Bisexual is a sexual orientation that describes an individual who experiences sexual attraction to more than one gender.[1] Some bisexual individuals may be equally attracted to each gender, or have a stronger attraction towards one gender over another.[2] One does not have to have specific sexual experiences to be bisexual, one's identification does not rely on how many sexual or romantic partners one has had.[3]
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The term comes from the Latin prefix bi- meaning "two," "twice," "double," and sexual to denote what form of attraction is being felt.[4]
History[edit | edit source]
One of the earliest known identification of bisexual is the Kinsey Scale, which was developed by Alfred Kinsey as a measure of one's sexuality.[5]
The first known use of the word "bisexual" was in 1793, although it meant "possessing characters of both sexes."[6]
Flags & Symbols[edit | edit source]
The bisexual flag was designed by Michael Page and was unveiled on December 5, 1998. The colors were selected from the "bi angles" symbol. The pink stripe represents same-gender attraction, the blue stripe represents opposite-gender attraction and the purple stripe represents a blend of both same- and opposite-gender attraction.[7]
The "bi angles," also sometimes written as "biangles," symbol has been around longer than the flag. The exact origin of this symbol is unknown, but there are theories suggesting its meaning. Some believe the colors represent masculine, feminine, and non-binary attractions, others believe they may represent the same meanings as the flag.[8]
The "bisexual double moon" symbol was created in 1998 by Vivian Wagner as an alternative to the bi angles symbol.[8]
Community[edit | edit source]
Statistics[edit | edit source]
According to the William's Institute and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's research, 50% of individuals within the LGBTQ+ community identify as bisexual, making the bisexual population the largest group within the community.[1]
According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 75% of LGBTQ+ youth identify as bisexual.[9] In a 2016 publication by the CDC, 5.5% of bisexual individuals identify as women and 2% identify as men.[6]
Controversy[edit | edit source]
Some have argued that bisexual enforces the gender binary because the prefix bi- means "two." However, the term has always referred to more than one gender, and the current definition is not specifically binary.[9]
Perceptions and Discrimination[edit | edit source]
Biphobia is the prejudice, fear and hatred directed towards bi individuals. It can include making jokes or comments based on myths and stereotypes, such as "bisexual is a phase" or "bi individuals are greedy." Biphobia occurs both within and outside the LGBTQ+ community.[1]
Bisexual individuals are often excluded from the LGBTQ+ community and referred to as an "invisible identity" due to erasure. Bisexual individuals are sometimes assumed to be straight or gay based on the gender of their current partner.[1]
Because of biphobia and bi erasure, bisexual individuals suffer high rates of depression and anxiety, domestic violence, sexual assault and poverty.[1]
Known Individuals[edit | edit source]
Representation[edit | edit source]
Comics[edit | edit source]
- Nick Nelson (Heartstopper)[12]
TV[edit | edit source]
- Alex Russo (Wizards of Waverly Place)[13]
- Alucard (Castlevania)[14]
- Blake Belladonna (RWBY)[15]
- Brittany Pierce (Glee)[16]
- Darryl Whitefeather (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)[17]
- Hunter (The Owl House)[18]
- Luz Noceda (The Owl House)[19]
- Princess Bean (Disenchantment)[20]
- Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)[21]
Related Attractions[edit | edit source]
| Orientation | Attraction |
|---|---|
| Biaesthetic | Aesthetic |
| Biplatonic | Platonic |
| Biqueerplatonic | Queerplatonic |
| Biromantic | Romantic |
| Bisensual | Sensual |
Sources[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Human Rights Campaign. “Bisexual FAQ | Human Rights Campaign.” Human Rights Campaign, 10 Sept. 2015, www.hrc.org/resources/bisexual-faq.
- ↑ Brennan, Dan. “What Is Bisexual?” WebMD, 28 June 2021, www.webmd.com/sex/what-is-bisexual.
- ↑ “Bisexual People | GLAAD.” Glaad.org, 21 Feb. 2022, glaad.org/reference/bisexual/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
- ↑ “Bisexual | Etymology, Origin and Meaning of Bisexual by Etymonline.” Etymonline, www.etymonline.com/word/bisexual.
- ↑ Berg, Alex. “The Evolution of the Word “Bisexual” — and Why It’s Still Misunderstood.” NBC News, 23 Sept. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/evolution-word-bisexual-why-it-s-still-misunderstood-n1240832.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 American Psychological Association. “Understanding Bisexuality.” Https://Www.apa.org, Nov. 2017, www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/bisexual.
- ↑ Page, Michael. “The History of the Bi Pride Flag.” BiFlag, www.biflag.com/Activism.asp. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Wilber, Jennifer. “Show Your True Colors: A Guide to Bi Pride Symbols.” Owlcation, owlcation.com/humanities/Show-Your-True-Colors-A-Guide-to-Bi-Pride-Symbols.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 “Understanding Bisexuality.” The Trevor Project, 20 Aug. 2021, www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/understanding-bisexuality/.
- ↑ Simpson, Oli. “Billie Joe Confronts Bisexuality Claims.” Digital Spy, 24 Mar. 2010, www.digitalspy.com/music/a210498/billie-joe-confronts-bisexuality-claims/.
- ↑ “Lady Gaga Opens up about Her Sexuality.” MTV, www.mtv.com/news/qnfrtq/lady-gaga-opens-up-about-her-sexuality.
- ↑ Froio, Nicole. “An Ode to Bisexuality.” Medium, 12 May 2022, medium.com/@NicoleFroio/an-ode-to-bisexuality-2589c8d2d4d1.
- ↑ Wizards of Waverly Pod. “Ep 8: Showrunner & Writer Peter Murrieta Reveals the True Ending to Wizards of Waverly Place.” Www.youtube.com, 27 Mar. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO8UADF40Qc&t=3387s. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
- ↑ Samuel Deats. “Https://Twitter.com/Samueldeats/Status/1237933897687740417?Lang=En.” X (Formerly Twitter), 11 Mar. 2020, twitter.com/samueldeats/status/1237933897687740417?lang=en. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
- ↑ GalaxyCon. “RWBY Live Stream with Lindsay Jones, Kara Eberle, Barbara Dunkelman, & Arryn Zech.” Www.youtube.com, 29 Sept. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTc-S2s1HE8&t=1314s. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
- ↑ Bi.org. “Brittany Pierce.” Bi.org, bi.org/en/bi-characters/brittany-pierce. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
- ↑ Li, Shirley. ““Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” Star Talks “Gettin” Bi’: Darryl’s “Sexuality Isn’t the Butt of the Joke.”” EW.com, ew.com/article/2016/03/07/crazy-ex-girlfriend-bisexual-darryl-pete-gardner/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
- ↑ gaby. “Https://Twitter.com/Memorywitches/Status/1652157432586444800?S=61&T=FQhsv2gyXjDhxHeiuQdX6w.” X (Formerly Twitter), 28 Apr. 2023, twitter.com/memorywitches/status/1652157432586444800?s=61&t=fQhsv2gyXjDhxHeiuQdX6w. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
- ↑ Hindmarch, Thomas. ““The Owl House’s” Protagonist Is Bisexual, Making Disney History.” Game Rant, 18 Aug. 2020, gamerant.com/owl-houses-luz-bisexual-character-disney/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
- ↑ Netflix Geeked. “Https://Twitter.com/NetflixGeeked/Status/1354262415051898885.” X (Formerly Twitter), 26 Jan. 2021, twitter.com/NetflixGeeked/status/1354262415051898885. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.
- ↑ Flavell, Leah. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Ten Times Rosa Diaz Was a Bisexual Icon.” ScreenRant, 2 Oct. 2019, screenrant.com/brooklyn-nine-rosa-diaz-bisexual-icon/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.