50/50: A bisexual person who finds both sexes equally attractive. See also Everyone Is Bi.
40/60: A bisexual person who recognizes and acknowledges attractiveness in both sexes, and is attracted to both, but has a slight preference towards the same sex.
30/70: A bisexual person who may identify as homosexual and who recognizes attractiveness in the opposite sex, aesthetically and otherwise, and may even be attracted to members of the opposite sex, but strongly prefers their own sex.
20/80: A purely homosexual person who recognizes attractiveness in the opposite sex in more than the aesthetic sense, but is not personally attracted to them.
10/90: A purely homosexual person who is capable of recognizing attractiveness in the opposite sex, though purely in the aesthetic sense.
0/100: A purely homosexual person who is incapable of noticing attractiveness in the opposite sex, or even actively dislikes/considers them repellent. These people are extremely rare, though they do exist. See also Het Is Ew.
