(OPINION) In a provocative new claim that’s stirring up debate, a scientist suggests that most humans fall somewhere in the “bisexual range” of sexual behavior, drawing parallels to our primate relatives swinging through the jungle.

Dr. Jason Hodgson, an anthropologist and evolutionary geneticist at Anglia Ruskin University, argues that sexuality isn’t the rigid binary we often imagine—straight or gay—but a fluid spectrum where bisexuality might be more common than we think.

This idea, recently spotlighted by mainstream outlets, challenges long-held assumptions about human nature and has everyone from researchers to casual readers buzzing.

The Daily Mail broke the story on February 23, 2025, reporting Hodgson’s assertion that “most people should actually be bisexual.”

He bases this on the notion that sexuality spans from exclusively heterosexual to exclusively homosexual, with the majority landing somewhere in between.

Official data, like the UK’s statistic that 1.8% of adults identify as bisexual, might vastly underestimate the reality, Hodgson told the outlet.

He suggests that even those who call themselves 100% straight might have had a same-sex encounter at some point, nudging them into what he calls the “bisexual range.”

It’s not about identity alone, he explains, but behavior—and our genes might be steering the ship.

Hodgson points to our primate cousins, particularly bonobos, as evidence. Bonobos, known for their promiscuous social habits, don’t discriminate by sex when it comes to bonding or pleasure.

The Daily Mail notes that these apes engage in same-sex and opposite-sex interactions with equal enthusiasm, often using sex to strengthen group ties.

For Hodgson, this isn’t an anomaly but a hint at our own evolutionary roots.

“Bisexuality may be the norm,” he said, “as those individuals involved in homosexual sex often also take part in reproductive sex.”

In other words, fluidity might be baked into our DNA.

The New York Post picked up the thread, framing it as a revelation that “bisexuality may be even more ubiquitous than we previously understood.”

Their February 23 piece highlights how bisexual behavior isn’t just a human quirk—it’s rampant among primates like bonobos and chimpanzees.

The outlet quotes Hodgson’s idea that sexual experiences don’t have to define orientation outright; a single same-sex encounter could tip someone into the bisexual zone on his scale, even if they never act on it again.

It’s a broad definition that’s raising eyebrows—and some skepticism.

Not everyone’s on board. Critics, like those cited in posts on X, call it “conjecture disguised as science,” arguing that humans’ biological drive to reproduce tilts most of us firmly toward heterosexuality.

Still, Hodgson’s not alone in his thinking. Studies referenced by the Daily Mail—including one with over 470,000 participants—suggest that sexual orientation stems from a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors, with thousands of genetic markers playing a role.

No single “gay gene” exists, but the interplay of many small influences could nudge people toward fluidity.

The New York Post also nods to broader trends: a 2024 Gallup poll showed 4.4% of U.S. adults identifying as bisexual, a number that’s growing, especially among younger generations.

Yet Hodgson’s claim goes further, implying that the actual behavior—whether acted upon or just felt—could dwarf those stats. It’s a leap that’s both tantalizing and divisive.