Bisexuality has been described as the emotional, romantic and/or sexual attraction to more than one sex or gender (American Psychological Association). Anyone who identifies as pansexual, omnisexual or otherwise… Please do not feel left out - this is for you too! (Bi+ is often used as an umbrella term to include everyone within the community).

Studies have shown that bisexual people face more childhood adversity and suicidality, less support from family and more negativity from friends than their gay/lesbian peers (Journal of Bisexuality, 2011). The Australian Journal of General Practice conducted a study in 2019 and found that 1 in 10 Australians over the age of 16 reported attraction to more than one gender. They discovered that:

Bisexual individuals are significantly more likely than monosexual individuals to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder, experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, harm themselves and report suicidal ideation.

Bisexual individuals report not fully belonging in either heterosexual or queer communities, contributing to a deep sense of isolation.

Invisibility and erasure are common experiences, with their sexuality often being invisible due to assumptions that they are either heterosexual or homosexual based on the presumed gender of their partner.
Bisexual individuals often feel they need to repeatedly come ‘out’ in order to maintain a state of disclosure as the perceived gender of their partner does not implicitly infer their orientation.

So, now that we have drawn attention to some of the difficulties faced by bisexual people, let’s debunk some myths! There are a few commonly held stereotypes about bisexuality that are simply untrue. Among them are the beliefs that:

Bisexual people cannot make monogamous relationship commitments.
Bisexual people must have simultaneous relationships with both genders in order to be content.
Bisexuality is really a way to avoid coming to terms with a lesbian or gay identity.
Bisexual people will leave a partner for the other gender.

Bisexual people are not committed to the LGBTQI+ community.
Bisexual people take advantage of straight privilege.
Bisexual people are promiscuous and untrustworthy.

(Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2001; Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 2015)

A quick side note: the assumption that bisexual people have ‘straight privilege’ is extremely problematic. It completely erases their queer identities and contributes to the feeling of being invisible in, or socially excluded from, the LGBTQI+ community (Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 2015).

Understanding Biphobia:

The Australian Journal of General Practice (2019) defines biphobia as bisexual people’s experiences of poor treatment and discrimination based on their sexuality. It can be expressed in both heterosexual communities and queer communities or emerge internally from a lack of self-acceptance.

Internalised Biphobia: the oppression of one’s own bisexual identity. It often manifests as an internal acceptance of negative stereotypes and feelings of inferiority (Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2001).

The Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health (2015) conducted a study on lesbian women’s attitudes towards bisexual women. They found that:

75% of lesbians believed bisexuality was not a stable identity.
60% of lesbians believed bisexual people were less committed to relationships with women than lesbians were.
Most lesbians said they would not date a bisexual woman.

Subtle Biphobia:

The discrimination that bisexual individuals experience can be expressed as overt prejudice, but it can also just be a doubt about whether the bisexuality even exists (Journal of Bisexuality, 2008). This can be extremely harmful as it invalidates a person’s identity and sense of self.

Subtle biphobia can look like the belief in, and perpetuation of those commonly held myths we discussed earlier. Sometimes, you can be biphobic without even realising it.

So, what can we do about it?

Some strategies that can help us to combat biphobia, both within ourselves and our communities:

Acknowledging that bisexuality is a valid identity.
Acknowledging that biphobia is real and prevalent.
Believing people when they say they’re experiencing biphobia.
Not being a bystander (i.e. reporting hate crimes).
Addressing biphobia within our own communities by educating ourselves and others.
Providing a safe space for bisexual people to express their identities and talk openly about their experiences.
Understanding that bisexuality still exists even though some people who come out as bisexual later do come out as gay.
Looking inwards and reflecting on any preconceived ideas we may have about bisexuality.

(HER, 2022).