Dr. Fred “Fritz” Klein was an Austrian-born American psychiatrist and sex researcher who helped transform both sexology and the LGBT movement by pioneering the scientific study of bisexuality. Klein founded the American Institute of Bisexuality which, among its many projects, makes Bi.org possible.
Born in Vienna, Austria in 1932, Klein’s Jewish family escaped to New York City during his childhood to flee Nazism. His professional career began as a board-certified psychiatrist, which he practiced in New York and San Diego for 30 years. Early in his career, he realized that there was a void of scientific research and academic literature about sexual orientation in general and bisexuality in particular. In 1974, he placed an ad in New York's Village Voice for a meeting that resulted in the creation of the "Bisexual Forum", the first bi-specific organization in the world. Soon after, he wrote two groundbreaking books, The Bisexual Option and Man, His Body, His Sex (co-authored with Alfred Allan Lewis and Eli Bauman), both of which were published in 1978.
After moving to San Diego in the 1980s, Klein started a second "Bisexual Forum" group, wrote several more books, and founded the peer-reviewed Journal of Bisexuality (2000–). He remained the journal's principal editor until his death.
One of his best-known contributions to sex research is the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid. First published in 1978, the Klein Grid expanded upon the famous "zero to six" Kinsey scale by illustrating the complexity and fluidity of sexuality along with its many component parts. These include sexual experiences, attractions, identity, fantasies, emotional preferences, social preferences, and lifestyle. The Klein Grid charts these as they relate to a person's past, present, and ideal future to form a more holistic understanding of sexuality than the Kinsey scale alone can provide.
In 1998, Dr. Klein founded the American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB), also known as the Bi Foundation, to encourage, support, and assist research and education about bisexuality, and served as Chairman of the Board up for the remainder of his life. Klein was known for being outspoken, controversial, and compassionate, and for his love and support of theater and the arts.
The Bi Foundation is continuing Dr. Klein’s work by sponsoring bi-inclusive sex research, educating the general public on sexuality, and promoting bi culture and bi community.