Bisexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by romantic attraction to more than one gender. It challenges binary concepts of male/female, heterosexual/homosexual, and monogamy, which are central to many ethical frameworks built around desire. This essay will explore how bisexuality problematizes these ideas and opens up new possibilities for understanding human sexuality.
The myth of monogamy
Most Western societies have traditionally assumed that individuals should be strictly monogamous in their sexual desires and relationships. Monogamy is often presented as a natural state for humans and seen as essential for healthy relationships. But this idea ignores the diversity of human experience and fails to account for the fluid nature of desire. Bisexuals challenge this assumption by expressing simultaneous attractions to men and women, or to people of multiple genders. They do not fit neatly into binaries, and their relationships are often open and non-monogamous.
Bisexuality's impact on narratives of desire
Monogamy is often framed as a way to protect partners from harm caused by infidelity.
Bisexuality calls attention to this framing's limitations. Bisexuals may engage in polyamorous relationships where all parties consent to multiple intimacies. Polyamory is based on mutual trust and communication rather than possessiveness and jealousy. Bisexuality also complicates the concept of exclusivity - if someone is attracted to more than one gender, they cannot simply choose one partner over another. Instead, they must navigate complex negotiations about what each relationship means and how it fits into their life.
Biphobia and the erotic imagination
Society often portrays bisexuality as promiscuous or unstable, perpetuating stereotypes that dehumanize and fetishize bisexual people. This biphobia stems from fear of bisexuality's disruption of normative understandings of sexuality. It reflects anxieties around non-binary identities and alternative forms of intimacy. These anxieties lead to the denial of bisexuality's complexity, reducing it to a simplistic narrative of "confusion" or "indecisiveness." The erotic imagination is thus limited, constrained by monosexist ideas that see sexual attraction as binary and heteronormative.
Ethical frameworks for desire
Bisexuality challenges traditional ethics built upon singular narratives of desire and restrictive notions of fidelity. Monogamy is not inherently ethical; it can be oppressive and exclusive. Bisexuality offers a new framework for understanding desire as fluid, open, and non-hierarchical. Non-monogamous relationships require negotiation, consent, and communication between partners, creating an ethic based on care rather than ownership. Bisexual individuals are uniquely positioned to challenge monosexism and explore new possibilities for eroticism and intimacy.
Bisexuality as a liberatory force
Bisexuality problematizes singular narratives of desire and the ethical frameworks built upon them. By destabilizing binaries, it opens up space for diverse forms of love and intimacy. Its complex negotiations about desire can inspire new ways of relating beyond traditional models of monogamy and exclusivity. Bisexuality pushes us to rethink our assumptions about sex, gender, and relationships, leading to greater inclusivity and freedom in sexual expression.
How does bisexuality problematize singular narratives of desire and the ethical frameworks built upon them?
Although bisexuals often occupy an ambiguous space between gay/lesbian and straight identities, many scholars argue that their sexual orientation is just as legitimate as any other. Bisexuality challenges the assumption that individuals' attractions are fixed and unchanging, suggesting instead that they may be fluid and open to change over time.