The B in LGBTQ+ stands for bisexuality, but a number of misconceptions round this sexual orientation nonetheless exist each inside and outdoors the group. With Bisexual Awareness Week being noticed from sixteenth September, culminating in Celebrate Bisexuality Day on twenty third September, Deccan Chronicle speaks to members of the LGBTQ+ group to debunk common myths surrounding bisexuality.
Myth #1: Bisexuals like solely women and men
According to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the definition of bisexuality is “the potential to be bodily, romantically, and/or emotionally drawn to folks of a couple of gender.” The notion that bisexual individuals are drawn to solely two genders, i.e., female and male, comes from the prefix ‘bi-’, however ‘bi’ truly refers to genders which are much like one’s personal and others. So, a cisgender bisexual lady is likely to be drawn to each cis girls (her gender), cis males, and transgender males (different genders).
Only contemplating female and male as each genders additionally places bisexuality right into a gender binary. Kali, a communications coach and founding father of non-profit organisation SocioQueers, explains, “Bisexuality is attraction to 2 or extra genders, however the two will be something – it does not essentially need to be a person and a girl. I’ve identified fairly some people who find themselves bisexual and drawn to solely cis girls and trans girls.” Bisexuality is inclusive of all people no matter their gender identities.
Myth #2: Bisexuals really feel 50-50 attraction to 2 genders
The concept of bisexuals feeling equal attraction in direction of two genders once more stems from the prefix ‘-bi’. As we’ve established, ‘bi’ doesn’t essentially imply solely two genders, however does that imply a bisexual who’s attracted to 3 genders feels an equally divided 33.3% attraction in direction of them? Not fairly. “Bisexuality isn’t like a math equation the place LHS needs to be equal to RHS,” says an instructional coach and particular person who identifies as bisexual, Sagnik. “It’s all primarily based on particular person emotions and needs.” Kali provides, “It’s very attainable to have preferences. Some bisexual girls have a desire for males over girls, some choose girls over males, and a few really embody this concept of 50-50. It is a spectrum, and all people falls on it in another way.”
Rather than equal ratios, bisexual attraction (or any type of attraction for that matter) needs to be considered as a continuum. 50-50 calls for fixity, when attraction varies from individual to individual and evolves with time and expertise.
Myth #3: Bisexuals are promiscuous/untrue
Hypersexuality and bisexuality are seen as concentric circles, however that is removed from the reality. Aleena, a pupil and one other particular person who identifies as bisexual, reveals, “If folks know you might be drawn to a couple of gender, they categorise you as ‘hypersexual.’ Some bisexuals are very hypersexual, however it’s not a rule each bisexual has to abide by.” Whether an individual is hypersexual and subsequently non-monogamous or adulterous has extra to do with perspective than sexuality. So, why do bisexuals get flak about this? “Desire and lust as we all know it are conceptualised in a heteronormative society,” Aleena states. “In a typical cishet relationship, you’re speculated to be jealous of your companion’s opposite-sex associates, however bisexuality questions this binary.”
For bisexual folks, the intercourse of a person (or people) doesn’t decide their attraction in direction of them. Sexual attraction is predicated on a number of components and easily being drawn to a bigger group of individuals doesn’t translate into feeling extra attraction than heterosexuals or homosexuals.
One’s sexual orientation doesn’t affect their sexual practices, and that rings true for all sexualities.
And these are just a few of many different myths that exist on the market. Bisexuality is not a sexual orientation caught in a limbo between homosexuality and heterosexuality; it is an identification of its personal. When a big a part of the LBGTQ+ group identifies as bi, it is vital for each group members and allies to keep away from stereotyping these people and attempt to perceive their distinctive bisexual experiences.
This article is authored by Tejasree Kallakrinda, interning with Deccan Chronicle
