Although we’re in a more accepting time, being bisexual in modern society is still a challenging terrain to navigate. With bisexual erasure being a prominent sentiment within the LGBTQ+ community and beyond, it may be hard to feel like one truly belongs. Many individuals who identify as bisexual are faced with skepticism, asked to pick a side or even be told that they’re just confused. These reactions lead to marginalization within the LGBTQ+ community. It has even become a public health issue as many suffer from substance abuse, depression, minority stress and isolation.
Whereas lesbian and gay individuals receive support from their community, there is a disparity for bisexuals for a multitude of reasons. A bisexual individual may not be recognizable at first. Particularly, if the individual is dating someone of the opposite gender. Others may assume that they are heterosexual. This ultimately erases their identity and can lead to additional stress, such as needing to come out repetitively. Even in doing so, the response may be that they’re confused or overall disbelief since their partner is heteronormative. An individual who is dating the same sex but is bisexual similarly faces bi-erasure from their LGBTQ+ community for the opposite reason. Being denied from both communities is far more detrimental than being shunned from solely one.
Many people also have the misconception that bisexuals are more promiscuous, tend to be unfaithful or that there is more competition because “anyone is fair game.” Fortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Infidelity and sexual orientation are completely unrelated issues. Anyone of any sexual orientation can choose to be promiscuous and it is not equivalent to being ready for a threesome at any moment. Those are all personal decisions independent of one another.
As a minority group within the LGBTQ+ community, it feels as though bisexuals get overlooked time and time again. A surprise in such a modern society. While it is important to form communities for social support and advancement, it is also necessary to be aware of our shortcomings and educate others. We as an LGBTQ+ community cannot succeed if we are marginalizing and downplaying the experiences of others. Bisexual erasure is an issue from inside and out of the LGBTQ+ community.
It’s finally time to break the stigmas and educate oneself and others. Rather than putting people’s sexual orientations in a box, it may be more beneficial to stay fluid and open. After all, if love is love, labels should not matter in that way. While bisexuality can become an umbrella term for a scale of attraction, there is no right or wrong way to go about it. No matter a person’s current partnership, that orientation is valid and deserves acceptance just as much as anyone else’s sexual orientation. Better yet, maybe it’s time to support the community while also focusing on individuals’ innate talents and passions. The LGBTQ+ community doesn’t need to solely focus on sexual orientation in order to create safe spaces in our modern society. There is beauty in being fluid and labels cannot take away from that.