What is bisexuality?
Bisexuality is sexual/romantic attraction to people regardless of sex or gender. While a straight or gay person may be attracted only to men or only to women, a bisexual person’s attraction is not limited to either.
Other words people use for bisexual include: pansexual, omnisexual, polysexual, trisexual.
Do bisexuals need to have a boyfriend AND a girlfriend at the same time?
No.
Most people, regardless of sexual orientation, identify as monogamous, while others are nonmonogamous. A straight woman might have one husband and be exclusive to him, while another straight woman might have multiple boyfriends.
Like straight people, a bisexual person or a gay person might be monogamous or nonmonogamous.
Are bisexuals more likely to cheat?
Bisexuals are no more or less likely to cheat than anyone else.
While heterosexual cheating is seen as somewhat normal and unrelated to sexual orientation, people see bisexuals cheating as result of their bisexuality. This is biphobic and false. Bisexuals can be just as good or rubbish as anyone else.
Is bisexuality just a phase?
For many people, finding their sexual orientation is a journey of exploration or detective work. Sometimes a person might identify as bisexual for a time, and then identify as either gay or straight later. Similarly, many bisexuals used to identify as gay or straight. However, most bisexuals do not change sexual orientation, even if they’re not open about their bisexuality.
Are bisexuals really just confused gay/straight people?
No.
Many things confuse me. Geometry confuses me. But my bisexuality does not confuse me.
Are bisexuals just super horny?
No.
Bisexuals are commonly sexualised and sexually harassed due to our sexual orientation. Some people believe that our openness about our attraction means we are just very horny or promiscuous. This is not true. Some bisexuals may have a high sex drive, while others are asexual. Either way, sexual harassment is unacceptable.
Do bisexuals need to be equally attracted to men and women?
Some people may find themselves more often attracted to one gender over another. And that’s okay! Human sexual and romantic attraction exists on a broad spectrum, with many different factors. Bisexuals with a preference are still bisexual.
Do I need to have gay sex to be a true bisexual?
No.
Does a straight person need to have sex to be considered straight? Obviously not. Like all sexual orientations, bisexuality is defined by your attraction, not your experience. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone.
Are bisexuals really oppressed? Isn’t it worse to be gay?
Research shows that bisexuals feel excluded from both straight society and regular LGBT+ activities and that over 70% of bisexuals aren’t out to the most important people in their lives. Bisexuals are also more prone than lesbian and gay populations to experience intimate partner violence, 75% of bisexual women are victims of sexual violence, and 40% of bisexuals have been diagnosed with depression. These numbers are significantly higher than those of both gay and lesbian and heterosexual populations, and the same goes for statistics on substance abuse, poverty, suicide attempts and physical health as well. While the numbers improve for gay men and lesbians as they get older and find support of their community, the statistics stay just as devastating for older bisexuals. Therefore, it’s crucial to provide specialised services which address bisexuality.
Is bisexuality inherently transphobic?
No.
Bisexuality has never been inherently transphobic. Many transgender people, including nonbinary people, are bisexual. Some cisgender bisexuals might be transphobic, but so are some straight people, gay people, and lesbians. However, bi people, straight people, and gay people have always had relationships with trans people.
The myth of bisexual transphobia came about in response to the “bi-” prefix in the word bisexual, which implies a gender binary system, and may seem offensive to nonbinary people. The word “bisexual” was not chosen by our community, but was an oppressive label applied to pathologise our sexuality, labeling us as mentally ill for our attraction. Over time, the bi community chose to reclaim the word, to be proud of our orientation, rather than let conservative medical systems tell us we are bad. The word “bisexual” has gone from a word implying mental illness and duality to a word meaning community and empowerment. The prefix “bi-” has nothing to do with bisexuals excluding nonbinary people, and bi people have always had relationships with nonbinary people. The modern definition of “bisexual” is “attraction regardless of gender”.
But “bi” means two
“Oct” means “eight” but october is no longer the 8th month of the year. Words evolve.