'I could fall for a woman', says Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland's former first minister explains why she doesn't see her sexuality as 'binary'
The former Scottish first minister said she was 'not sticking any labels' on her sexual orientation as she was quizzed about a passage in her newly-published memoir.
In the book, titled Frankly, Ms Sturgeon addressed 'wild stories' about her having a 'torrid lesbian affair' with a French diplomat.
The ex-SNP leader hit out at 'blatant homophobia at the heart of the 'story'', but added 'the nature of the insult itself was water off a duck's back'.
She wrote that, despite long-term relationships with men having accounted for more than 30 years of her life, she 'never considered' her sexuality to be 'binary'.
In January, Ms Sturgeon announced she had separated from her husband, the former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, after nearly 14-and-a-half years of marriage.
Addressing the comments about sexuality in her book during an interview with Times Radio, Ms Sturgeon was asked if this meant she could fall for a woman or a man.
'I believe that, yes,' the 55-year-old replied. That's how I see life and the world.'
Ms Sturgeon added: 'I'm not making any great revelation, I'm not sticking any labels on it. I guess what I'm saying is that's how I see the world.
'And it would have been dishonest to say it's how I see the world in relation to other people, but not in relation to myself. I don't think sexuality is binary.'
During her string of TV and radio interviews to mark the publication of her memoir, Ms Sturgeon had previously refused to speculate about her future love life.
Asked by ITV News if she might possibly enter into a relationship with a woman, she replied: 'Look, I'm just out of a marriage.
'So I'm not rushing into a relationship with anyone, anytime soon. I'm enjoying being my own person for a while.'
Pressed on whether she would rule it out, Ms Sturgeon added: 'I'm not contemplating, you know, sort of anything of that nature. I'm just enjoying life.
'That's part of the answer to that question. The other part of the answer is, in future, I possibly want to choose to have any relationships I happen to be in as private matters.'
Ms Sturgeon was arrested in June 2023 and questioned by police as part of the investigation into SNP finances, but has now been formally cleared.
Mr Murrell has appeared in court charged with alleged embezzlement.
Ms Sturgeon is preparing to step down as an MSP at next May's Holyrood elections, bringing to an end a 27-year spell in the Scottish Parliament.
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