Bisexuality

Menstuff® has compiled information and books on the issue of. Bisexuality.

What do you really know about bisexuality?
The Scientific Quest to Prove Bisexuality Exists
Bisexuality
Bisexuality in America
Bisexuality: Fact And Fiction
The Majority
Women And Bisexual Attraction
Myths About Bisexuality
Common, But Misunderstood
Female Bi-Sexual Celebs
Celebs who swing both ways
Wikipedia
Invisible Majority: The Disparities Facing Bisexual People and How to Remedy Them - A 38 page pdf

What do you really know about bisexuality?


Think you've got all the answers? Take our quiz, and check your bi-Q!

1) Bisexuals are just confused about their sexuality. True or False?

2) Sexual identity never changes. If you're gay, you're always gay, if you're straight, you're always straight. True or False?

3) To be a bisexual, you have to have had sex with people of both sexes. True or False?

4) Bisexuals are equally attracted to both men and women. True or false?

5) Bisexuals are just opportunists. They just want to have sex, they don't even care who it's with. True or False?

6) If you're bisexual, you have to have a male and a female partner to feel fulfilled. True or False?

7) Most people who are bisexual are really gay or lesbian. They just say they're bi because it's easier when you can "pass" as straight. True or False?

8) If you have a relationship with a bi person, they'll pretty much always dump you for someone of the other gender. True or False?

9) Bisexual people spread HIV/AIDS because they have sex with gay people, then go pass AIDS on to straight people. True or False?

10) You can't get married if you're bisexual. True or false.

11) If you've never had sex, you can't know whether you're bisexual or not. True or False?

12) Just because you have sex with a person of the same sex, it doesn't make you gay or bisexual. True or False?

Okay, so it's a baker's dozen...

13) Bisexuals are always trying to convert other people to being bisexual. True or False?

Check your Answers

1) Bisexuals are just confused about their sexuality. True or False?

False. Bisexuality is as valid a sexual identity as being heterosexual, homosexual, or anything else. Some people are simply attracted to people of more than one sex. Being bisexual means that you are capable of finding people of your own sex attractive sexually and/or romantically, as well as finding people of another sex attractive sexually and/or romantically.

2) Sexual identity never changes. If you're gay, you're always gay, if you're straight, you're always straight. True or False?

False. The way people characterize their sexual identity can change over time, and people's attractions can also change over time. What attracts us and arouses us is extremely variable, and our desires can change quite a lot over the course of our lives. Sometimes people will identify as heterosexual, only to get to a point later in life where they can acknowledge that they are also attracted to members of their own sex. They might decide to identify as bisexual at that point. Similarly, someone who has identified as gay might discover that they are attracted to someone of another sex somewhere down the road, and their self-identification might change because of it. It's very common and not weird or sick in any way to have that happen.

3) To be a bisexual, you have to have had sex with people of both sexes. True or False?

False. To be a bisexual, you need to have the capability of being attracted sexually and/or romantically to members of more than one sex. You don't need to have had sex with someone of the opposite sex to be a heterosexual, or to have had sex with someone of the same sex to know that you are a homosexual - you just know what you like and what is attractive to you. You know who you get crushes on and who you think is sexy. If you know that you find people of more than one sex to be attractive and sexy, you might decide to call yourself bisexual, whether or not you ever have sex with partners of more than one sex.

4) Bisexuals are equally attracted to both men and women. True or false?

False. Some bisexual people find themselves equally attracted to men and women, but many bisexuals find that they are more attracted to people of their own sex, or more attracted to people of another sex. Some bisexual people choose to say that they are "identified" with either the straight/heterosexual world or with the queer/homosexual world, which is a way of saying "I am attracted to people of more than one sex, but I am more invested in this particular kind of community." People can be attracted to members of more than one sex in a lot of different proportions. Sometimes, the degree to which a person is attracted to one sex or another can change with time. A person might be attracted to members of his or her own sex 30% of the time, and members of another sex 70% of the time when they are 15, and then by the time they are 30, it could be 75% and 25%... or anything else in between.

5) Bisexuals are just opportunists. They just want to have sex, they don't even care who it's with. True or False?

False. Bisexuals aren't necessarily sex fiends. Some bisexuals are even celibate (people who choose not to have sex with partners). All that being bisexual means is that you have the ability to find people of more than one sex attractive. Most bisexual people, like most people of any other kind, have a variety of kinds of relationships over the course of their lives, from one-night-stands to long-term, heavily committed relationships, and they are just as likely to be responsible, loving, faithful partners as anyone else.

6) If you're bisexual, you have to have a male and a female partner to feel fulfilled. True or False?

False. While some people may find that they feel best in unconventional relationships where they have more than one partner of whatever sex or gender, that's certainly not something that you have to do if you're bisexual. Like everyone else, bisexuals fall in love, form bonds, and make commitments to individual people. And like everyone else, bisexuals are capable of being either unfulfilled or fulfilled in their relationships depending on how good the relationship is - which very rarely has a whole lot to do with the shape, size, or type of genitals either partner has.

7) Most people who are bisexual are really gay or lesbian. They just say they're bi because it's easier when you can "pass" as straight. True or False?

False. Most people who say that they're bisexual are bisexual. Being bisexual is not the same as being straight. Sometimes it is confusing to people to remember that a bisexual person is really bisexual if they see them with a partner of one sex or another - when people see a bisexual person with a same-sex partner, they are likely to be assumed to be gay, and when people see a bisexual person with an opposite-sex partner, they are likely to be assumed to be straight. The truth is that if you're bisexual, you don't change orientations based on your partner's sex: you are bisexual all the time, regardless of whom you sleep with.

This isn't to say that life isn't sometimes easier for bisexuals when they're in relationships with opposite-sex partners. It is. Our culture values opposite-sex relationships more, something called "heterosexual privilege" that means that people who look like heterosexuals are less likely to have people give them crap in a lot of situations. One of the things that is important to the bisexual community is to be out as bisexual no matter what the sex of a person's partner, so that people don't get to assume they know whether a person is gay or straight by the sex of their partner. This is one way to combat bisexual invisibility.

8) If you have a relationship with a bi person, they'll pretty much always dump you for someone of the other gender. True or False?

False. People of all orientations end relationships for a wide variety of reasons. There are often a lot of good reasons to end a relationship if it is no longer a good fit for one or both of the people involved in it. There is no reason to believe that every relationship with a bisexual person will be ended because they run off with someone of another sex. People of all kinds end relationships for a lot of reasons, and sometimes those reasons include the presence of other potential partners or new love interests. Bisexuals certainly don't have a monopoly on doing that!

9) Bisexual people spread HIV/AIDS because they have sex with gay people, then go pass AIDS on to straight people. True or False?

False. Dishonest and irresponsible people spread diseases of many kinds, including HIV/AIDS, by having unprotected sex with infected partners and passing diseases on to uninfected partners. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with it.

People who are not honest about their sexual behavior or desires may also not be honest about their need to protect themselves with safer sex, as if it can't hurt them if they don't really admit it's true that they want or like something they don't think they are "supposed to" like or want. Being honest about whether or not you are engaging in a sexual act that might put you at risk for an STD (including AIDS), and using appropriate safer sex methods, is the only way to help cut down on your risk of contracting an STD or of getting infected and passing it on to someone else.

Germs and viruses can't tell what your sexual orientation is, what your sex is, who you are, how old you are, or who you sleep with. They don't care. The only thing you can do - whether you consider yourself bi, gay, lesbian, straight, or something else entirely -- is be honest with yourself about when you need to protect yourself and the people you have sex with, and play safe at all times.

10) You can't get married if you're bisexual. True or false.

False. You can get married if you are bisexual. Plenty of people do. p.s. It's a good idea if you have talked to your prospective spouse about your bisexuality before you get married to them. Honesty is always the best policy when it comes to relationships.

11) If you've never had sex, you can't know whether you're bisexual or not. True or False?

False. You can know who you have crushes on, who you are attracted to, and what types of things and people are arousing for you without having sexual activity of any kind with another person. This is true whether you are homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, or anything else.

12) Just because you have sex with a person of the same sex, it doesn't make you gay or bisexual. True or False?

True. How you choose to identify yourself is up to you. The only person who gets to choose what labels apply to you is you. However, if you have sex with someone of the same sex, you have to be honest enough to admit (at least to yourself) that you have had or are going to have same-sex sexual activity, and you need to be realistic and honest about what that may mean for you in terms of knowing how to have safer sex with someone of the same sex as you.

13) Bisexuals are always trying to convert other people to being bisexual. True or False?

False. It's pretty hard to "convert" someone to being sexually attracted to something or someone if they're really not. If it doesn't work to "convert" people who are gay or lesbian to being heterosexual, and studies prove that it really doesn't, it's pretty much guaranteed not to work to "convert" people's sexual attractions and sexual identification any other way, either.

Sometimes people assume that everyone starts out heterosexual, and that it takes an experience with someone who is already gay or lesbian or bisexual to "convert" a person to being gay, lesbian, or bisexual. This is pretty illogical, first of all - if it's true, then where did the first gay or bi people come from?? - but it's also untrue. Many gay, lesbian, and bi people are aware that they have non-heterosexual attractions from the time they are very small children, no "conversion" or sexual experiences of any sort necessary.
Source: www.scarleteen.com/gaydar/biquiz.html

Bisexuality: Fact And Fiction


Bisexuality involves sexual or romantic attraction toward members of both sexes. This encompasses not only sexual identification, but also sexual drives and behavior. Bisexuals may be attracted to members of both sexes, or may define themselves as "bisexual" -- but they may or may not indulge in active bisexual behaviors. 

The Majority


The Kinsey Report employed a "Heterosexual-Homosexual Scale" to evaluate sexual preferences. The scale, incorporating a person's experiences and reactions, was arranged in this way:

0 - Entirely heterosexual
1 - Predominantly heterosexual (incidentally homosexual)
2 - Predominantly heterosexual (but with some homosexual history)
3 - Equally heterosexual and homosexual
4 - Predominantly homosexual (but with some heterosexual history)
5 - Predominantly homosexual (incidentally heterosexual)
6 - Entirely homosexual

The study revealed that most people fall into various -- albeit broad -- gradations of bisexuality, with only a minority of the population defined as purely heterosexual or homosexual. According to more recent studies, most notably those conducted by Fritz Klein, a wider range of information should determine gradations of bisexuality.

Women And Bisexual Attraction


Q: How many women admit to same-sex sexual attraction or behavior?
A: 17.8 % of females who participated in a 1994 study at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Elements include:

1. Past history: The time up until one year ago
2. Present history: Within the past year
3. Future history: "Ideal" inclinations
4. Sexual attraction: Specific people to whom one is attracted
5. Sexual behavior: Specific instances of sexual behavior
6. Sexual fantasies
7. Emotional preferences: People one associates with "love" or monogamous relationships
8. Social preferences: Gender of people with whom one associates
9. Lifestyle preferences: Sexual orientation of people with whom one associates
10. Sexual identity: Self-definition of one's orientation

Klein's research also reveals that sexual drives, orientation, and behavior can vary over time -- and interestingly (and counter to assumptions), the sexual experiences of older people may be more varied than those of younger people. 

Myths About Bisexuality


Bisexuality carries, perhaps, more of a stigma than homosexuality. Not only do heterosexuals judge bisexuality as "immoral," but bisexuality is also often stigmatized by some homosexuals who may feel that it is a denial of, or a screen for, homosexuality. Kinsey and Klein's studies reveal that these prejudices come from a small percentage of people on either end of the Homosexual-Heterosexual Scale. Along with these prejudices against bisexuality come some cultural myths.

Myth: Bisexuals are unable to have monogamous relationships.
Reality: Many bisexuals have monogamous relationships.

Myth: Bisexuals are sexually compulsive.
Reality: Many bisexuals never act on bisexual inclinations.

Myth: Bisexuality is dangerous because of the possibility of contracting and spreading sexually transmitted diseases.
Reality: Safe sex, not sexual orientation, is the primary component in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Myth: Bisexuals often have simultaneous sexual relationships with both men and women.
Reality: Bisexuals usually do not have simultaneous sexual relationships with both men and women.

Myth: Bisexuality is a transition phase.
Reality: Bisexuality is a sexual orientation, not a transition phase.

Myth: Bisexuality can be understood as something encompassing desire, fantasy, or one's self-definition.
Reality: By extension then, bisexuality may or may not be manifested in a particular behavior.

Female Bi-Sexual Celebs


Drew Barrymore, Margaret Cho, Lady Gaga, Megan Mullally, Anna Paquin, Amber Rose, Tila Tequila, Evan Rachel Wood

Celebs who swing both ways


Amber Rose told AskMen.com “I’m extremely open with my sexuality. I can be in love with a woman, I can be in love with a man.”

Kim Zolciak In a 2010 interview with Life & Style, Real Housewives Of Atlanta star, Kim Zolciak, was asked if she was “giving a voice to other bisexual parents?” Zolciak responded to the question in stating that, “I’m among the millions of parents who have been in a gay or lesbian relationship. It hasn’t been an easy road lately, but I feel there are no mistakes in my life. Everything happens for a reason. To have the opportunity to speak for myself and to have people understand what I’m going through is really special. I myself was confused and scared at first. Being able to speak from my heart and get this all out, it’s a huge relief for me.” Zolciak is currently married to Kroy Biermann but had previously held public relationships with both the mysterious Big Poppa and DJ Tracy Young.

Jillian Michaels In 2010, Jillian Michaels became the first lady to ever come out in Lady’s Home Journal as bisexual. The Biggest Loser coach and personal trainer told the magazine: “Let’s just say I believe in healthy love. If I fall in love with a woman, that’s awesome. If I fall in love with a man, that’s awesome. As long as you fall in love… it’s like organic food. I only eat healthy food, and I only want healthy love!”

Bai Ling It was well known for an extensive period of time that actress, Bai Ling, has been open about her bisexuality. According to GLAAD, in a 2009 interview, Ling discussed it in-depth with Entertainment Weekly. She said “when I was in the United States I didn’t always have an interpreter in interviews and I didn’t speak English so well. There was some confusion. My name is pronounced ‘bi,’ so when I was asked, ‘Are you bi?’ I said, ‘Yes, I am Bai.’ Do you like men? ‘Of course!’ Do you like women? ‘Why yes!’ And later I found out what that means and I said, ‘Sure, I am bi!’ But I think the interpreters and the reporters thought that I didn’t know what I was saying because I was so open about it. They were uncomfortable about it. Such a thing is not important for me.”

Cynthia Nixon In an 2012 interview with The Daily Beast, the Sex And The City star confirmed that she does indeed play for both teams. She stated, “I don’t pull out the ‘bisexual’ word because nobody likes the bisexuals. Everybody likes to dump on the bisexuals… We get no respect.” This says a lot about her personality and her willingness to stand up for what’s right, although it is well known that Nixon is married to Christine Marinoni.

Frenchie Davis In 2012, this former American Idol and The Voice contestant came out of the closet and informed her fans that she has been dating a women for the past year. She told Huffington Post, “I wasn’t out before the relationship, but I wasn’t in. I dated men and women, though lesbians weren’t feeling the bisexual thing. Now I’m in love with a woman I think I can be with forever.”

Alan Cumming Up until 1993, the Scottish actor, Alan Cumming, was married to Hilary Lyon for 18 years. After the divorce, Cumming discovered a different side to himself and experimented with homosexuality. He got married to Grant Shaffer in 2007 and has fully embraced his newfound attraction to men.

Mike White Star and creator of HBO’s Enlightened, Mike White, is openly bisexual. On several occasions she has self-described himself as bisexual “whose sideways sensibility has resulted in two great and failed Fox TV series about twisted families (Pasadena and Cracking Up), the tenderly observed Jennifer Aniston redemption vehicle The Good Girl, and three giant mainstream hits (Orange County, School of Rock and Nacho Libre).”

Michael Stipe made headlines in the UK in 1994 he when first started talking about his bisexuality openly. He said “it’s something that I’ve always considered to be private and not of interest to people. I’ve always been open about it – to my family, friends and the band. Finally it just became ridiculous so I thought f*** it, I’ll just say it.”

Sapphire According to Standard, the author of Push and inspiration of the critically acclaimed film Precious, Sapphire, openly describes herself as bisexual.

Carrie Brownstein The Portlandia star and former vocalist for Sleater-Kinney, Carrie Brownstein, has been identified as gay several times. However, it wasn’t until 2012 that she confessed to Willamette Week, saying “it’s weird, because no one’s actually ever asked me. People just always assume, like, you’re this or that. It’s like, ‘OK. I’m bisexual.’”

Andy Dick interviewed by The Washington Post and clarified the rumors by stating, “just because I’ve been with guys, and I’m bi, doesn’t mean I’m gay.”

Pete Townshend In a memoir of himeself called Who I Am: A Memoir by Pete Townshend, this musician confirmed to The Guardian that he is “probably bisexual.” In the text cites Townshend’s attraction to Mick Jagger, when he stated that Jagger is “the only man I’ve ever seriously wanted to fuck.”

Vanessa Carlton At the Nashville PrideMusician in 2010 was where Vanessa Carlton attraction to men and women became public news. Huffington Post reports that she announced to a crowd of 18,000 that, “I’ve never said this before, but I am a proud bisexual woman!”

Megan Fox confirmed her bisexuality in 2011 although she is married to American actor, Brian Austin Green. In an interview with Esquire, she stated, “I think people are born bisexual and then make subconscious choices based on the pressures of society. I have no question in my mind about being bisexual. But I’m also a hypocrite: I would never date a girl who was bisexual, because that means they also sleep with men, and men are so dirty that I’d never want to sleep with a girl who had slept with a man.”

Jessie J She may not admit to being a full on lesbian but she had admitted that she fancied Rihanna. In a statement to the The Daily Mail, she said: “I’ve never denied it. Whoopie doo guys, yes, I’ve dated girls and I’ve dated boys – get over it. If I meet someone and I like them, I don’t care if they’re a boy or a girl.”

David Bowie In 1976, David Bowe interviewed with Playboy where he discussed his sexuality. Bowie said: “It’s true – I am a bisexual. But I can’t deny that I’ve used that fact very well. I suppose it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Fun, too.”

Megan Mullaly In 1999, Mullally told The Advocate, “I consider myself bisexual, and my philosophy is, everyone innately is.” Later she clarified her previous statements on AfterElton.com, saying “you know, I said I was open to the idea of [bisexuality].”

Margaret Cho told The New York Times: “I refer to myself as gay, but I am married to a man. Of course, I’ve had relationships with women, but my politics are more queer than my lifestyle.” US fashion designer, actress, author, and recording artist to promote her new release ‘Cho Dependent’.

Kesha The LGBT activist, Kesha, chooses to Tik Tok between seeing both men and women. She revealed this news in a interview with Seventeen magazine. According to Huffington Post, Kesha stated that she doesn’t “love just men.” She further explained her reasoning by stating, “I love people. It’s not about a gender. It’s just about the spirit that exudes from that other person you’re with.”

Josh Hutcherson The Hunger Games star, Josh Hutcherson, never denied the idea of seizing the opportunity of kissing a guy. According to Metro, Hutcherson told OUT magazine, “I would probably list myself as mostly straight,” he said. “Maybe I could say right now I’m 100 percent straight. But who knows? In a f***ing year, I could meet a guy and be like, “Whoa, I’m attracted to this person. I’ve met guys all the time that I’m like, Damn, that’s a good-looking guy, you know?”

Michelle Rodriguez After a romance was heating up with model, Cara Delevingne, in Mexico early in the year, she has just this month been since hooking up with Zac Efron! The Fast and Furious star opened up about her sexuality to Entertainment Weekly, saying, “I’ve never walked the carpet with anyone, so they wonder: ‘What does she do with her vagina?’ …I’ve gone both ways. I do as I please. I am too f***ing curious to sit here and not try when I can. Men are intriguing. So are chicks.”

Amy Winehouse News of the World reported in 2010 that Winehouse told friends “So what? I like girls as well. I have had relationships with other women but that doesn’t mean I don’t still love Blake.”

Marlon Brando “Like a large number of men, I, too, have had homosexual experiences and I am not ashamed,” he once said. “I have never paid much attention to what people think about me.”

Anna Paquin The True Blood star revealed she is bisexual for a PSA for the Give a Damn campaign as part of the True Colours Fund, an advocacy group organised by Cyndi Lauper dedicated to LGBT equality. “I’m Anna Paquin. I’m bisexual, and I give a damn”, she announced.

Amber Heard The future Mrs Depp came out as a lesbian at GLAAD’s 25th anniversary celebration in 2010 and dated photographer Tasya van Ree before hooking up with fiancee Johnny Depp.

Drew Barrymore In an interview with Contact Music in 2003, Drew said “Do I like women sexually? Yeah, I do. Totally. I have always considered myself bisexual.” She was also quoted in 2004 as saying, “A woman and a woman together are beautiful, just as a man and a woman together are beautiful. Being with a woman is like exploring your own body, but through someone else. When I was younger I used to go with lots of women. Totally. I love it”.

Olivia Wilde Fox VS Mountain Ox Self-proclaimed bisexual Megan Fox once said of fellow actress Olivia Wilde, “[she] is so sexy, she makes me want to strangle a mountain ox with my bare hands.”–an image that we can all enjoy pondering upon.

Lindsay Lohan She Kissed a Girl and She Liked It…A Lot Lindsay Lohan may only seem like the girl who likes to make out with other girls at the bar and then giggle about how silly that was later, but the wayward superstar has had at least one serious documented female relationship–ex Samantha Ronson. Though the two officially split in 2009.

Tila Tequila Myspace celebrity Tila Tequila hosted an entire reality series based around the fact that she liked both men and women and needed some “provocation” to help her pick. The reality star is now expecting–perhaps she’ll host a show to help her decide whether it’s going to be a boy or a girl.

Evan Rachel Wood It’s fair to say you need an open mind if you’re going to date someone like Marilyn Manson or even play a lesbian vampire in “True Blood”–both of which Evan Rachel Wood has done in the past. Evan’s also expressed to the press that she’s fallen in love with men and women alike in the past.

Billie Joe Armstrong “I think I’ve always been bisexual…I think everybody kind of fantasizes about the same sex,” said Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong to The Advocate, despite the fact that he’s been married (to a woman) with two kids since the 90’s. That’s cool with us Billie!

Clive Davis Unexpectedly, record executive Clive Davis came out as bisexual in his 2013 memoir, “The Soundtrack Of My Life”–proving that it’s never too late in the game to jump out of that closet.

Azealia Bank Although the hip-hop/rap scene can be a difficult place for anyone categorized in the LGBT community, young rapstress Azealia Banks has always identified herself as bisexual. The artist has since received accusations that she’s done it for attention–but in her genre of music, why would she?

Snooki “Jersey Shore” TV personality Snooki laid claim to being bi, though she also told The Huffington Post “I would never be with a girl because I like…penis. But I’ve experimented.” Sounds like a played out party trick.

Lady Gaga has pursued many aspects of her life with a sense of experimentation, so it was no surprise when she came out as bisexual to Barbara Walters in 2010.

Fergie Black Eyed Peas’ sexy front woman Fergie confirmed her bisexuality to Oprah in 2012, and compared her sexual experiences on tour to the openness of being away at college for the first time–although she’s now been in a committed relationship with actor Josh Duhamel for several years.

Angelina Jolie Known well for her unconventional approach (ref: carrying Billy Bob Thornton’s blood in a vial around her neck,) Angelina Jolie has always been self-identified as bisexual, and she even had a highly publicized relationship with girlfriend Jenny Shimizu back in the 90’s.
Source: www.pressroomvip.com/celebrity-playground-see-who-swings-both-ways/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=thehuffingtonpost&utm_content=SwingBothWaysUSDesktopHP

Common, But Misunderstood


While bisexuality, defined according to Kinsey's scale, is more common than is thought, it remains misunderstood. Part of this is due to cultural taboos and part is due to its imprecise definition. When examining one's sexuality, it's important to remember that sexual orientation -- whether you believe the nature or nurture theory -- is ultimately defined by your perception of yourself.
Source: Michael Munro, www.pnonline.com/article/article.asp?id=1111&Type=sex 

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