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The Kinsey scale, named for Alfred Kinsey, 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 - Many cases of Bi the Way, 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 - Anything That Moves, Everyone Is Bi, Most Depraved Bisexuals, some Bi the Way characters
- 4 - Some cases of Bi the Way; 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. Ergo, a transgender woman who "passes" in whatever circumstances the attraction occurs under is considered female for the purposes of this scale.
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)
90/10: A purely heterosexual person who is capable of recognizing attractiveness in their own sex, though purely 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, Anything That Moves, Bi the Way.
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. Many Straw Feminists seem to fit here. See also Het Is Ew.