Heteroflexibility is showing up more and more in conversations about dating, identity, and modern relationships. A recent annual report from the dating app Feeld suggests it is the fastest-growing sexual orientation on its platform, with a claimed 193 percent jump in the number of people identifying this way in just one year. The broader message is familiar, many people no longer feel that older, rigid categories fully capture how attraction can work.
At its simplest, heteroflexibility describes someone who mainly sees themselves as heterosexual but is open to occasional attraction or intimacy with someone of the same sex. It is often framed as different from bisexuality, which is typically understood as attraction to more than one gender in a more consistent way. In other words, the “flex” part is key, it points to room for exceptions rather than a complete shift in identity. Verywell Mind is one of the outlets that has explained it in these terms.
Feeld’s report also attaches big numbers to the trend. It estimates that about 15 percent of people in the United States, roughly 50 to 55 million, now identify as heteroflexible. Dina Mohammad-Laity, the company’s vice president for data, described it as part of a wider move toward more authentic and fluid exploration of connection and intimacy.
The breakdown in the report leans heavily toward younger adults, though not exclusively. Nearly two thirds of those identifying as heteroflexible are millennials, with Gen Z making up 18 percent and Gen X around 15.5 percent. That spread suggests the label is not only a Gen Z phenomenon, even if younger people may be more comfortable using newer language for attraction.
Location trends were also highlighted. The report points to Berlin as the most heteroflexible city in the world, while New York was described as having the fastest growth in people identifying as bisexual, with a claimed 161 percent rise. Whether these rankings reflect culture, community visibility, or simply who joins certain apps, they underline how much context can shape how people describe themselves.
One reason the term can be both appealing and controversial is that it does not have strict borders. It may include someone who has had a same-sex experience once, someone who occasionally feels same-sex attraction, or people who call themselves “bicurious.” Some even use it to describe openness to specific situations, like a woman in a relationship with a man who is interested in a threesome that includes another woman.
That flexibility is also what prompts criticism. Some argue that heteroflexibility overlaps with bisexuality and pansexuality enough that it can blur or even sideline those identities. Luke Brunning, a lecturer in applied ethics at the University of Leeds, has suggested that the rise of new labels reflects a growing awareness that sexuality is complex, and that curiosity and attraction do not always behave in neat, predictable ways.
Where do you think labels like heteroflexible help most, and where do they complicate things, share your thoughts in the comments.
