Yesterday I was having a conversation with a male co-worker who identifies as bisexual and was venting about messing around with a guy at a largely gay work environment and then hearing a bunch of trash talk about
"what the hell, isn't he STRAIGHT??" And then, in turn, facing disbelief/scorn over his bisexuality. And my reply was
"Seriously? When the hell are people going to get over it?"And I seriously mean it. I really cannot fathom how people who aren't homophobic to begin with (cuz that is a whole other ball of wax) can have SUCH a problem with bisexuality.
Especially gay people. I feel like gay people who are really closed-minded/bigoted towards bisexual people are kind of colossal assholes. And also kind of clueless. We want people to accept our sexuality and not hate us for who we are but we can totally do that to someone else and it's all fine and dandy? Hunh?! My favorite part are the really tired excuses I have heard in the past from my fellow gays about this subject:
1) "I don't want someone to dump me for someone of the opposite sex (of me)."
2) "I don't want to deal with someone who is experimenting with their sexuality."
3) "I don't want to be with someone who also sleeps with/has slept someone of the opposite/same sex."
O RLY? Here's how I feel about those responses:
1) You know what sucks? Getting dumped! I don't really understand the fact that being dumped for someone of the opposite sex of you is really
so much worse. I feel like so much of that is about how if reflects on the person being dumped and how insecure they are about their own identity. You're a gay man and you're dating a bisexual guy and he leaves you for another woman, well guess what? You're still a gay man! I think the same shitty feelings would come with that situation as would any dumping, especially one where you're being left for another person, and blaming it on the
Evils of Bisexuality is just hateful.
2) So if someone identifies as bisexual then he or she is just experimenting? Statements like this totally point to people not seeing bisexuality as a valid sexual identity. Someone experimenting with their sexuality is someone saying "I'm not sure if I'm gay or straight or bisexual or what I'd call my sexuality at all and I am exploring this." Someone saying they're bisexual means, surprise, they're bisexual! Remember how it felt when you came out as gay and people told you it was just a phase and you felt so angry and invalidated? Ding ding ding!! Way to perpetuate that kind of feeling!
3) Why not? It's not like you'll "get any on you". I can see where some fear of HIV/AIDS can come in here if someone is speaking about a male bisexual lover and they assume that homosexual sex = extra exposure to HIV/AIDS but let's not kid ourselves into thinking you're safe from exposure if you live an entirely heterosexual life. I hear a lot of gay men making comments like this along with a bunch of bullshit misogyny about women's genitalia and fish smells and other bullshit. Seriously though? Like for real? Like not just joking around with your fellow fags but actually you mean it? Cuz when I hear gay guys going on and on about how gross women's body parts are I just assume they're masking their inherent curiosity about sex with women. I'm not gay because I think women are gross, I'm gay because I think men are hot. Again, your sexuality isn't defined by who your partner slept with before you or sleeps with after you. So don't put your insecurity on the bisexual folks.
The thing that fascinates me about biphobia is the way it intersects homophobia and misogyny and general fear of non-traditional sexuality so succinctly and in so many ways. I also think people are really afraid of something they can't define as THIS or THAT in a clear and distinct way with no gray areas. Heterosexuality. Homosexuality. Man. Woman. People who identify their sexuality or gender in a place that's seen as "in between" and not polarized are so often discounted as being uncertain or confused. And I think, in actuality, the people confusing them of being uncertain and confused are the confused ones. And the scared ones. And the ones who aren't even sure who they are and thus are thrown into a tizzy by a person or persons who highlight this uncertainty by so certainly claiming and identity that isn't totally polarized and therefore more acceptable.
When I first came out the only other queer person I knew was my best friend Sarah, who is bisexual. I never questioned her identification and it didn't even occur to me to do so. I felt such total love and acceptance from her and I was just glad to have someone in my life who could understand what it was like to experience being sexually different from the acceptable, social norms. As I get older I find that a lot of labels for sexuality (and gender) tend to both help us define ourselves as well as limit us in a lot of ways. But while we're still using these words and terms I want to see some folks step into the 21st century and get over their issues with bisexuality.
A lot of times when I call people on negative comments they make on the subject they laugh it off as if it's all frivolous and has no impact on their lives, especially gay men. But if you don't see how being prejudiced towards bisexual people is totally connected to the very homophobia that some people aim at you then I really don't know how to make you see it. Cuz you're clearly not very smart.
