Biphobia
Encyclopedia
Biphobia is a term used to describe aversion
felt toward bisexuality
and bisexuals as a social group or as individuals. People of any sexual orientation
can experience such feelings of aversion. A source of discrimination
against bisexuals, biphobia is based on negative bisexual stereotype
s and bisexual erasure
.
. It is derived from the English neo-classical prefix bi- (meaning "two") from bisexual and the root -phobia (from the , phóbos, "fear") found in homophobia. Along with transphobia
, homophobia
and biphobia are members of the family of terms used when intolerance
and discrimination
is directed toward LGBT
people. Note that biphobia need not be an equivalent to the clinical or medical meaning of a phobia
– an anxiety disorder
. Instead, its meaning and use typically parallel those of xenophobia
. The adjectival
form biphobic is used to describe things or qualities related to biphobia whereas the noun biphobe is a label for people thought to harbor biphobia.
view of heterosexuality as the only “proper” attraction or lifestyle apply to bisexual people as well as to gay people. However, bisexuals are also stigmatized in other ways: two classifications of negative stereotypes about them center on the belief that bisexuality does not exist and on the generalization that bisexuals are promiscuous.
/lesbian
) or exclusively heterosexual (straight), which means that so called bisexuals are either closeted
homosexual people who wish to appear heterosexual, heterosexuals who are experimenting with their sexuality, and cannot be bisexual unless they are equally attracted to both sexes. Maxims
, such as People are either gay, straight or lying, embody this dichotomous view of sexual orientations.
Resulting negative stereotypes represent bisexuals as confused, undecided, dabblers, insecure, experimenting or "just going through a phase". Attractions toward both sexes are considered fashionable as in "bisexual chic
" or gender bending. Either homosexual or heterosexual relations are dismissed as a substitute for sex with members of the "right" sex or as a more accessible source of sexual gratification. What’s more, homosexuality can also be perceived as purely situational, in other words due to sex-segregated
environments or groups such as the armed forces, schools, sports teams, religious orders, and prisons
. Conversely, heterosexuality and opposite-sex relationships are viewed as "caving in to" society’s pressures, fostering oppressions, condoning discrimination, keeping up appearances, retaining straight privilege
, hiding in the closet
, being self-hating or in self-denial
, suffering from internalized homophobia, etc.
. Moreover, having more than one sexual partner in one’s lifetime, in addition to being commonplace in the world, is not restricted to bisexuals. People of any sexual orientation can change partners, practice serial monogamy or have multiple casual sex partners. The fact that bisexuals are potentially sexually attracted to both men and women does not imply that they must simultaneously engage in sexual relationships with both men and women to be satisfied, any more than the ability of a heterosexual or homosexual person to be attracted to multiple persons of their preferred gender means they cannot be satisfied in a monogamous relationship. The strict association of bisexuality with promiscuity stems from a variety of negative stereotypes targeting bisexuals as mentally or socially unstable people convinced that sexual relations only with men, only with women or only with one person is not enough. As a result bisexuals bear a social stigma from accusations of cheating on or betraying their partners, leading a double life
, being "on the down-low", and spreading sexually transmitted disease
s such as HIV
/AIDS
. They are characterized as being "slutty", insatiable, “easy”, indiscriminate, and in the case of women, nymphomaniacs. Furthermore, they are strongly associated with polyamory
, swinging
, and polygamy
, the last being an established heterosexual tradition sanctioned by some religions and legal in several countries.
, academic materials, the news media
, and other primary sources.
When bisexual erasure is found in intellectually dishonest or erroneous works, it has been called a manifestation of biphobia. In its most extreme form, bisexual erasure can include denying that bisexual people actually exist.
(either exclusive heterosexuality and/or homosexuality) as the only legitimate or right sexual orientation, excluding bisexual, pansexual, or polysexual orientations. The term may be considered analogous to heterosexism
.
Liz Highleyman, author of several queer studies
works, has claimed that bisexuals cannot address monosexism inside the context of a wider lesbian/gay/bisexual movement.
article which reported it in 2005, were subsequently criticized as flawed and biphobic. Lynn Conway
criticized the author of the study, J. Michael Bailey
, citing his controversial history, and pointing out that the study has not been scientifically repeated and confirmed by any independent researchers.
In 2011, a new article published in The New York Times, mentioned a new study elaborated by Jerome Cerny and Erick Janssen showing evidence of bisexuality in men and therefore contradicting Bailey's study. However, the methods used in both studies have been highly criticized because of the aforementioned reasons.
BinetUSA(USA)
Political Activist Group (USA)
Links
Bisexuality Wiki
Magazines
Bi Magazine (USA)
Bi Community News (UK)
BiSocial News (USA)
Bi News Magazine (Netherlands)
The Fence (Canada)
Bi Women Boston (USA)
Groups
List of USA Bisexual Groups
UK Bisexual Groups
Netherlands Bisexual Groups
Binet Canada
Toronto Bisexual Network
Mexico Bisexual Network
Books
Bi Any Other Name : Bisexual People Speak Out by Loraine Hutchins
, Editor & Lani Ka'ahumanu
, Editor ISBN 978-1-55583-174-5
Getting Bi : Voices of Bisexuals Around the World by Robyn Ochs
, Editor & Sarah Rowley, Editor ISBN 978-0-9653881-4-6
The Bisexual Option by Fritz Klein
, MD ISBN 978-1-56023-033-5
Bi America : Myths, Truths, And Struggles Of An Invisible Community by William E. Burleson ISBN 978-1-56023-478-4
Bisexuality in the United States : A Social Science Reader by Paula C. Rodriguez Rust, Editor ISBN 978-0-231-10226-1
Bisexuality : The Psychology and Politics of an Invisible Minority by Beth A. Firestein, Editor ISBN 978-0-8039-7274-2
Current Research on Bisexuality by Ronald C. Fox PhD, Editor ISBN 978-1-56023-288-5
Aversion
Aversion is a horror film about a private investigator who discovers too late that the woman he is hired to follow is often possessed by a demon. Alex Stokes is a self-destructive, down-on-his-luck investigator who takes cases wherever he can. When a mysterious man offers him a healthy sum to...
felt toward bisexuality
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
and bisexuals as a social group or as individuals. People of any sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
can experience such feelings of aversion. A source of discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
against bisexuals, biphobia is based on negative bisexual stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s and bisexual erasure
Bisexual erasure
Bisexual erasure is the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or reexplain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, the news media, and other primary sources...
.
Etymology and use
Biphobia is a portmanteau word patterned on the term homophobiaHomophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
. It is derived from the English neo-classical prefix bi- (meaning "two") from bisexual and the root -phobia (from the , phóbos, "fear") found in homophobia. Along with transphobia
Transphobia
Transphobia is a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards transsexualism and transsexual or transgender people, based on the expression of their internal gender...
, homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
and biphobia are members of the family of terms used when intolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
and discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
is directed toward LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
people. Note that biphobia need not be an equivalent to the clinical or medical meaning of a phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
– an anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological fear and anxiety. Conditions now considered anxiety disorders only came under the aegis of psychiatry at the end of the 19th century. Gelder, Mayou & Geddes explains that anxiety disorders are...
. Instead, its meaning and use typically parallel those of xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
. The adjectival
Adjective
In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified....
form biphobic is used to describe things or qualities related to biphobia whereas the noun biphobe is a label for people thought to harbor biphobia.
Basic ideas and their negative stereotypes
While biphobia and homophobia are distinct phenomenons, they do share some traits: attraction to one's own gender being a part of bisexuality, the heterosexistHeterosexism
Heterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It can include the presumption that everyone is heterosexual or that opposite-sex attractions and relationships are the only norm and therefore superior...
view of heterosexuality as the only “proper” attraction or lifestyle apply to bisexual people as well as to gay people. However, bisexuals are also stigmatized in other ways: two classifications of negative stereotypes about them center on the belief that bisexuality does not exist and on the generalization that bisexuals are promiscuous.
Denialism
The belief that bisexuality does not exist stems from binary views of sexuality, that is to say that people are assumed to be exclusively homosexual (gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
/lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
) or exclusively heterosexual (straight), which means that so called bisexuals are either closeted
The Closet
The Closet may refer to:* The Closet , Chinese film* The Closet , French film* The closet, referring to undisclosed homosexuality- See also :* Closet* Closet * In the closet...
homosexual people who wish to appear heterosexual, heterosexuals who are experimenting with their sexuality, and cannot be bisexual unless they are equally attracted to both sexes. Maxims
Aphorism
An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic and memorable form.The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates...
, such as People are either gay, straight or lying, embody this dichotomous view of sexual orientations.
Resulting negative stereotypes represent bisexuals as confused, undecided, dabblers, insecure, experimenting or "just going through a phase". Attractions toward both sexes are considered fashionable as in "bisexual chic
Bisexual chic
Bisexual chic is a phrase used to describe the public acknowledgment of bisexuality among various segments of society. In some cases the phrase can be considered pejorative, when used to trivialize or dismiss genuine feelings of same-sex attraction, especially if those expressing these thoughts...
" or gender bending. Either homosexual or heterosexual relations are dismissed as a substitute for sex with members of the "right" sex or as a more accessible source of sexual gratification. What’s more, homosexuality can also be perceived as purely situational, in other words due to sex-segregated
Sex segregation
Sex segregation is the separation of people according to their sex.The term gender apartheid also has been applied to segregation of people by gender, implying that it is sexual discrimination...
environments or groups such as the armed forces, schools, sports teams, religious orders, and prisons
Prison sexuality
Prison sexuality deals with sexual relationships between confined individuals or those between a prisoner and a prison employee . Since prisons are separated by gender, most sexual activity is conducted with a same-sex partner, often in contradiction to a person's normal social sexual orientation...
. Conversely, heterosexuality and opposite-sex relationships are viewed as "caving in to" society’s pressures, fostering oppressions, condoning discrimination, keeping up appearances, retaining straight privilege
Heteronormativity
Heteronormativity is a term invented in 1991 to describe any of a set of lifestyle norms that hold that people fall into distinct and complementary genders with natural roles in life. It also holds that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation, and states that sexual and marital relations...
, hiding in the closet
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
, being self-hating or in self-denial
Self-denial
Self-denial is altruistic abstinence - the willingness to forego personal pleasures or undergo personal trials in the pursuit of the increased good of another. Various religions and cultures take differing views of self-denial, some considering it a positive trait and others considering it a...
, suffering from internalized homophobia, etc.
Promiscuity
Categorizing all bisexuals as being promiscuous is a hasty generalizationHasty generalization
Hasty generalization is a logical fallacy of faulty generalization by reaching an inductive generalization based on insufficient evidence essentially making a hasty conclusion without considering all of the variables...
. Moreover, having more than one sexual partner in one’s lifetime, in addition to being commonplace in the world, is not restricted to bisexuals. People of any sexual orientation can change partners, practice serial monogamy or have multiple casual sex partners. The fact that bisexuals are potentially sexually attracted to both men and women does not imply that they must simultaneously engage in sexual relationships with both men and women to be satisfied, any more than the ability of a heterosexual or homosexual person to be attracted to multiple persons of their preferred gender means they cannot be satisfied in a monogamous relationship. The strict association of bisexuality with promiscuity stems from a variety of negative stereotypes targeting bisexuals as mentally or socially unstable people convinced that sexual relations only with men, only with women or only with one person is not enough. As a result bisexuals bear a social stigma from accusations of cheating on or betraying their partners, leading a double life
Double Life
Double Life is a 2-CD compilation album of songs by Värttinä. It includes the entire 6.12 live album, and songs from studio albums Seleniko, Aitara and Ilmatar...
, being "on the down-low", and spreading sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s such as HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. They are characterized as being "slutty", insatiable, “easy”, indiscriminate, and in the case of women, nymphomaniacs. Furthermore, they are strongly associated with polyamory
Polyamory
Polyamory is the practice, desire, or acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved....
, swinging
Swinging
Swinging or partner swapping is a non-monogamous behavior, in which both partners in a committed relationship agree, as a couple, for both partners to engage in sexual activities with other couples as a recreational or social activity...
, and polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
, the last being an established heterosexual tradition sanctioned by some religions and legal in several countries.
Current issues of debate
Apparently validating the above belief and generalization and their related stereotypes are current issues of debate connected to identity and human sexuality in general.- The nature versus nurtureNature versus nurtureThe nature versus nurture debate concerns the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities versus personal experiences The nature versus nurture debate concerns the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature," i.e. nativism, or innatism) versus personal experiences...
debate over homosexuality complicates matters. Supporting a polar view of sexual orientations, discussion here revolves around possible causes for a homosexual orientation and not a heterosexual or bisexual one. See separate articles on Kinsey scaleKinsey scaleThe Kinsey scale, also called the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale, attempts to describe a person's sexual history or episodes of his or her sexual activity at a given time. It uses a scale from 0, meaning exclusively heterosexual, to 6, meaning exclusively homosexual...
and Klein Sexual Orientation GridKlein Sexual Orientation GridThe Klein Sexual Orientation Grid developed by Dr. Fritz Klein attempts to further measure sexual orientation by expanding upon the earlier Kinsey scale which categorizes sexual history from 0 to 6... - In line with the nurture side of the previous debate is Sigmund FreudSigmund FreudSigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
’s term for sexual disposition and gratification in the first five years of a child’s development: the polymorphous perverse. This theory is misinterpreted as meaning that all people are (born) bisexual, that socializationSocializationSocialization is a term used by sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists, political scientists and educationalists to refer to the process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies...
is the key factor in determining whether people will be heterosexual or homosexual, or that people eventually choose their sexual orientation toward one or the other sex, but not both. - People do not always choose to identify themselves strictly according to their sexual orientation. Just as someone can feel pressured not to disclose his or her homosexual orientation and claim heterosexuality, so too can a person claim bisexuality. Mainly out of oppression from negative bisexual stereotypes, the reverse is true for some bisexual people choosing to identify or state that they are straight, gay or lesbian depending on company and the situation.
- The concept of bisexuality may not exist in a given culture or may be encompassed by transgenderTransgenderTransgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
identities as in some indigenous cultures such as those of Native AmericansNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, Aboriginal peoples in CanadaAboriginal peoples in CanadaAboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
or the ZapotecZapotec civilizationThe Zapotec civilization was an indigenous pre-Columbian civilization that flourished in the Valley of Oaxaca of southern Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence shows their culture goes back at least 2500 years...
in OaxacaOaxacaOaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. - Having sexual relations with people of the same as well as different genders is perceived as a direct indication of a person’s sexual attractions and, hence, a bisexual orientation. This perception explains how the Kinsey ScaleKinsey scaleThe Kinsey scale, also called the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale, attempts to describe a person's sexual history or episodes of his or her sexual activity at a given time. It uses a scale from 0, meaning exclusively heterosexual, to 6, meaning exclusively homosexual...
is used to label sexual orientation despite its original design and use to explain a person’s sexual history or past. Moreover, in many parts of the world, gay men and lesbian women still lead so-called straight lifestyles. The reasons cited are discrimination, internalized homophobia, strong personal or religious beliefs about the family, and a lack of information on and visibility of same-sex relations and sexuality. - Regardless of their actual sexual orientation it is sometimes assumed by those not in the industry that all sex workers or actors/actresses opt to participate in homosexual sex scenes only as part of their jobs. Confusing fantasy and actingActingActing is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
with reality, this has been dubbed “gay-for-payGay-for-payGay-for-pay describes male or female actors, pornographic stars, or sex workers who self-identify as heterosexual but who are paid to act or perform as homosexual professionally. The term has also applied to other professions and even companies with the same core concerns and criticism in place...
”, this myth has been used to create further confusion and reinforce biphobia.
Bisexual erasure
Bisexual erasure is the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or reexplain evidence of bisexuality in the historical recordHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, academic materials, the news media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
, and other primary sources.
When bisexual erasure is found in intellectually dishonest or erroneous works, it has been called a manifestation of biphobia. In its most extreme form, bisexual erasure can include denying that bisexual people actually exist.
Monosexism
Monosexism is a term used to refer to beliefs, structures, and actions that promote monosexualityMonosexuality
A monosexual person is someone who is sexually attracted to one sex only, monosexuality being the corresponding sexual orientation...
(either exclusive heterosexuality and/or homosexuality) as the only legitimate or right sexual orientation, excluding bisexual, pansexual, or polysexual orientations. The term may be considered analogous to heterosexism
Heterosexism
Heterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It can include the presumption that everyone is heterosexual or that opposite-sex attractions and relationships are the only norm and therefore superior...
.
Liz Highleyman, author of several queer studies
Queer studies
Queer studies is the critical theory based study of issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity usually focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people and cultures. Universities have also labeled this area of analysis Sexual Diversity Studies, Sexualities...
works, has claimed that bisexuals cannot address monosexism inside the context of a wider lesbian/gay/bisexual movement.
Controversial studies
A 2002 study said that a sample of men self-identifying as bisexual did not respond equally to pornographic material involving only men, and to pornography involving only women, but instead showed four times more arousal to one than the other. However, bisexuality does not imply equal attraction towards both genders. In addition, opponents state that genital arousal to homosexual pornographic material is not a good indicator of orientation both because the material is chosen by the researchers, ignoring the study participants' preferences (i.e. body types, looks, scenarios, particular fetishes, presentation of relationships, etc.), and because tumescence is problematic as an indicator of arousal (some tumescence may be caused or prevented by anxiety, and erectile dysfunction should be considered before such studies commence). They also point out that the study showed a third of men had no arousal, and ask why this does not mean that one third of men are really asexual. The study, and The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
article which reported it in 2005, were subsequently criticized as flawed and biphobic. Lynn Conway
Lynn Conway
Lynn Conway is an American computer scientist, electrical engineer, inventor, trans woman, and activist for the transgender community....
criticized the author of the study, J. Michael Bailey
J. Michael Bailey
John Michael Bailey is an American psychologist and professor at Northwestern University. He is best known among scientists for his work on the etiology of sexual orientation, from which he concluded that homosexuality is substantially inherited...
, citing his controversial history, and pointing out that the study has not been scientifically repeated and confirmed by any independent researchers.
In 2011, a new article published in The New York Times, mentioned a new study elaborated by Jerome Cerny and Erick Janssen showing evidence of bisexuality in men and therefore contradicting Bailey's study. However, the methods used in both studies have been highly criticized because of the aforementioned reasons.
See also
- Bisexual chicBisexual chicBisexual chic is a phrase used to describe the public acknowledgment of bisexuality among various segments of society. In some cases the phrase can be considered pejorative, when used to trivialize or dismiss genuine feelings of same-sex attraction, especially if those expressing these thoughts...
- Bisexual CommunityBisexual communityBisexual community is a term used to describe members of the LGBT community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, "fluid", and queer-identified, as well as their allies...
- Bisexual erasureBisexual erasureBisexual erasure is the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or reexplain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, the news media, and other primary sources...
- Duclod ManDuclod ManThe Duclod Man was the title given to a man, identified only as Richard, who, over two decades generated mystery and speculation by sending out dozens of unusual anonymous letters to college students and posting writings on internet pages...
- HeteronormativityHeteronormativityHeteronormativity is a term invented in 1991 to describe any of a set of lifestyle norms that hold that people fall into distinct and complementary genders with natural roles in life. It also holds that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation, and states that sexual and marital relations...
- HeterosexismHeterosexismHeterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It can include the presumption that everyone is heterosexual or that opposite-sex attractions and relationships are the only norm and therefore superior...
- HomophobiaHomophobiaHomophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
- Lesbian until graduationLesbian until graduationThe LGBT slang terms lesbian until graduation , gay until graduation , and bisexual until graduation are used to describe women primarily of high-school or college age who are assumed to be experimenting with or adopting a temporary lesbian or bisexual identity...
- List of media portrayals of bisexuality
- List of phobias
Additional Resources for the Bisexual Community
Civil Rights OrganizationsBinetUSA(USA)
Political Activist Group (USA)
Links
Bisexuality Wiki
Magazines
Bi Magazine (USA)
Bi Community News (UK)
BiSocial News (USA)
Bi News Magazine (Netherlands)
The Fence (Canada)
Bi Women Boston (USA)
Groups
List of USA Bisexual Groups
UK Bisexual Groups
Netherlands Bisexual Groups
Binet Canada
Toronto Bisexual Network
Mexico Bisexual Network
Books
Bi Any Other Name : Bisexual People Speak Out by Loraine Hutchins
Loraine Hutchins
Loraine Hutchins is an American bisexual and feminist author, activist, and sex educator.She is the co-editor with Lani Ka'ahumanu of the anthology, Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out...
, Editor & Lani Ka'ahumanu
Lani Ka'ahumanu
Lani Ka'ahumanu is a bisexual and feminist writer and activist. She is openly bisexual and writes and speaks on sexuality issues frequently.She is the co-editor with Loraine Hutchins of Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out ....
, Editor ISBN 978-1-55583-174-5
Getting Bi : Voices of Bisexuals Around the World by Robyn Ochs
Robyn Ochs
Robyn Ochs is an American bisexual and LGBT rights activist who helped found the Boston Bisexual Network in 1983, and the Bisexual Resource Center in 1985....
, Editor & Sarah Rowley, Editor ISBN 978-0-9653881-4-6
The Bisexual Option by Fritz Klein
Fritz Klein
Fred "Fritz" Klein was an American sex researcher, psychiatrist, inventor of the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid and author. He was also a pioneering bisexual rights activist, who was an important figure in the modern LGBT rights movement.- Life and career :Klein was born in Vienna, Austria, to...
, MD ISBN 978-1-56023-033-5
Bi America : Myths, Truths, And Struggles Of An Invisible Community by William E. Burleson ISBN 978-1-56023-478-4
Bisexuality in the United States : A Social Science Reader by Paula C. Rodriguez Rust, Editor ISBN 978-0-231-10226-1
Bisexuality : The Psychology and Politics of an Invisible Minority by Beth A. Firestein, Editor ISBN 978-0-8039-7274-2
Current Research on Bisexuality by Ronald C. Fox PhD, Editor ISBN 978-1-56023-288-5
Further reading
- Garber, MarjorieMarjorie GarberMarjorie B. Garber is a professor at Harvard University and the author of a wide variety of books, most notably ones about William Shakespeare and aspects of popular culture including sexuality....
(1995). Bisexuality and the Eroticism of Everyday Life, pp. 20–21, 28, 39. - Fraser, M., Identity Without Selfhood: Simone de Beauvoir and Bisexuality, Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press 1999. p. 124–140.
External links
- Bialogue/GLAAD Bisexuality Packet for Mental Health Professionals
- Fairy Tales, by Job Brother in The AdvocateThe AdvocateThe Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
September 21, 2007 - Curiouser and curiouser by Mark SimpsonMark Simpson (journalist)Mark Simpson is an English journalist, writer, and broadcaster specialising in pop culture, media, and masculinity. He has been described by one critic as "the skinhead Oscar Wilde" Simpson is a frequent commentator on British television shows....
- Bisexuality Basics, UC Riverside LGBT Resource Center, Riverside, CA