Initially published on Mic and cross-posted right right here making use of their authorization.
As a proud bisexual guy, for decades, I??™ve had to navigate the complicated grey area that my identification occupies from the sex range.
Despite all the gains the LGBTQIA+ community has made, bisexual folks are nevertheless looked at with confusion ??” or outright scorn ??” by gays, lesbians, and right individuals alike. From individuals asking me personally if I became ???full-blown gay yet??? to individuals questioning my motivations, I??™ve probably heard all of it.
Unfortunately, the binary thought processes that informs the reasoning of several whom remain unconvinced because of the truth of bisexuality finally oppresses everybody through its perpetuation of unflinching heteronormative or homonormative criteria.
Being intimate with some body of the identical intercourse doesn??™t suggest you??™re homosexual, similar to being intimate with somebody for the opposite gender does not mean you??™re straight ??” it just means you fall someplace in the wonderful, fluid spectral range of sex.
Right right Here we’re into the supposedly enlightened 12 months of 2014 ??“ and yet, biphobia continues. In no particular order, below are a few of the very most tiresome lies society actually has to stop telling concerning the bisexual community.
1. ???Bisexual individuals don??™t exist.???
Here is the lie that is first bisexuality ??” plus it??™s a huge one.
Some within the homosexual and community that is straight can??™t fathom a sex by which people are drawn to several gender. Fundamentally, you can look at the waters, however you must choose a part, the reasoning goes.
But people that are bisexual need lesbians and gays to ensure or science to show which they occur.
2. ???Bisexual individuals are sexcamly.com simply going right on through a stage.???
Yes, it’s real that loads of gays and lesbians used bisexuality as a stepping rock, a solution to soften the blow of being released for conservative moms and dads.
The strategies of some should not invalidate the identities of the majority while coming out is an intensely personal decision.
3. ???Bisexual folks are sexually greedy.???
Bisexual individuals are perhaps maybe maybe not immediately more promiscuous than just about every other person ??” gay or right. Being drawn to significantly more than one sex does offer more prospective lovers.
But simply as having an taste that is eclectic wines doesn’t make one an alcoholic, being bisexual will not make you more promiscuous. However if somebody is, there??™s absolutely absolutely nothing incorrect with that either. (Let??™s perhaps maybe maybe not participate in slut-shaming!)
4. ???Bisexual individuals are cheaters.???
A cheater is really a cheater.
Bisexual people cheat, and thus do those who identify otherwise.
Their sex does not cause them to cheat; impulse control, bad decision-making abilities, or a lack of consideration because of their partner do.
5. ???All bisexual people are polyamorous.???
While polyamory may stereotypically appear more frequent into the queer community, there is absolutely no difficult information that ties polyamory more straight to the bisexual community than just about any other orientation.
That sort of relationship structure is not mounted on any provided sexuality. It??™s a individual option (as well as for some, it is more natural).
6. ???Bisexual folks are afraid of dedication.???
Being interested in both genders does have anything to n??™t do with dedication.
Alan Cumming addressed this myth in a candid interview year that is last
???i’ve a healthy and balanced appetite that is sexual a healthier imagination,??? Cumming told Instinct mag. ???I nevertheless determine myself as being a bisexual despite the fact that i’ve plumped for become with give. I??™m sexually interested in the feminine kind also I just feel that bisexual men and women have a poor rap. though i will be with a person, and???
7. ???All women can be bisexual.???
The sexualization of females understands no bounds in today??™s culture that is contemporary.
But just because publications while the activity industry continue steadily to exploit feminine hypersexuality in a clear try to offer services and products does not imply that all ladies swing both methods a la Shakira and Rihanna in ???Can??™t Remember to Forget You??? ??” sorry Shakira, we??™re not purchasing just exactly what those lying sides can sell.
8. ???Bisexual folks are interested in something that moves.???
Oh, please. Simply because somebody is bisexual does not mean they don??™t have actually criteria.
9. ???Bisexual individuals are only interested in binary genders.???
Respected bisexual activist Robyn Ochs describes bisexuality while the potential ???to be attracted ??” romantically and/or sexually ??” to folks of one or more intercourse and/or sex, definitely not as well, not always just as, and never always to your exact same level.???
Therefore no, it??™s maybe perhaps perhaps not in regards to the binary, folks.
10. ???Bisexual individuals spread HIV.???
Guys that have intercourse with guys are in a disproportionate threat of HIV illness. But that doesn??™t make people that are bisexual have HIV very likely to distribute the disease ??” using the appropriate precautions is essential aside from your sexual orientation.
Always utilize security; understand your partner??™s status along with your very very own.
11. ???Bisexual individuals reside for threesomes.???
Threesomes aren’t a hallmark of this lifestyle that is bisexual.
They have been simply a choice, just like they have been for just about any other intimate being.
12. ???Bi-erasure is just a misconception.???
In reality, san francisco bay area Human Rights Commission circulated a 50-page report on bi-invisibility inside the LGBTQIA+ community, demonstrating that the event is alive and well.
As detailed by the commission, verbiage such as for instance ???gay marriage???homosexuality or?????? aren??™t inclusive and erase bisexual??™s identity.
13. ???Bisexual folks are a tiny community.???
A full 48.9% in 2007, a survey of 768 self-identified lesbians, gays and bisexual individuals discovered that almost half defined as bisexual ??” that??™s.
Bisexual people may well not talk down up to their lesbian and gay friends and family, but this will be more because of lingering stigmas than it is always to strength that is sheer.
It??™s here to stay like it or not, the bisexual community is here, and.
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