Research has found that sexual orientation beliefs predict heterosexuals’ attitudes toward sexual minorities, and important sexual identity outcomes in sexual minority populations. To this point, no studies have systematically examined how sexual orientation beliefs may be associated with sexual identity self-labeling among sexual minority individuals. The present study examined this question in a sample of 1840 same-gender attracted individuals recruited for a cross-sectional online survey. Beliefs in the naturalness and discreteness of sexual orientation categories were highest in gay/lesbian individuals, intermediate in bisexual people, and lower in queer and pansexual individuals. Beliefs in the importance of sexual orientation were highest in gay/lesbian and queer identified individuals and lower in bisexual people. Within-group analysis demonstrated that gay/lesbian individuals who reported more exclusive same-gender attraction reported higher naturalness, discreteness, and importance beliefs than those with less-exclusive same-gender attraction. However, naturalness, discreteness, and importance beliefs were not associated with sexual attraction patterns in bisexual individuals. Finally, among predominately same-gender attracted populations, the adoption of a queer identity (over a gay/lesbian identity) was predicted by lower naturalness and discreteness beliefs, and increased perceived importance in females. Among non-monosexual populations, adoption of a pansexual identity over a bisexual identity was predicted by lower naturalness beliefs in females, but not predicted by sexual orientation beliefs in males. Collectively, these findings suggest that sexual orientation beliefs differ between sexual identity groups and may partly explain the adoption of particular sexual identity labels among contemporary sexual minority populations.

研究发现，性取向信念可以预测异性恋者对性少数群体的态度，以及性少数群体中重要的性认同结果。到目前为止，还没有研究系统地研究性取向信念如何与性少数个体的性身份自我标记相关联。本研究以 1840 名被同性吸引的个人为样本进行了横断面在线调查，以检验这个问题。对性取向类别的自然性和离散性的信念在男同性恋者/女同性恋者中最高，在双性恋者中居中，在酷儿和泛性恋者中较低。对性取向重要性的信念在男同性恋/女同性恋和同性恋者中最高，而在双性恋者中较低。组内分析表明，报告更多排他性同性吸引力的男同性恋/女同性恋者比那些不那么排他性同性吸引力的人报告了更高的自然性、离散性和重要性信念。然而，自然、离散和重要性信念与双性恋个体的性吸引模式无关。最后，在主要被同性吸引的人群中，采用酷儿身份（而不是男同性恋/女同性恋身份）是由较低的自然性和离散性信念预测的，并且女性的感知重要性增加。在非单性恋人群中，女性的自然性信念较低，但男性的性取向信念无法预测，采用双性恋身份而非双性恋身份。总的来说，