YouGov Survey: One in Five Lesbians in the UK Unwilling to Date a Bisexual Woman

To mark Bisexual Visibility Day, observed annually on September 23, British polling company YouGov published extensive research examining attitudes across the United Kingdom toward bisexual people in general society and romantic dating. According to the survey by polling firm YouGov , while almost half of Britons hold a positive overall view of bisexual individuals, romantic preferences reveal a stark divide: one in five British lesbians (20%) stated they would be unwilling to date a bisexual woman.

This romantic divide proved even more pronounced among heterosexual respondents. Two-thirds of heterosexual women (66%) said they would be unwilling to date a bisexual man, with only 19% expressing openness to such a relationship. By comparison, 35% of straight men said they would not date a bisexual woman, while a majority (53%) were willing. Notably, even among straight women who described their overall view of bisexual people as “very positive,” 46% said they would not consider a romantic partnership with a bisexual man. Across the British public as a whole, 48% expressed positive feelings toward bisexual people and only 8% negative, with the remainder holding a neutral opinion.

Among gay men, 11% expressed reluctance to date a bisexual man (with 83% willing), whereas bisexual respondents themselves reported minimal dating barriers: only 3% of bi women said they would not date a bisexual woman, and 9% of bi men said they would not date a bi woman. When straight respondents unwilling to date an opposite-sex bisexual person were asked their reasons, 16% of straight women and 19% of straight men termed it “just a personal preference.” Another 17% of women and 16% of men cited fears of infidelity or doubts about satisfying a bisexual partner’s romantic needs. Furthermore, 9% of women cited discomfort or disgust regarding male same-sex sexual experiences alongside fear of STIs, while 10% of men pointed to religious or moral objections. Stereotypical assumptions were also voiced: 3–5% associated bisexuality with polyamory, and 2% claimed they viewed bisexuals as “actually gay.”

The study also documented a substantial generational gap: older respondents across all sexual orientation groups were significantly less willing to date bisexual people compared to young adults aged 18 to 24. The poll, conducted in late March, surveyed 5,983 British adults, encompassing representative samples of heterosexual women and men, gay men, lesbians, and bisexual individuals.

Bisexual Visibility Day has been observed on September 23 since 1999, founded by American activists Wendy Curry, Michael Page, and Gigi Raven Wilbur to raise awareness of bisexual rights and challenge biphobia. Previously, Uránia reported on demographic data showing bisexual people make up the largest share of the adult LGBT population, as well as debates over the scope of LGB advocacy at the UK Conservative Party conference .