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A Bisexuality Primer "Bisexuality 101" What in the world?? Intro to Bisexuality
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Definitions of Bisexuality
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FAQs
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History of Bisexuality
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An Introduction to Bisexuality
What is Bisexuality?
Bisexuality is the potential to feel sexually attracted to and to engage in sensual or
sexual relationships with people of either sex. A bisexual person may not be equally
attracted to both sexes, and a degree of attraction may vary over time. Self-perception
is the key to a bisexual identity. Many people engage in a sexual activity with people
of both sexes, yet do not identify as being bisexual. Likewise, other people engage in
sexual relations only with people of one sex, or do not engage in sexual activity at all,
yet consider themselves bisexual. There is no behavioral “test” to determine whether or
not one is bisexual.
Bisexual Identity: Is it just a phase?
Some people believe that a person is born heterosexual, homosexual, or
bisexual, and their identity is inherent and unchangeable. Others believe
that sexual orientation is due to socialization or a conscious choice.
Others believe that these factors interact. Because biological, social,
and cultural factors are different for each person, everyone’s sexuality
is highly individual, whether they are bisexual, gay or lesbian, heterosexual,
or asexual. The “value” placed on a sexual identity should not depend
on its cause.
Many people assume, solely, that bisexuality is just a phase people
go through. In fact, any sexual orientation can be a phase. Humans are
diverse, and individual, sexual feelings and behavior can change over time.
The creation and consolidation of a sexual identity is an ongoing process.
Since we are generally socialized as heterosexuals, bisexuality is a stage
that many people experience as part of the process of acknowledging their
homosexuality. Many others come to identify as being bisexual after a
period of living as a gay man or lesbian woman. An orientation that may
not be permanent is still valid for the period of time that it is experienced.
Bisexuality, like homosexuality and heterosexuality, may be either a transitional
step in the process of sexual discovery, or a stable, long-term identity.
How common is Bisexuality?
It is not easy to say how common bisexuality is, since little research
has been done on this subject; most studies on sexuality have focused on
heterosexuals or homosexuals. It is said that almost everyone has had a
thought or a sexual fantasy relating to someone of the same sex, at some
time in their life. Some bisexual people feel the need to express their
bisexuality more than others. Based on research done by Kinsey in the 1940s
and 1950s, as many as 15-25% of women and 33-46% of men may be bisexual,
based on their attractions and activities.
Bisexuals are in many ways, a hidden population. In our culture,
it is generally assumed that a person is either heterosexual or homosexual.
Because bisexuality does not fit into these standard categories, it tends
to be denied or ignored. When it is recognized, bisexuality is often viewed
as being “part heterosexual or homosexual, or as a “confused state,” rather
than being a unique identity. Bisexuality threatens the accepted way of
looking at the world by calling into question the validity of rigid sexual
categories, and encourages acknowledgment of the existence of a diverse
range of sexuality. Since there is not a stereotypical bisexual appearance
or way of acting, bisexuals are assumed to be either heterosexual or homosexual.
In order to increase awareness, bisexuals have begun to create their own
visible communities. |
Definitions of Bisexuality Back to the top |
Proposed by participants of the first annual BC Conference on Bisexuality, held in 1996.
Honoring both sexes. Having the capacity to be sexually / emotionally attracted to and "fall in love" with both men and women, and from this place challenge the notion of only 2 genders - to let go of / stand against the dualities. Being free of the lies that once surrounded me. BEING ME! That I am attracted to people and their personalities first and what gender they are is secondary. Being open to new desires and options for sexual and emotional fulfillment constantly. Finding the erotic potential that both genders - and all those in between - can offer. I am attracted to men and women. I can't choose. I have tried to ignore my attraction to women (when I was younger) to "fit in" with society, but my attraction doesn't go away. The recognition that at times I am attracted to one sex and at other times the other sex. This attraction is based on the individual not on their sex. 1. Being open to sexual relationships with both men and women, in theory, if not in practice. 2. Being sexually attracted to people of both sexes. Having been in relationships with men and women / or having feelings of attraction for both. Being able to love a person despite what their genitals look like. The need, capability, desire to appreciate emotionally and sexually both sexes. Being "balanced", embracing the masculine and feminine in everyone. That I can fuck who I want without seeking some else's (society's) approval. If I'm attracted to someone, I'm attracted to them - their gender is a bonus and pleasing whichever it is, but their soul goes further. I've been in love with both and it feels the same. I'm capable of being attracted to / falling in love with either. "Always being lucky!" OR feeling strongly attached emotionally and aroused sexually by both men and women, either at the same time or at different times. It means being me. Enjoying my masculinity and femininity. My hetero and homo along the continuum. Receiving and giving affection to all. FREEDOM OF A CHOICE! VISION of a Pan-Sexual community OR Pan Sensual community. Queer is a better word or Pan-Sexual meaning Queer Community (example grass-roots politics). 1. To be able to love in equal and all capacities, both genders or sexes. 2. To have the capacity to find attractive characteristics of both genders or sexes. The ability to be attracted to both men and women. Bi: i.e. dual, of sexualities. I don't really use this word for self-identity. I'm a person with feelings and this includes sexual feelings. It's never been so much a matter of gender (or genitals), but of an attraction. Except for reproductive feelings. FREEDOM OF CHOICE: TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE MY LOVE AND DESIRE FOR WOMEN AND MEN!!! My inner self tells me that I may love and be loved by both men and women. And that I need to love those parts of myself. For me it doesn't mean that can't and don't want to be monogamous with one soul mate. Loving of being attracted to people as fellow humans, not differentiating between male and female. On some days. Other days it means sometimes I lust after males sometimes I lust after females. Other days it just means lots more to play with! Growth. Balanced. The best of both worlds. Well-rounded. Lucky. Scared. Happy. As human as everyone else. It's challenging the social construct of seeing the world in a dual-polar way or an either or way. (of course I therefore have a problem with the word bisexual because it implies dual-polar thinking) It's a problematic word - initially my sexuality means to me I don't have a gender pre-requisite - and that eludes those of us who are 100% male or 100% female - therefore the problem I have with the world is the assumption of polar opposites when it comes to gender - bi = 2. I think gender is like sexuality in that there's a hell of a lot more than 2 options. The appreciation of female and male beauty taken to the extreme of wanting and/or enjoying physical contact. Sometimes emotional bonds occur. Being able to fall in love with either a man or a woman (not necessarily at the same time!) Being "out", being proud and unfortunately right now it means feeling alone in a sea of straights and gays. Going with spirit rather than genitals - the opportunity to love all human beings on even level. Inclusively and wholeness rather than exclusivity and fragmentation. Extended family, tribal communities. Honoring the bisexual aspects of nature and healing self and planet. Giving myself permission to be attracted to and love whoever I choose - without limiting myself based on gender. Self-acceptance; including all aspects of the nature of my sexual and emotional attractions towards fulfillment and complete personhood. The wonder, delight and open appreciation of the beauty of all human beings, embracing the wide spectrum of gender and sexuality. The relinguishment of the need for control and imposed order based on a paradigm caught in fear and scarcity. Moving closer to a transcendence in consciousness that is attuned to the reality and power of love as a primary universal force. The bridge between two worlds of sexuality, a spiritual / sexual line between gay and straight - men and women, women and women, men and women. An open world of sexual potential, and relationship potential, a wider range of intimacy. The freedom of Expression in the Sexual, Spiritual Emotional realm of the universe where there are no Boundaries and limitations. We are all one. Loving and being loved as an equal by both (or many different) sexes. Transcending the physical body for a "higher" love. Non-judgmental life-style! My identity is a non-identity. Perhaps it's "Omni-sexual". Being able to express my self emotionally. Spiritually - sexually with my partner of either gender and to feel safe and comfortable. Love is genderless. Capable of loving and having intimate relationships with people without letting gender interfere with the relationship. Being attracted to both men and womyn. Being capable of loving womyn and men. Refusing to see sexuality as an either / or choice. Loving people, not gender. Choice. Allowing sexuality into all relationships I choose to do so in. Being able to be attracted to and be intimate with members of both genders. It is the capacity to enjoy the spectrum of human sexuality. Bisexuality means not arbitrarily eliminating half the population for potential partners. It means relating to people as individuals, not as gender. |
Frequently asked questions Back to the top |Taken from a variety of sources including the Carleton GLB group and soc.bi.
Bisexuality - Some Questions Answered
So what exactly is a Bisexual?
So they're equally interested in men & women?
Doesn't being interested in both genders mean they're only half
as interested in either?
Aren't people really either heterosexual or homosexual?
Isn't it just a phase?
But isn't it a transition to being lesbian or gay?
But surely they're just confused, they haven't made up their minds yet?
Didn't Freud think we're all Bisexual?
Suppose I have - does that mean I'm bisexual too?
Like what?
Doesn't the term "Lesbian & Gay" include "Bisexual" as well?
So why aren't the Bisexuals more visible?
Similarly, if you see a man & a woman kissing, either of them might
be bisexual too. Also there's a real lack of information about
bisexuality in our libraries & in the media. And there are very few
organizations that specifically address Bisexual issues. Some
bisexual people have felt as if no-one knows they even exist.
Haven't they received a lot of publicity for spreading AIDS?
OK, I've heard what you've said so far. Where's the Bisexual Movement?
More FAQs: Source Unknown
What do you mean by "bisexual" anyway?
Aren't bisexuals just going through a phase of being confused about their sexuality?
However, many of us are absolutely certain that we are attracted to
both sexes; there is no confusion. It is natural for people who are coming
to terms with a sexuality which is not society's norm to be feel confused.
For some people, bisexuality is a phase between homosexuality and
heterosexuality (and the individual in question could be going in either
direction); for others it can just be a brief experimentation. But for many
people bisexuality is a lifelong, committed sexual orientation.
And even for those who ultimately do not stay bisexual for life, that does
not make it any the less valid as a sexual orientation. Many people have
reported that their sexual orientation has shifted over time; sexuality is
dynamic, not fixed. For some people it may be a small shift, others a major
change of lifestyle; but this does not make the points in between in any
sense "wrong". Life is a continuous process, and few of us remain exactly
the same over long periods of time.
Aren't bisexuals really denying their homosexuality?
But coming out bisexual is no easy matter, either. Bisexuals have to face
loved ones who have relied in the past on their attraction to them being
constant, and who have to assure them that it will be there in the future.
Bisexuals deal with friends who assure them that their attraction to MOTSS
is just "a way of avoiding intimacy" or that their attraction to motos is
"internalized homophobia". Bisexuality is not an "easy way out," a
"denial,"or a "middle ground." It is for some people the hardest decision
they will ever make.
Some bisexuals self-identify as gay or lesbian; for them, their primary
sexual interest lies in members of their same sex. But "gay" and "lesbian"
(and "bisexual" for that matter) are labels created by a homophobic,
biphobic, heterosexist society to create separate categories of "us" and
"them." People are unique; they do not fit into these comfortable little
categories. But, attracted to or involved with MOTOS or not, revealing an
interest in MOTSS will often result in gay-related discrimination and
exclusion.
Are bisexuals equally attracted to both sexes?
Do bisexuals have to have lovers of both sexes to be bisexual?
Are bisexuals capable of monogamy?
But if they're monogamous, how can they be bisexual?
Isn't everyone really bisexual?
If someone says that they are straight, or (gay/lesbian) then for
you to insist that they are "really" bisexual but perhaps just don't
realise it is to deny them their self-identity. Everyone should be free to
define their own identity for themselves, which invalidates this kind of
generalisation.
Why do you think bi issues are different from gay issues, since all your problems come
from the same source, homophobia?
Among our other concerns are:
Why would lesbians/gay men discriminate against bisexuals?
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History of the Bisexual Movement Back to the top |
By U.S. activist Liz Highleyman, from the Concise Encyclopedia of Homosexuality.
The Birth of the Bi Movement
The contemporary bisexual movement began in the early 1970s, although
earlier communities of bisexuals did exist, such as the Bloomsbury
community of artists and writers at the turn of the century. Early
bisexual groups tended to focus broadly on sexual liberation (for
example, the Sexual Freedom League); members of these groups were
often more closely connected to heterosexual ``swinger'' communities
than to gay or lesbian communities. Many bisexuals were also
associated with the early gay liberation movement, which at the time
advocated sexual freedom and the potential for people to be sexual
with both genders. As gay activists began to adopt an either/or
``ethnic'' identity-based model of sexuality, however, bisexuals were
faced with exclusion from parts of the gay movement, and some sought
to create specifically bisexual communities and organizations.
The ``Ithaca Statement on Bisexuality'' (by the Quaker Committee of
Friends on Bisexuality) appeared in _The Advocate_ in 1972,
announcing the new bi consciousness to gay readers. This consciousness
was influenced by the shift of activism toward personal concerns
following the end of the Vietnam war, by increasing gay visibility, by
the feminist and civil rights movements, and by the cultural focus on
paradigm-smashing and self-discovery (often aided by mind-altering
drugs). This was the era of ``bisexual chic,'' with a rash of
articles in the popular press about bisexuality, and high visibility
of bisexual rock stars and artists. The media focus was on the club
scene and celebrities rather than on bisexual liberation politics.
The first bisexual groups developed in the 1970s in large U.S.
cities. The National Bisexual Liberation Group was founded in New
York in 1972 and claimed a large membership in the U.S. and abroad by
1975; it published ``The Bisexual Expression,'' probably the earliest
bi newsletter. New York City's Bi Forum began in 1975, and Chicago's
BiWays formed in 1978. The San Francisco Bisexual Center was founded
in 1976, and from the start engaged in political activism.
Throughout this period, bisexuals also continued to be active in gay
and lesbian groups and events.
The early 1980s also saw the development of a bisexual movement in the
U.K. and Europe. Though this movement paralleled the US movement in
some ways, the U.K. and European groups often arose from different
roots and followed different courses. The London Bisexual Group was
founded in 1981 by men active in the anti-sexist men's movement. The
Edinburgh Bisexual Group formed in 1984 as an outgrowth of a
lesbian/gay/bisexual socialists conference. The discussion later in
this pamphlet regarding trends in the bi movement refers specifically
to the movement in the USA.
Changes in the 1980s
While the groups of the 1970s were often predominantly male, many of
the 1980s organizations were founded and led by women. Bisexual women
had begun to experience alienation from lesbian communities as
separatism and polarization around sexual orientation increased in the
late 1970s. For many bi women, bisexuality was an integral part of
their feminist politics and they wanted their groups to reflect this
emphasis. The Boston Bisexual Women's Network (formed in 1983) and
the Seattle Bisexual Women's Network (founded in 1986) are based on
these principles.
The formation of bisexual groups proceeded steadily throughout the
1980s. Washington DC's bisexual group began in the early 1980s.
Philadelphia's Bi Unity, the Wellington Bi Women's Group in New
Zealand, and groups in Germany and Australia formed in the
mid-1980s. Umbrella groups were formed to facilitate regional
organizing, including the East Coast Bisexual Network in 1985 and the
Bay Area Bisexual Network in 1987. The first groups devoted
specifically to bisexual political activism were formed, including San
Francisco's BiPol (1983), Boston's BiCEP (1988), and New York City's
BiPAC.
AIDS had a profound effect on the bisexual movement. Bi men were
stigmatized as spreaders of HIV from homosexuals to the ``general
population.'' In the late 1980s, as awareness of AIDS in women
increased, bisexual women began be to stigmatized as spreaders of HIV
to lesbians. These developments spurred discussions about the
distinction between sexual behavior and sexual identity (for example,
many self-identified bisexual women did not have sex with men, while
many self-identified lesbians did). Activists and public health
officials alike began to emphasize behavior, not identity, as a risk
factor for HIV infection. Many men who had been leaders in the
bisexual movement became ill or died, and many other bi men and women
turned their attention to AIDS-related activism and service work.
National and International Consolidation
In 1987, a call was put out for a bisexual
contingent to the 1987 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights.
Seventy-five people participated in what proved to be the first U.S.
nationwide bisexual gathering. Discussion began about creating a
national or continental organization of bisexuals. Networking
continued following the march, and the North American Bisexual Network
in formation (NABN) was born. In June 1990, BiPOL organized the first
U.S. National Bisexual Conference in San Francisco, with over 400
attendees. The conference was comprised of over eighty workshops on a
broad range of subjects, including organizational meetings; as a
result of these meetings, NABN was formalized as the North American
Multicultural Bisexual Network (NAMBN). After a year of discussion
and re-organization, NAMBN was renamed in the summer of 1991 to BiNet:
the Bisexual Network of the USA. In October 1991 the First
International Conference on Bisexuality was held in Amsterdam in the
Netherlands, and in October 1992 the Second International Bisexual
Conference took place in London, bringing together bisexuals from
Europe, the U.K., and the U.S. The second U.S. National Conference
on Bisexuality is being held in April 1993 in conjunction with the
March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and
Liberation, and the third international bisexual conference is planned
for June 1994 in New York City in conjunction with the celebration of
the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (widely considered to be
the birth of the modern gay rights movement).
New Directions in the 1990s
In the late 1980s and early 1990s students and youth became more
active in the bisexual movement. College students began to include
bisexuals by name in campus gay and lesbian organizations, with over
100 such groups in existence by the end of the decade. At the same
time, a new ``queer movement'' had begun to take shape. Young
activists, many of whom were involved with the AIDS activist group ACT
UP, formed Queer Nation in the summer of 1990. With its emphasis on
diversity, radical politics and direct action, this movement brought
out people who had become disillusioned by the assimilationism and
apoliticism of existing gay and bi organizations. Parts of the new
movement emphasize the inclusion of bisexuals, transgenderists and
other sexual minorities under the queer umbrella; other parts are less
welcoming to those who are not exclusively homosexual.
At the turn of the decade there was a marked increase in the
appearance of new books on bisexuality, which until then had been
scarce and rather clinical. Groundbreaking anthologies included
_Bisexual Lives_ (Off Pink Publishing, 1988), _Bi Any
Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out_ (Alyson Publications, 1990) and
_Closer to Home: Bisexuality and Feminism_ (Seal Press, 1992).
In 1991 the bi movement gained its first glossy national magazine
_Anything That Moves: Beyond the Myths of Bisexuality_, which
joined the many long-lived local newsletters such as Boston's
_BiWomen_, Seattle's _North Bi Northwest_, and
Philadelphia's _Bi Focus_.
The early 1990s saw a proliferation of appearances by bisexual people
in the U.S. and U.K. media, including such popular national talk shows
as ``Donahue'' and ``Geraldo.'' Universities have begun to include
bisexuality in their gay and lesbian studies courses, and a few have
even introduced courses specifically devoted to bisexuality. National
and international bisexual networking has been aided by the creation
of electronic computer mailing lists such as the BISEXU-L and BIFEM-L
lists, the soc.bi newsgroup on Usenet, and numerous private bulletin
boards. There are ongoing projects to record the history of bisexual
movement and promote networking, such as the International Bisexual
Archives in Boston and the International Directory of Bisexual Groups.
Looking Ahead
Moving toward the mid-1990s, several issues are on agenda for the
bisexual movement. There is a growing emphasis on multicultural
organizing and activism, and many are working actively to increase the
participation of people of color in bisexual communities.
Transgendered and differently-gendered people have long been active
within bisexual communities, but have often remained hidden and been
excluded where only single-sex groups exist. Today, their concerns
are receiving more explicit attention, and many transgendered and
non-transgendered bisexuals are focusing on breaking down polarized
gender categories. There is persistent tension within the movement
between the desire to proudly claim a bisexual identity and build
strong bisexual communities, and the desire to lessen society's
divisive emphasis on labels and categories. Some bisexual activists
focus on the category-smashing aspect, insisting that sexuality and
gender should be viewed as a spectrum, that there is no ``us'' and
``them.'' Other bi activists emphasize the need to fight societal
homophobia, as well as fighting biphobia among gay men and lesbians.
As the bisexual movement has grown, so too has the number of
strategies and perspectives on bisexual organizing. Many bisexuals
have focused on increasing bisexual inclusion within the lesbian and gay
movement and communities; this is especially true of bisexuals who
formerly identified as lesbian or gay themselves. The 1993 March on
Washington will be the first U.S. national action to explicitly include
bisexuals, and is being seen as a big step forward for the bisexual
movement. Other bis are interested in creating a broader movement for
sexual liberation (including all sexual and gender minorities) in
which bisexuals will be equal participants, rather than seeking
integration into existing gay and lesbian organizations. Some wish to
create a movement that will focus on bisexuals and their unique
issues, while at the same working in alliance with gay men, lesbians,
and other oppressed groups when our struggles coincide. Still others
are interested in organizing and mobilizing bisexuals who do not
identify with or have ties to gay and lesbian communities. All these
strategies can make a contribution as the bisexual movement and its
many communities grows and diversifies. |
Back to the top | |
Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out
(Loraine Hutchins, Lani Kaahamanu).
Bisexual Politics: Theories, Queries, & Visions
(edited by Naomi Tucker, Liz Highleyman, Rebecca Kaplan)
Dual Attraction: Understanding Bisexuality
(Martin S. Weinberg, Colin J. Williams, Douglas W. Pryor)
Bisexuality & HIV/AIDS: A Global Perspective
(Tielman, Carballo, Hendriks)
The Bisexual Option: Second Edition
(Fritz Klein, MD, forward R.U Reinhardt, PhD)
The Other Side of the Closet: The Coming-Out Crisis for Straight Spouses
(Amity Pierce Buxton)
Vice Versa --- Bisexuality and the Eroticism of Everyday
Life.
(Marjorie Garber)
Out & About Campus: Personal Accounts by Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual & Transgender College Students
(edited Kim Howard, Annie Stevens)
The Ethical Slut:
A Guide to Infinite Sexual Possibilities (Dossie Easton, Catherine A. Liszt)
Love Makes a Family: Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Parents and Their Families
(Gigi Kaeser, et al)
Bisexuality in Men and Women: Two Lives to Lead
(Fritz Klein, MD.,Timothy J, Wolf, PhD)
Blessed Bi Spirit: Bisexual People of Faith
(edited Deb Kolodny)
Bi Lives : Bisexual Women Tell Their Stories
(edited Kate Orndorff)
Bi Resource Guide: 4th Edition
(edited Robyn Ochs)
Closer to Home: Bisexuality & Feminism
(edited Elizabeth Reba Weise: limited availability, paperback May 1992)
Plural Desires: Writing Bisexual Women's Realities
(edited Nancy Chater, Dionne Falconer, Sharon Lewis)
Public Sex: The Culture of Radical Sex
(edited Pat Califia)
Polyamory: The New Love Without Limits: Secrets of Sustainable
Intimate Relationships (Deborah M. Anapol)
Breaking the Barriers to Desire:
New Approaches to Multiple Relationships (Kevin Lano)
Loving More: The Polyfidelity Primer (Ryam Nearing)
For more bi books, check out the books section at bisexual.org. |
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