When and why did we start calling ourselves homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual? Kelvin Blunt traces the 19th-century invention of sexual orientation from Ulrichs and Kertbeny’s letters to Kinsey’s field interviews, revealing how language meant for liberation was repurposed for moral control.

This episode challenges the belief that identity must be proven by biology, and asks whether fluidity itself is the real evidence.

Companion Substack essays: Born This Way: Rethinking Sexual Identity

Sex Among Men: Why I Created Str8 No Chaser®⁠

🔔Subscribe on Substack: ⁠⁠kelvinblunt.substack.com⁠

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📖Further Readings & Resources:

– ⁠⁠The Kinsey Scale⁠⁠ (The Kinsey Institute)

– ⁠Why the “Born This Way” Argument Doesn't Advance LGBT Equality ⁠(Dr. Lisa Diamond, TEDx Talks)

– The Concept of Sexual Orientation (Bi.org)

About the Host: Kelvin Blunt (he/him) is a writer, performer, and cultural commentator whose work explores the intersection of society, sexuality, and identity. With a background in performance and a knack for social excavation, Kelvin brings clarity, humor, and historical depth to conversations too often flattened by binaries.

Kelvin earned an MA in Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. He’s written and produced several shows at E! Entertainment Television. His essays have been feature on ADDitude and Substack.

Kelvin has several acting credits in film, TV, music videos, and live theatrical productions. He also wrote, produced, and performed in a solo show, Too Blunt!, which appeared at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Episode Tags/Keywords: sexual orientation, Ulrichs, Kertbeny, Kinsey, LGBT history, born this way, patriarchy, sexual fluidity, Str8 No Chaser podcast, sex research

Show Credits: Music: "Rules of the Game" by Toby Tranter; Image: Created with Canva

🔔Subscribe on Substack: ⁠⁠kelvinblunt.substack.com⁠