Attitude

Bisexuality and public perception

Not only is there little know scientifically about bisexuality, there is not a significant, popular bisexual community or culture visible in America. There is also a lot of social stigma surrounding bisexuality – many people associate bisexuals with homosexuals, and want to label them as queer and against the grain of social norms. Likewise, much of the time bisexuality is lumped together within the category of homosexuality when being observed scientifically, instead of being researched as an independent issue. Public perceptions of bisexuality are skewed, and lack of information, education, and even a well-defined label, have lead to prejudice and discrimination.

Influences:

A few of my friends are bisexual

A few of my friends have no conception of what bisexuality really is

Noticing the differences in society accepting female bisexuals versus male bisexuals

Observing females proclaiming bisexuality as a stunt to get attention

Knowing males who cannot admit to being bisexual because of fear of humiliation

My instincts tell my that bisexuality is genetic

Bisexual relationships were considered normal in ancient Rome

Freud believed that humans are born bisexual, and preference emerges from early experiences of love and sensation

Knowledge of Kinsey’s sex studies that concluded that most humans are bisexual

The first time I ever heard the word bisexual was when I learned about how the AIDS virus was spread

Bisexuality is an orientation that is separate from heterosexuality and homosexuality, and as a third orientation, is a product of both biology and culture. Many people assume that bisexuals are just sex-crazed people that give into any and every temptation and desire and who carry on multiple relationships with both sexes simultaneously. It is a big issue just labeling and identifying oneself as a bisexual, especially when partaking in monogamous relationships. Society labels a person gay if they are in a same-sex relationship and straight if they are in an opposite-sex relationship – bisexuality is normally publicized on a need-to-know basis, which hinders these people from participating in organizations or having a strong collective voice (like the gay community.)