biphobia

[Behind the Aegis]

30. "It's just trendy." That's what I often her in regards to this issue.

Unfortunately, the term bisexuality focuses on "sex" and given our (the United States) very negative attitudes toward sex, it is not helpful. To explain further, it is easy to see how the GAY community focuses more on our community/culture by using the word "gay (fe/male homosexual)" or "lesbian (female homosexual)." Bisexuals don't have another name to use, so it conjures up "sex," in much the same way "homosexual" used to do, and still does when used by, usually, right-wingers. Hell, even "heterosexuals" got a name change, "straight." So, for bisexual people, it comes back to a focus on sex. This exists in the gay and lesbian culture, as well, sadly. IMO, I would say that biphobia is probably as rampant in the GL community as it in the non-GL community. I also think many gay men and many lesbians are responsible for some of the "bad press" that bisexuals get, in that many of us used "bisexuality" as a stepping stone to our real sexual orientation, and thereby creating a false sense that bisexuality is really "nothing more than a phase."

There is also the problem with people calling/declaring themselves "bisexual," when in reality, they aren't. There are some who really do use this sexual orientation as a "trend," and that is sad. Of course, bisexuality is often forgotten when sex scandals occur. One has to be either "G/L" or "straight." So many people seem to forget, bisexuality is a legitimate sexual orientation. It's a product of dualistic thinking. The other issue, of course, is that just because someone has a same/other sex encounter, they aren't "magically" transformed into the 'other' nor are the necessarily bisexual.

Bisexuals get a really bad rap from all sides of the sexual spectrum*, and that is really sad and unproductive. It comes from a society that devalues sexuality, sexual expression, and knowledge.


*Though I use the word "spectrum," which implies a line, I really think of sexuality more of as a circle. I just couldn't think of an appropriate word other than 'spectrum' to relay what I was thinking.