Online Encyclopedia
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by romantic love or sexual desire for members of either or both genders, contrasted with homosexuality, heterosexuality, and asexuality. The terms pansexual or omnisexual are generally used synonymously. Bisexuals may have simultaneous relationships with partners of both genders, practice serial monogamy with partners of either gender, have relationships with partners of only one gender, or practice celibacy. Bisexuality refers to desires and self-concept, not necessarily behavior.
Bisexual orientation can fall anywhere between the two sexual orientations of homosexuality and heterosexuality, and can be a unique combination of characteristics. Another view of bisexuality is that both homosexuality and heterosexuality are monosexualities, whereas bisexuality encompasses monosexual orientations.
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Terminology
Pansexual and omnisexual are neologisms that also refer to people who are attracted to more than one gender. Rather than both or "bi" gender attraction, they refer to "all" or "omni" gender attraction, and are often used mainly by those who wish to express their understanding and acceptance of all sexual and gender possibilities including transgender and intersexed people. Pansexuality sometimes includes an attraction for less mainstream sexual activities, such as BDSM.
Trysexual (sometimes "trisexual") is a neologism and a pun on bisexual. It is used as a humorous term for someone who will try any sexual experience at least once.
People who are not bisexual are either "monosexual" (attracted to only one gender) or asexual (attracted to no genders).
Prevalence of bisexuality
Some studies, notably Alfred Kinsey's Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), have found that the majority of people appear to be at least somewhat bisexual. Most people have some attraction to either sex, although usually one sex is preferred. According to Kinsey, only about 5-10% of the population can be considered to be fully heterosexual or homosexual. An even smaller minority can be considered truly bisexual, that is, having no distinct preference for one gender or the other.
History of bisexuality
Bisexuality has a universal history. People in most known societies have exhibited varying degrees of bisexuality, and most of what is called homosexuality in previous cultures is in fact bisexuality (it should be noted, however, that the terms heterosexuality and bisexuality, and particularly homosexuality, may not be appropriate in the historical context. In most ancient societies, behaviour was considered homosexual while people were not labeled using such terms. Similarly, heterosexuality and bisexuality are also relatively modern concepts).
For example, in Ancient Greece men often engaged in same-sex relationships, yet most also had wives. Ancient Rome, Arab countries up to and including the present, China and Japan, all exhibit patterns of bisexual behaviour. Perhaps the most famous and militaristic example is Alexander the Great who had many wives, but also a sexual relationship with his close friend Hephaestion, but the same could be said of almost all the Roman emperors, the shoguns of Japan, the Chinese emperors, and others in every country and every age.
Ancient Sparta also tolerated same-sex relationships among their troops so long as the men also had wives and produced children. The Spartans thought that physical relationships between older and younger soldiers would solidify combat loyalty and encourage heroic tactics as men vied to impress their lovers. Once the younger soldier passed a certain age, the relationship was supposed to become non-sexual, but it is not clear how strictly this was followed.
In the modern Arab world, same-sex sexual behavior between men is very common; some sources describe it as near-ubiquitous. This is despite prohibitions against homosexual behavior in the Quran and severe penalties for offenders in some nations, including the death penalty. While among Arabs bisexuality is known to be very common, and men are not given much trouble about these behaviors so long as they marry and raise families and fulfill other societal duties, it is something which remains very covert, and an open declaration of homosexual preference would be unacceptable. In this way, bisexuality in the Arab world is somewhat similar to the DL culture prevalent in some African-American communities.
Bisexuality in Western Culture
Gay and lesbian people have sometimes perceived (and adopted) the bisexual label as a way of holding on to heterosexual privilege. This often leads to the misperception that anyone who identifies as bisexual is really gay or lesbian but afraid to admit it. This misperception is often evident in popular culture, in film, television and in music and in the popular saying in gay culture: 'Bi now gay later'. The television show "Friends" sported a short song about the topic that expresses a common (if misinformed) opinion on the subject:
"Sometimes men love women,
Sometimes men love men,
Then there are bisexuals
Though some people say they're kidding themselves"
Because bisexual people sometimes do not feel that they fit into either the gay community or the heterosexual world, and because they have a tendency to become invisible in public (fitting in rather seamlessly into both homosexual and heterosexual society), some bisexual persons are committed to forming their own communities and movement.
Biphobia is a neologism that describes either the view that people are either heterosexual or homosexual, or expresses disapproval of bisexuals. Bisexual persons may also be the target of homophobia.
- "A bisexual is a person who reaches down the front of somebody's pants and is satisfied with whatever they find." -- Dana Carvey as the church lady, Saturday Night Live
The bisexual pride flag
The bisexual flag, which has a pink or red stripe at the top for homosexuality, a blue one on the bottom for heterosexuality and a purple one in the middle to represent bisexuality, as purple is from the combination of red and blue.
See also
External links
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soc.binewsgroup FAQ Bi newsgroup - Bi Resources
- Bi Flag
- The Androphile Project Extensive resource of gay and bisexual history
