People
Fact-checked

At PublicPeople, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What is a Barsexual?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

A barsexual is a woman who kisses or flirts with other women only in bars and other public settings. As such, barsexuals are considered to have a heterosexual orientation, because they only flirt with women in a public venue for the shock value, not with the intention of establishing relationships with them. As a casual survey of sites which publish images from spring break trips would suggest, many barsexuals are young college students, who may engage in barsexual behavior for attention, more than anything else.

While barsexuals may act like bisexuals or lesbians at bars and parties, they prefer the company of men. Many flirt with other women because they are aware that it attracts attention, or because they are intoxicated and feeling mischievous. Some straight men are intrigued by women who flirt with other women, so a barsexual often engages in such behavior with the explicit plan of snagging the eye of a man of interest, or to excite or interest her boyfriend.

Barsexuals may like flirt with both genders while on spring break.
Barsexuals may like flirt with both genders while on spring break.

A barsexual may approach a complete stranger who seems amenable, or she may flirt exclusively among her friends. Women who have close and physically intimate relationships with their friends may feel more comfortable flirting with their friends, where an already-established boundary dictates exactly how far the behavior will go. Others feel more confident flirting with strangers, and in a bar with a high concentration of college-age women with similar interests, they may feel fairly insulated from rejection.

Barsexuals may be overly flirtatious in public.
Barsexuals may be overly flirtatious in public.

As a general rule, a barsexual display rarely proceeds much further than kissing, and it is typically very much a display, as the goal is to be watched. In some locales, such behavior is actively encouraged and promoted, and the sight of two women flirting may be greeted with cheers from the surrounding crowd.

Some people view barsexuals with disdain, much like straight men who are “gay for pay” in the adult film industry. Once could argue that a barsexual is essentially a tease, projecting a sexual orientation which she does not possess. The proliferation of films featuring college age women on spring break has seemingly led to a corresponding explosion of barsexuality, as some women are eager to be featured on such videos, and they may be willing to dip a toe into the barsexual pool in order to be filmed.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a PublicPeople researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a PublicPeople researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon977139

There are too many labels out there. What happened to just being a person? Do we really need to have subsets after subsets of labels for normal human behavior? Instead of labeling, one should just accept the person for who he or she is.

anon977135

Jerks like these women should get a big unwanted surprise if people found out that they are just messing with women's minds to turn on men. Sick.

anon926515

Would it also be true that a male who is very flirtatious and possessive acting at work but never privately, even avoiding private contact, may be homosexual but projecting a straight image?

anon211161

Very insightful.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Barsexuals may like flirt with both genders while on spring break.
      By: karelnoppe
      Barsexuals may like flirt with both genders while on spring break.
    • Barsexuals may be overly flirtatious in public.
      By: vgstudio
      Barsexuals may be overly flirtatious in public.
    • Barsexuals only flirt with others in a public venue for the shock value.
      By: Kzenon
      Barsexuals only flirt with others in a public venue for the shock value.