Bisexuality
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Bisexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by aesthetic attraction, romantic love and sexual desire for both males and females. It is usually contrasted with homosexuality, heterosexuality, and asexuality.
| Contents |
Description
Although it has been observed in a variety of forms in many societies for most of recorded history, it has only been the subject of serious scientific study since the second half of the 20th century, and there is substantial disagreement about its prevalence, healthfulness, and even its nature.
Self-identified bisexuals are known to live a variety of sexual lifestyles. These include: lifelong monogamy, serial monogamy, polyfidelity, casual sexual activity with individual partners, casual group sex, and celibacy. For those with more than one sexual partner, these might all be of the same gender, or they might be a combination of male and female; their attraction to both men and women does not mean they necessarily will have sex with both, only that they might have sex with either.
Some bisexual people also consider themselves to be gay or lesbian, on the basis that, for example, a "lesbian" might be defined as: any woman who is attracted to women (even one who is also attracted to men) or a woman who is primarily attracted to other women. Some lesbian and gay people object to this, asserting that exclusivity is part of the definition. Many bisexuals consider themselves distinct from homosexuals but part of the larger LGBT or queer community. Other bisexuals may be supportive of lesbian and gay people, but still consider themselves straight.
Bisexual orientation can fall anywhere between the two sexual orientations of homosexuality and heterosexuality; a bisexual person is not necessarily attracted equally to both genders, and many tend to prefer one or the other. Another view of bisexuality is that homosexuality and heterosexuality are two monosexual orientations, whereas bisexuality encompasses them both.
Social status of bisexuality
Historically, bisexuality has held less negative social stigma than homosexuality, as reflected in the acceptance of ancient Greek warriors' pederasty as long as they had wives and children, the tolerance of homosexual affairs among upperclass men of good social standing (i.e. properly married), and the often-successful use of heterosexual marriage as a defense against accusations of homosexuality.
This has made some in the gay and lesbian communities suspicious of those who call themselves "bisexual", believing they are really homosexuals who are attempting to hold onto the social approval of their heterosexual activity. They may be accused of "not doing their part" in gaining acceptance of "true" homosexuality. The fact that a bisexual person could "choose" to have a relationship with a person of one gender or the other has frustrated gay rights activists who have argued that "sexuality is not a choice". Gay and lesbian people may also suspect that a self-described bisexual is merely a homosexual in the initial stage of questioning their presumed heterosexuality, and will eventually accept that they are gay; this is expressed by a glib saying in gay culture: "Bi now, gay later." These situations can and do take place, but do not appear to be true of the majority of self-described bisexuals. Nonetheless, bisexuals do sometimes experience lesser acceptance from gay and lesbian people, because of their declared orientation.
Bisexuals are often associated with men who engage in same-sex activity while closeted and heterosexually married, a practice which has led to high rates of HIV infection among women in certain demographics. The majority of such men - said to be "living on the down-low" - do not identify as "bisexual", however.
Because many bisexual people do not feel that they fit into either the gay community or the heterosexual world, and because they have a tendency to be "invisible" in public (fitting in rather seamlessly into both homosexual and heterosexual society), some bisexual persons are committed to forming their own communities, culture, and political movements.
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 indicated that the majority of people appear to be at least somewhat bisexual. (Kinsey was himself bisexual.) The studies report that most people have some attraction to either sex, although usually one sex is preferred. According to some (falsely attributed to Kinsey), only about 5-10% of the population can be considered to be fully heterosexual or homosexual. On the other hand, an even smaller minority can be considered truly bisexual, that is, having no distinct preference for one gender or the other.
Kinsey ranked individuals on a seven-point scale of 0 to 6, with 0 being completely heterosexual and 6 completely homosexual. A 1 was considered predominantly heterosexual with only incidental homosexual attraction, a 2 mostly heterosexual with more serious homosexual attraction, a 3 completely equal homosexual and heterosexual attractions, etc. Kinsey reported that most American men fell in the 1-to-2 range of the scale.
Kinsey's methodology (in particular, his sampling techniques), has been criticized as producing unreliable and biased results. See Demographics of sexual orientation and Kinsey Report for more information.
Terminology
The term bisexual was coined by botanists c. 1809. It originally applied to plants that had both male and female sex organs. It is not known when the term was first applied to the context of sexual orientation. Some bisexuals and sex researchers are dissatisfied with the term, and have developed a variety of alternative or supplementary terms to describe aspects and forms of bisexuality. Many are neologisms not widely recognized by the larger society.
- Pansexual, omnisexual, and pomosexual (postmodern sexuality) are substitute terms that rather than referring to both or "bi" gender attraction, refer to all or "omni" gender attraction, and are used mainly by those who wish to express acceptance of all gender possibilities including transgender and intersex people, not just two. Pansexuality sometimes includes an attraction for less mainstream sexual activities, such as BDSM.
- Bi-permissive describes someone who does not actively seek out sexual relations with a given gender, but is open to them. Such a person may self-identify as heterosexual or homosexual, and engage predominantly in sexual acts with individuals of the corresponding gender, and might be rated 1 or 5 on Kinsey's scale.
- Bi-curious has several distinct and sometimes contradictory meanings. It is commonly found in personal ads from those who identify as heterosexual but are interested in homosexual "experimentation". Such people are commonly suspected - not necessarily correctly - of being homosexuals or bisexuals in denial of their homosexuality.
- Trisexual (sometimes trysexual) is either an extension of, or a pun on bisexual. In its more serious usage, it indicates an interest in transgender persons as well as men and women. In its more humorous usage, it refers to someone who will try any sexual experience.
- Biphobia describes a fear or condemnation of bisexuality, usually based in a belief that only heterosexuality and homosexuality are genuine orientations and appropriate lifestyles. (Bisexual persons may also be the target of homophobia from those who consider only heterosexuality appropriate.)
Historical examples of bisexuality
Historical and literary records from most known societies include evidence of bisexuality in various forms. In fact, most of the commonly cited examples of "homosexuality" in previous cultures would more properly be categorized as "bisexuality".
However, it should be noted that the terms heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, and the concept of "sexual orientation" itself are all modern sociological constructs, and may not be appropriate in historical contexts, in which behavior might be considered homosexual, but people were not labeled using such terms.
For example, in Ancient Greece men commonly engaged in same-sex relationships, yet almost always also had wives. Ancient Rome, Arab countries up to and including the present, China, and Japan, all exhibit patterns of analogous bisexual behavior. Perhaps the most famous example is Alexander the Great who had many wives, but also a sexual relationship with his male lover Hephaestion. The same could be said of many Roman emperors, shoguns of Japan, Chinese emperors, and countless others.
The best known case of bisexuality in modern times is that of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. He maintained a relationship with the Governor-General of British India, Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was a homosexual, and his wife Edwina Mountbatten. Nehru has written that the problems and difficulties that T. E. Lawrence faced with his sexuality were similar to his own.[1] (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?pwb=1&ean=9780195100730)
Ancient Greece
Ancestral law in ancient Sparta mandated same-sex relationships with youths who were coming of age for all adult men, so long as the men also had wives and produced children. The Spartans thought that physical relationships between experienced and novice soldiers would solidify combat loyalty and encourage heroic tactics as men vied to impress their lovers. Once the younger soldier reached maturity the relationship was supposed to become non-sexual, but it is not clear how strictly this was followed. There was some stigma attached to young men who continued their relationships with their mentors into adulthood.
Greek religious texts, reflecting cultural practices, incorporated bisexual themes. The subtexts varied, from the mystical to the didactic. See Mythology of same-sex love.
Middle Eastern cultures
In the Middle East, sexual behavior between males is somewhat common; a few sources describe it as near-ubiquitous. It was also a topic celebrated by some of the greatest medieval artists of the Middle East, such as the famous poet Abu Nuwas and the Persian painter Riza Abbasi. This is despite prohibitions against homosexual behavior in the Qur'an and severe penalties for offenders in some nations, including the death penalty. The Qur'an however requires that the transgression be witnessed by four men or eight women in order to convict the participants. Therefore, while bisexual behaviour is known to be common, men are not given much trouble about these behaviors so long as they also marry and raise families and fulfill other societal duties. It is something that remains very covert, and an open declaration of homosexual preference would be unacceptable. In this way, bisexuality in the Arab world and Persian world is somewhat similar to the DL culture prevalent in some African-American and Latino communities.
Bisexuality in modern Western entertainment
Comparatively positive and notable portrayals of bisexuality can be found in mainstream movies such as: Goldfish Memory; The Rocky Horror Picture Show; and Henry and June. In popular music, many of the songs of The Smiths are commonly cited as classic examples. In notable graphic novels, Love & Rockets subtly portrays bisexuality. Krazy Kat is an early comic-strip character whose loves are not limited by gender. Notable novels containing significant bisexual characters are: Anne Rice's Cry To Heaven; Rosamond Lehmann's Dusty Answer; Mary Renault's The Last of the Wine and The Persian Boy; Colette's Claudine novels; David Leavitt's The Lost Language of Cranes and While England Sleeps; Jeanette Winterson's The Passion; Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time; and Jane Rule's Young in One Another's Arms. Non-fiction scholarship, such as Camille Paglia's Sexual Personae (1990) and Louis Crompton's Byron and Greek Love (1985), has uncovered previously hidden histories of bisexuality.
There are also negative media portrayals, reflecting prejudices and stereotypes. For instance, the television show Friends sported a short song about the topic that expresses a common prejudice on the subject:
- Sometimes men love women,
- Sometimes men love men,
- Then there are bisexuals
- Though some people say they're kidding themselves
And a Saturday Night Live joke ran thus:
- "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.
Prejudice is also expressed in the storylines of movies in which the bisexual characters conceal murderous neuroses (Basic Instinct, Black Widow).
See also
External links
-
soc.binewsgroup FAQ (http://serf.org/~jon/soc.bi/faq/a.html) Bi newsgroup. - Bi Resources (http://www.biresource.org/).
- Bi Flag (http://www.biflag.com).
- The Androphile Project (http://www.androphile.org) Extensive resource of gay and bisexual history.
- BCN magazine (http://www.bicommunitynews.co.uk/). The long-running UK bi cultural/political magazine.
- Exploring Biphobia (http://www.beyondbarriers.org.uk/docs/Bisexual_Participatory_Appraisal_Research.pdf). (144kb PDF). Report on the problems caused by sterotyping of bisexuals.
References
- Bryant, Wayne M.. Bisexual Characters in Film: From Anais to Zee. Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies, 1997. ISBN 1560238941
de:Bisexualitt eo:Ambaŭseksamo fr:Bisexualit gd:D-mhiannachd nl:Biseksualiteit pt:Bissexualidade fi:Biseksuaalisuus sv:Bisexualitet zh:双性恋
