More than half of women are attracted to other women - and it gets more pronounced as they get older

By Daily Mail Reporter


Mary Portas was 49 when she entered into a civil partnership with 37-year-old Grazia journalist Melanie Rickey last year after calling time on her 13 year marriage with husband Graham


Most women are naturally bi-curious when it comes to sex, a new report has discovered. And what's more, it becomes more pronounced the older they get.

In a study carried out by Boise State University found that out of a group of 484 heterosexual women, 60 per cent were sexually attracted to other women; 45 per cent had kissed a woman and 50 per cent had fantasies about the same sex.

Elizabeth Morgan, a professor of psychology at the Idaho-based university, whose studies are focused on same-sex attractions among heterosexuals, said her findings revealed that straight women often feel more than a friendly affection for other women.


Other data suggests upwards of 20 per cent of women are attracted to other women.
It's claimed this could be linked to the natural affection women show towards one another when they socialise, from chatting on the phone for hours to snuggling during chick flicks.

It is said often that women's friendships are barely distinguishable from romantic relationships. 'Women are encouraged to be emotionally close to each other,' said Prof. Morgan.

'That provides an opportunity for intimacy and romantic feelings to develop.'

Contributing to the findings, Lisa Diamond, Ph.D. a psychologist at the University of Utah, followed a group of women attracted to other women over a 15 year period.

Her data shows for the first time how sexuality develops over a lifetime. At each of the half dozen follow-up interviews, she asked each woman to label herself as lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual or unlabelled and share details about her love life.

The findings startled even her. Over time, each woman's chosen labels changed repeatedly, with one noteworthy trend.

Ms Diamond said the older they got, the more likely they were to choose 'unlabelled' which meant the older they got, the more they felt their sexuality didn't fit into tidy boxes.

She said: 'We have this idea that sexuality gets clearer and more defined as time goes on.

'We consider that a sign of maturity to figure out who you are. I've seen it's really the opposite.'

The survey results will certainly ring true with retail guru Mary Portas.

In 2010 the presenter of the BBC’s Mary, Queen of Shops entered a civil partnership with Grazia magazine fashion editor Melanie Rickey, after calling time on her 13-year marriage.

At the time, Portas told the Guardian she could not define whether she felt like a lesbian or a straight woman who had fallen in love with another woman.




source:dailymail