bisexuality
sexualities are generally understood binarily, much like gender. while gender is often divided into the categories "male" and "female", sexuality tends to be categorized as either "gay", experiencing homosexual attraction, or "straight", experiencing heterosexual attraction. but what about those who don't fit into one category? bisexuality-- sometimes referred to as plurisexuality-- has long disrupted the binary model of sexuality. it is also not a new concept. despite past movements to regard the label as something new and fleeting, even coining the term "bisexual chic" in the 70s, bisexuals have been here forever and are not going anywhere. some monosexuals feel threatened by this fact, as if the existance of bisexuals threatens their own. their dismissals of bisexuality serve one purpose: to uphold the dominance of monosexuality and erase those outside of it. the persistence of bisexuality destabilizes both heterosexual and homosexual frameworks. theorists have long described this dynamic: hegemonic monesexuality, as described by angelos bollas in the 2023 paper "hegemonic honosexuality", is "a system of domination through social demarcation[...] where heteronormative and homonormative politics perpetuate social hierarchies and marginalize non-monosexual identities." both straight and gay cultural norms work together to enforce the binary and monosexual control. despite methods of erasure, bisexuals have always been there: brenda howard, the "mother of pride" known for organizing the first pride marches, or lani ka'ahumanu, bisexual feminist writer and advocate for bisexual inclusion particularly in san francisco queer spaces, to name a few. bisexual voices continue to challenge binary thinking, fighting for bisexuality not to be recognized as a fleeting trend but as a whole and diverse identity.
bisexual women and bimisogyny
bisexual women exist at a unique intersection of both sexuality and gender. mary-anne mcallum is often credited for coining the term to descripe discriminative behavior against bisexual women, or bimisogny. through intersectional frameworks, we can understand bimisogyny as the specific discrimination bisexual women face due to their bisexual womanhood. there are many examples of bimisogynistic frameworks found widsespread today. for example, the pervasive belief that bi women are more promiscuous assumes promiscuity to be immoral and punishes bi women for being percieved to have taken part in it. this is a bimisogynistic tactic in which women are often punished for their promiscuity, applied to bi women on the basis of their sexuality. while bi men are also accused of promiscuity, the consequences for it do not hold the same for men as they do for women. another example of a common bimisogynistic framework is the idea that bi women are somehow tainted for their relationships with men. this sentiment implies that all women, bi women in particular, are somehow "dirtier" or less valuable for having sexual relationships with men. this is a highly misogynistic framework that perpetuates purity culture and trivializes the seriousness of f/f relationships, as it relies on the idea that f/f sex is not "real" sex and therefor cannot taint women for taking part in it. these are only a few common bimisogynistic framworks found widespread today. the effects of such frameworks are heavy. according to the national intimate partner violence survery in 2023, nearly 7 in 10 bisexual women reported experiencing ipv in their lifetimes. this is compared to 56% for lesbians and 46% for straight women. furthermore, a 2023 study found that "bisexual women have the highest prevalence of STBs (suicidal thoughts and behaviors) compared with other sexual minority groups[...]while lesbians and bisexual women share exposure to the same structural processes associated with STB risk (eg. sexism, heterosexism), bisexual women also experience biphobia and bi erasure.". one study even found that bi women who are more out in their communities experience higher rates of drug abuse, which the study attributes to higher exposure to binegativity, further highlighting the real world consequences of biphobia. bimisogyny is a real problem, with very real effects. the more we are aware of the phenomenon, however, the more we cna work to combat it in our daily lives.