Bisexuality
What exactly is bisexuality and why is it threatening to so many straight people as well as many gay men and lesbians? Some believe that bisexuality is a third kind of sexual identity, between or beyond homosexuality and heterosexuality. Is this the case, or is bisexuality something that puts in question the very concept of sexual identity in the first place? Are bisexuals "just gay and lesbian people who are afraid to admit they are gay" (Eliason 1997), or are they people who have "sexual attraction towards or sexual behavior with persons of both genders"? (Fox 1996) The fact is that public perception of bisexuals is based largely on a series of stereotypes that seem to challenge our cultural norms and beliefs related to sexuality, relationships, intimacy, and gender. Some of these stereotypes may include that bisexuals: don't exist, are confused, need to date a man and woman, have the best of both worlds, and spread AIDS. In general, many of these stereotypes can be fact!ual, based on fact, or completely inaccurate. Bisexuality is simply defined as having sexual desire for people of the same and opposite gender. (Patrick, 417) In the Boswell article, it is said "People consider themselves 'homosexual' or 'heterosexual' b
That choice defines who and what you are. Instead, they chose to rem!ain behind the mantle of gay communities, and only now, some 30 years after Stonewall, they are making themselves known. Straight communities need to learn that we are not gay, but instead somewhere in the middle of the sexual continuum, and the gay communities need to learn that we want the same thing as them, to have the freedom to love whomever we wish without consequence. (Boswell, 35) Although bisexuality challenges our cultural norms related to sexuality, the attempt to mold human beings to a strict framework that does not fit them naturally is wrong. As shown in the Patrick article, this can be very threatening to many gays and lesbians. " Being bisexual, she considered herself to be queer, but a few of the lesbian women in there did not feel the same way. As one of the members in the panel that visited our class pointed out, bisexuals may be monogamous if they feel that is the best framework for their expression of love. Many homosexuals view bisexuality more negatively than heterosexuals do (Deacon et al. " (Warner, 477) When they are out about being bisexual they are likely to have the dual stigmatization of having been rejected from both straight and gay communities; often feeling "invisible" since they don't quite fit in either (Weasel 1996). However, there are many stereotypes of bisexual oriented people that do not hold true for many of them. The fact is that most bisexuals are monogamous. (Patrick, 417) In Garber's article, "Vice Versa," he refers to this problem as "biphobia" (Garber, 423). Furthermore, it is argued that without such processes or socialization, people would simply be sexual.
Common topics in this essay:
America Online,
,
Lecture Monogamy,
Vice Versa,
Seventies Nineties,
gay communities,
patrick 417,
cultural norms,
ault 1996,
garber 423,
et al,
related sexuality,
straight gay,
deacon et al,
beliefs related sexuality,
gays lesbians,
gay community,
related sexuality relationships,
straight gay communities,
sexuality relationships intimacy,
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Acceptance Essays
