Bisexuality means that a person is sexually or romantically attracted to more than one sex or gender (e.g. being attracted to both men and women), not necessarily in the same way, at the same time, or to the same degree. Bisexual people’s experiences are varied. Attraction can be fluid and can change throughout someone’s life. Bisexuality can look like lots of different sexual behaviours and relationship types. Some people might prefer to use a different identity like ‘straight’ or ‘gay’ even though their experiences might be more bisexual in nature. Others go label-free. You might also see the term Bi+, which incorporates people who are attracted to other people regardless of their gender.
Biphobia and negativity
Bisexual people can experience discrimination from both heterosexual people and other LGBTIQA+ communities due to negative attitudes or untrue stereotypes. These attitudes can include the idea that bisexual people are promiscuous, untrustworthy, or confused because they are using bisexuality as a steppingstone before coming out as gay, or using it as a cover. While some people do identify as bisexual before coming out as a different identity, it’s important to remember that this isn’t the case for everyone. Identifying as bisexual temporarily is still valid and doesn’t make a person inauthentic. Many people will go through the motions of feeling attraction towards a range of different people throughout their life, and this does not make them ‘confused’. It’s also important to remember that bisexual people are no more likely to cheat on their partners than people who are not bi, and not all bisexual people are polyamorous (but it is valid and okay if they are). Negative language and widespread myths create a stigma that can leave bi people feeling invisible in all communities.
Visibility
The ‘B’ in LGBTIQA+ has the highest proportion of people in the whole acronym. Bisexual visibility makes it easier for others to come out and increases understanding about bisexuality and sexual fluidity in the broader communities. Bisexual people are just as valid, beautiful, and authentic as gay or straight people.