Biphobia

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In 2020, 54.6% of LGBTQ+ adults in the United States identified as bisexual, making them the largest group in the community. Despite this, the struggles of bisexual people are often overlooked. Many believe that bisexual people are the least susceptible to discrimination in our heteronormative society because they are able to “blend in” by simply dating a straight person. This is a complete myth; bisexuals face discrimination just as much as any other group in the LGBTQ+ community. Bisexuals are often labelled as attention-seeking, adulterous, and unable to be satisfied by a single partner. Many bisexual people feel discouraged from opening up about their sexuality because their friends might start taking their interactions as “flirting.” These stereotypes make it difficult for bisexual people to form long-lasting relationships; both platonic and romantic. Unfortunately, this stigmatization doesn't only come from straight and cisgendered people. It is also perpetuated within the LGBTQ+ community.

Many members of the community believe in the myth that bisexual people are able to avoid discrimination easier than other LGBTQ+ groups; as such, some people resent them for this “privilege.” This hostility towards bisexuality can lead to some bi people misidentifying themselves as homosexual just so they can feel somewhat accepted. The LGBTQ+ community should be the one place where bisexual people are guaranteed to feel safe and appreciated for who they are, but that is unfortunately not the reality of the situation. Bisexual people often feel unrepresented at events like pride festivals; oftentimes, where bisexuality is acknowledged only as an afterthought to celebrating gay/lesbian/trans culture. This tendency to ignore bisexuality in the LGBTQ+ conversation is a large and prevalent problem known as bisexual erasure.

Bisexual erasure is a form of biphobia that permeates through multiple levels of our society. Many people have a misconception that bisexuality is “just a phase” or is a term used by people who are unsure whether they are heterosexual or homosexual. This can lead to bisexual people to avoid seeking therapy, out of fear of their experiences getting invalidated. The media often mischaracterizes bisexual figures as well; one of the first people to be married in a same-sex marriage in the United States, Robyn Ochs, was often misrepresented as a lesbian in news headlines. Mentions of bisexuality are also near-nonexistent in court briefs regarding LGBTQ+ rights, although lawyers have begun to use more bi-inclusive language in recent court cases.

Bisexual erasure — and biphobia as a whole — is an important issue that needs to be focused on outside of the umbrella that is LGBTQ+ discrimination. Bisexuality isn’t just a letter in the initialism; they’re a community of people with their own identity and their own unique struggles. As allies of the LGBTQ+ community, we must support every individual group within it.

Imperial College article: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/equality/resources/lgbtq-equality/how-to-be-a-bi-ally/

References

• https://www.hrc.org/resources/bisexual-faq

• https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/how-many-people-lgbt/

• https://www.glaad.org/amp/bi-health-care-BHM

• https://www.mygwork.com/en/my-g-news/how-bi-erasure-is-damaging-the-bisexual-community

• https://www.mungos.org/biphobia-and-bi-erasure-should-not-be-as-prevalent-as-they-are/

• https://web.archive.org/web/20140720082629/http://www.thetaskforce.org/press/releases/pr736_092104

• https://bi.org/en/articles/legally-bi-bi-erasure-in-lgbt-rights-litigation

• http://www.imperial.ac.uk/equality/resources/lgbtq-equality/how-to-be-a-bi-ally/

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Published June 23, 2021

Written by Alex Truong ~ Graphics created by Abinaya Balaji