Bisexual Men: Gay, Bisexual or Biphobia?
A few weeks ago I was asked by a friend to share my thoughts on the subject of “Bisexual Men”, is there such a beast? Well, I have a viewpoint about bisexual men and women. Read on...
By Adrienne Williams (Blueslady)
Posted Wednesday, September 7, 2005
If you are attracted to and have had relationships with both men and women, you are in fact bisexual.
The norm of seeing bisexual women in main stream media is common place. As I just got through watching a character by the name of Drew Boyd on “Queer as Folk” come out as gay; I thought to myself, do Americans believe there are bisexual men? Is it embraced like famous known bisexual like Angelina Jolie? Do the gay or lesbian communities believe Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) is really just a gay man not wanting to come out?
Time and time again I’m starting to believe that there really is biphobia in our community. I see it on TV, internet, news, that there’s a lot of talk about men and women coming out! Come on out, you know you are gay. Come on out, you know you are lesbian. What about Bisexuals? Where is our out party? For that matter, where are bisexuals on TV or Movies? Not many. If fact, I started to question this very issue a year ago when I started to realize that my favorite show wasn’t showing (besides not showing people of color) any bisexuals at all for the last five (5) years since it has been running. Oh there was a continuing joke by the main actors in that distasteful way, “You’re Bisexual? The character breathes a sigh of relief when the person says, gay, lesbian or even straight.
There were two break through characters of QAF that I felt were very much Bisexual; Hunter, played by Harris Allan and Drew Boyd, played by Matt Battaglia Why would a character even one which was abused by his mother, would decide to go out and trick with men, if he didn’t like men? They claim his mother sent him, but why? I mean, why not have Hunter go out and trick with women? What’s the difference? Money is money right? How about Drew, he was engaged, got married, but happened to love men too; still claimed to like women, love them, in fact. Why is absolutely, positively true he must be gay? Even on the acclaimed “Six Feet Under”, Keith played by Mathew St. Patrick has had a few run-ins with women and liked it. So I ask, is there a double standard when it comes to men bisexuals vs. women?
There was a study done recently published in the “New York Times” about that very fact, men bisexual verses women. Scientist have started to believe that in fact men aren’t born to be bisexuals but are likely to be one or the other, as for women they can like both. This study done was by having women and men watch a type of stimuli, i.e., pictures, porn, video, etc. My take is that men are visual by nature and showing pictures to women is not necessarily going to make an absolute finding on a true bisexual. (Well, except me, who loves porn, but hey, I’m an Alternating Bisexuals: Read below) There also are issues with Americans and sexuality with the rest of the planet. Europeans for example are more comfortable with fluid sexuality than we here in bean town. There are so many types of bisexuals that most don’t even understand the differences. Let me list just a few.
Alternating bisexuals (My Bi Type 50/50) May have a relationship with a man, and then after that relationship ends, may choose a female partner for a subsequent relationship, and many go back to a male or a female partner next.
Circumstantial bisexuals: Typically straight, but choosing same sex partners if the person has no access to other-sex partners, such as when in jail, in the military, or in a gender-segregated school.
Concurrent relationship bisexuals: have primary relationship with one gender only but occasionally goes with another.
Conditional bisexuals: either straight or gay/lesbian, but will switch to a relationship with another gender for financial or career gain or for a specific purpose, example: young straight males who become gay prostitutes or lesbians to gain acceptance from family members or who wants children.
Emotional bisexuals: have intimate close relationships with both men and women, but only have sexual relationships with one gender.
Integrated bisexuals: have more than one primary relationship at the same time, man or woman.
Exploratory bisexuals: either straight or gay/lesbian, but have sex with another gender just to satisfy curiosity. This is known as Bi-curious.
Hedonistic bisexuals: primarily straight or gay/lesbian but will sometimes have sex with another gender for fun or purely sexual satisfaction.
Recreational bisexuals: Typically heterosexual but engage in gay or lesbian sex only when taking drugs and/or alcohol.
Isolated bisexuals: 100% straight or gay/lesbian now, but has had sex with another gender in the past.
Latent bisexuals: straight or gay lesbian in behavior but have strong desire for sex with another gender, but have never acted on it.
Motivational bisexuals: straight women who have sex with other women only because their partner wanted it to stimulate him. (The straight male fantasy)
Transitional bisexuals: temporarily identify as bisexual while in the process of moving from being straight to being gay or lesbian, or going from being gay or lesbian to being heterosexual.
Even if you say you are not bisexual, or claim it was a one time deal, you were drunk or you were just bi-curious. If you are attracted to and have had relationships with both men and women, you are in fact bisexual.
In the Life of a Bisexual:
To get a sense of what bisexuals hear all the time from the gay, lesbian and straight communities, read below:
Myth about bisexuality:
* All bisexuals have both a boyfriend and a girlfriend, and can’t be satisfied with fewer than two lovers.
* Bisexuals have lots of sex all the time. (I wish)
* It’s only a phase. (Not!)
* Bisexuals transmit AIDS/HIV
* Bisexuals are more open-minded.
What is Biphobia?
* Bisexuals just want to have their cake and eat it too (The money to be had for every time I heard that statement!)
* Using the terms “phase” or “stage” or “confused” or “fenced-sitter” or “Switch-hitter”, or “oh, you’re bisexual?” in a accusatory way.
* Believing that bisexually women spread AIDS/HIV and other STD’s to lesbians.
* Assuming bisexuality means “available.” (Favorite button: I’m bisexual, and I’m not attracted to you holds true)
* Expecting bisexual women to identify as lesbian’s when coupled with her
* Expecting bisexual men to identify as gay when coupled with him.
Before you look at another gay show on any Media whether it is television, cable or print, think about the whole community as it was meant to be, GLBT. We are all here for equal rights, and understand not being accepted for who we are. Worse thing I hate seeing is someone in our community degrade anyone who is different from you. So go out there and be proud. Whether you are gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual; we all have something in common with one another. We all want to be accepted for who we are! Love yourselves and be honest. So if you are bisexual and just happen to be a man, well be proud and say, I’m bisexual. If we don’t have to go into explaining what that means, than we will truly be accepted in the GLBT community.