Researchers Say Breakups Might Make Some People More Open to Exploring Their Sexuality

Romantic breakups — especially those involving long-term relationships — can be seismically life-altering. They may lead some people to reconsider their priorities, their lifestyle, and even their sexual orientation, according to new data. In a new study published in The Journal of Sex Research , researchers from Kansas State University have found a possible correlation for some groups of people between significant romantic breakups and subsequent feelings of fluidity about their sexual orientation. “An individual may be motivated to question facets of their identities and explore newfound feelings and emotions in a way in which they were unable to during the relationship,” researchers write. Putting longstanding sociological theories on romantic breakups and identity formation to the test, the researchers surveyed a sample of nearly 500 people, with cisgender men accounting for 47.7% of the group, cisgender women accounting for 47.5%, and genderqueer people accounting for 2.9%. Additionally, the group consisted of 71.2% white people, 18.4% Black people, 7% Asian people, and 2.4% identifying as other races. Asked about sexual orientation prior to their breakups, 71.4% identified as heterosexual, 17.1% identified as bisexual, and 11.1% identified as lesbian, gay, or queer (referred to as LGQ in the study). The participants were surveyed on several scaling questions measuring the material impact of their romantic relationship ending, such as their living situation or emotional state); feelings of uncertainty around their sexual orientation uncertainty; and sexual ambiguity. Specifically, participants were asked to respond to the statement: “My views about my sexual orientation change rapidly or unpredictably.” Higher psychological transition impact caused by a breakup, the researchers found, was “significantly linked” with higher sexual ambiguity. Additionally, the findings showed that for certain groups — like genderfluid people and bisexuals — there appeared to be a heightened correlation between significant breakups and sexual orientation ambiguity in the two-year period after the relationship ended, which researchers say point toward possible sexual orientation shifts. For example, genderfluid people were more likely than cisgender men to report feelings of sexual orientation ambiguity following significant breakups. The differences also varied across race, as Black people surveyed were more likely to report sexual orientation ambiguity after a split than white respondents. Researchers do note that while they have identified a possible correlation between breakups and sexual orientation shifts for some groups, there is more research to be done about the possible causes. They also noted the limitations of this study, as the group survey was largely focused on white and cisgender people who identified as straight. Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for Them ’s newsletters .